Ppala kpau or Umbrella catchbird treeNyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock family)Indigenous to the Hawaiian IslandsHawaii Island (Cultivated)The early Hawaiians used an adhesive gum from ppala kpau for repairing bowls.The milky sap from ppala kpau was used for cuts. The cooked leaves were used to cure paoao (childhood disease with physical weakening) and for lepo paa (constipation).Ppala kpau are truly fascinating plants with a sad, but interesting, cultural history. A sinistral use for the sticky fruit was to trap native birds. [6] The captured victims provided feathers for the strikingly colorful cloaks (capes), helmets, lei, images and khili. Birds such as '' and mamo were plucked of their few moulting yellow feathers and set free to grow more for the next season. However, this was not the case with the 'i'iwi and 'apapane which were covered with red- or green-colored feathers and would not have survived the plucking. They were captured, plucked and eaten.
Alena or Red spiderlingNyctaginaceaeIndigenous to the Hawiian Islands (Alena is found on all the Main Hawaiian Islands and on many of the Northwest Islands: Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Pearl & Hermes Atoll, Lisianski, Laysan, French Frigate Shoals, and and collected only once on Nhoa at Adam's Beach in 1923 during the Tanager Expeditions.)Photo: Makapuu, OahuEarly Hawaiians and Samoans used the large roots of alena for medicinal purposes. In Samoa, the tuberous root is reportedly to have been eaten in times of famine.Polynesian Names: Aka taha (Tonga); Akataha kula (Tonga); Alena (Hawaii); Anena (Hawaii); Ktule (Niue); Luna? (Tuvalu); Nena (Hawaii); Nuna (Tokelau); Nunanuna (Societies); Patakomata (Marquesas); Runa (Cooks?, Mangareva, Tuamotus); Ufi tuli (Samoa); Ufi viole (Samoa, a modern name) EtymologyThe generic name Boerhavia was named for Hermann Boerhaave (1668-1738), a Dutch botany professor.The specific name repens is Latin for creeping, in reference to its habit of creeping along the ground.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Boerhavia_repens
Found on beaches of Southern California, Baja California and Sonora. It is a member of the Nyctaginaceae and not a true verbena. Photo from San Pedro Beach, Baja California.
Being first discovered in 1768 in Brazil, Bougainvilleas are now popular ornamental plants in most areas with warm climates. This photo was taken in the Mayfair Garden here in Hong Kong.
Neea theifera Oerst.NYCTAGINACEAE Local: Jardim Botnico, Braslia, Brasil.Ref.: a) Kuhlmann, M. Frutos e Sementes do Cerrado Atrativos para a Fauna. Rede de Sementes do Cerrado, 2012; b) Ref.: Silva Jr., M.C. 100 rvores do Cerrado. Rede de Sementes do Cerrado, 2005; c) Furlan, A. et al. Nyctaginaceae. In. Cavalcanti, T.B. e Batista, M.F. Flora do Distrito Federal, Vol. 8. Embrapa, 2010.
