UKI
Cladium angustifolium—Sedge Family (Cyperaceae)

A common plant in wet and moderately wet areas is the uki, which grows to heights of 3 to 4 feet. The uki has a flattened stem and long, slender rushlike leaves. Flowers and seeds develop in heads which form at the top of the stalks. Often the plant is seen after the seeds have been dropped, and the cases in which they developed have taken on a dark, rust-brown color.

Although grasslike in its general appearance, the uki is actually a sedge. As is often the case with plants of this family, the stem of this plant is triangular in cross section. Another common sedge in the park, though not native, is the kilioopu, or nutgrass (p. 24).

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HONOHONO OR CREEPING DAYFLOWER
Commelina diffusa—Spiderwort Family (Commelinaceae)

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In moist localities, along trails and roadsides, you may see a low, creeping plant with slender, spear-shaped leaves. The plant bears small, bright blue flowers where the leaves join the stem. It is a close relative of the "Wandering Jew," a common house plant on the mainland. Although it may be an exotic, this has not been established and some botanists are of the opinion that it is native because of its wide distribution, even in remote, inaccessible localities.

Valuable as moisture-preserving ground cover, the dayflower may become a pest in areas where it chokes out other plants. It is common in the vicinity of the Thurston Lava Tube parking area.

PAINIU
Astelia menziesiana—Lily Family (Liliaceae)

The painiu is sometimes mistaken for the silversword, the latter being found in abundance only in the Haleakala section of the park. Painiu is an attractive plant whose leaves and stalks have a soft, fuzzy, silvery appearance. The flowers are greenish in color. When in fruit large clusters of bright orange berries are borne on a stalk at the center of the plant. Although usually found growing on the ground, the painiu adapts itself readily to life as an epiphyte—a plant which grows upon another plant but which does not injure or take food from the "host." They may often be seen growing upon trees. The outer covering of the leaves was sometimes used by the Hawaiians in lei making.

The silver color of the painiu may be an adaptation to reflect the rays of the sun, as it probably is with the silversword and the silver geranium.

This member of the lily family is found in both the Kilauea and Haleakala sections of the park. In the Kilauea section dense growths may be seen on Byron Ledge and in the vicinity of the old CCC Camp, where it presents a colorful sight when the bright orange berries are ripe. You can also see it growing as an "airplant" on trees in Kalua Iki, the crater which produced the Thurston Lava Tube.

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Painiu on rim of Kilauea Iki.

TI
Cordyline terminalis—Lily Family (Liliaceae)

Few Hawaiian plants are more graceful than the slender ti, pictured on the right. You can see it in many places in the park residential area and occasionally in Kipuka Puaulu and in old lava tube cave-ins in other portions of the park. With the exception of the coconut palm it is doubtful if any plant was of greater use to the Hawaiians. The leaves were used for skirts, for wrapping food, and for thatching buildings. A potent beverage called okolehao was distilled from the root of the ti during and following the whaling days in Hawaii. These plants may grow to 12 or more feet high. The leaves grow in a head at the top of the plant in a close spiral. There are no branches. As leaves fall they are replaced by new ones in the center of the head. Most authorities believe that the ti was brought to Hawaii by the early Polynesian explorers.

The ti according to Degener, was regarded as sacred to Lono, the god for whom Captain Cook was mistaken by the Hawaiians. A symbol of high rank or divine power in old Hawaii, ti was often worn around the neck of the kahuna, or priest. It was considered a charm against evil spirits. The Hawaiians used ti leaves for relief from headaches. A portion of the leaf was soaked in cold water and tied around the head.

Holua slides provided sport in early days. Similar to tobogganing, steep slopes were often covered with ti leaves to make the sleds move more rapidly. Ti leaf sliding continues as an exciting sport in Hawaii today.