Issue 29: Uluhe

He kalo pa`a.

Unpounded taro.

A spinster or a bachelor.

Organism of the Week!  Uluhe, dicranopteris linearis
This is a plant near and dear to my heart if only because it reminds me of my home on the Big Island.  The plant is one of the widest distributed ferns of the "old world" tropics and similar regions.  Although beautiful, it spreads along the ground densely and climbs other vegetation - which often ends up blocking the sun from reaching any low-to-the-ground plants.  This fern grows densely and sprouts and climbs over the old growth over and over to make a deep layer of ferny brush.  When i first moved to the Big Island where uluhe reigns supreme, I would often play in the jungle that was my back yard, climbing ohia and hapu`u to jump into the dense uluhe.  I don't recommend this - the brush was not so deep where we were, but it can easily grow to be some 3 meters deep and often even deeper.  While we would only sink maybe thigh-deep in the stuff, an adult could easily tumble through closer to six to twelve feet of it bef
ore coming to a stop. 
The leafy ferns sprout branches at forty-five degree angles and sprout further branches, so and and so forth - these branches can reach well over 6 meters in length.  This fern grows well in poor-draining soil that lacks nutrients, but can also halt the growth of new trees because of how quickly and densely it grows.
In Hawaii, this fern is a "keystone species" in the ecosystem and dominates many areas of our rainforests.  It is found on all of the main Hawaiian islands.  The nature of uluhe is to grow well in nutrient-deficient environments.  But, when the leaves die, they create a thick layer of dead leaves which contribute nutrients to the new environment.  One helpful thing about uluhe is that by having such a dense thicket of uluhe, it makes it very difficult for other plants such as invasive species to grow, so the uluhe does serve a significant purpose to Hawaii's environment.  Other than that, it seems ancient Hawaii had little use for the plant - it was used only as a cure for constipation.  But in any case, it's a beautiful source of flora these days.

By Sabrina Robello

Sourced: Here and here.


Community Events!
Growing Conscious 1.0, Tues, Apr 30, 4:30-5:30, Manoa Campus - Behind the Art Building
This is a "therapeutic horticulture experience."  Translate: gardening during finals week.  Stop by and check out the free garden, help weed and meet other people.