Issue 34: Hawane

Ku mai no, he pali.

There it stands, a cliff.

Said in admiration of a handsome person who, like a cliff, attracts attention.

Organism of the Week! Pritchardia glabrata/martii/hillebrandii, Hawane or Loulu
I am actually surprised that this plant is native.  These plants are so similar to each other and each species inhabits different islands.  This frondy plant is used as a decorative plant these

days.  Glabrata is endemic to Maui and is currently classified as endangered.  Hillebrandii is native to Moloka`i and grows to about 20 ft tall - this species is silvery under the leaves with shorter flower stalks.  It can grows from 25 to 60 ft tall with a fan-like leaf or frond.  The species is very similar looking to the other species in the family and is difficult to distinguish from them.  It produced fruits that early Hawaiians would collect and eat - the inside of the fruit was apparently similar to a coconut and could be eaten like one. 
As you can see, the plants look very similar to many of the decorative palms we have around many buildings here in Honolulu.  The genus of pritchardia all happens to be native to tropical Pacific islands, many of which are endemic to Hawaii and are protected.  Each island has at least one species with distinctive characteristics (distinctive to someone else's eye at least).  This species decreased in the wild like many other native species when Hawaii became heavily developed.  The lack of an appropriate habitat was a significant factor in the decrease loulu.

By Sabrina Robello

Sourced:  Here

Community Events!
Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai`i with Filmmaker Marlene Booth - June 6, Manoa Campus, Krauss 12
This film is a documentary that discusses pidgin as a source of identity for locals, the history of it, etc.  This event is free and seems pretty worthwhile for those in the area.
Frances Haar and the Dances of Hawaii - Manoa campus, Hamilton library Room A 153
Haar will be speaking and invites the public to celebrate the completion of a project that documents dance performances in Hawaii for more than 25 years.