Hawaiian Name(s): ‘aiea, hālena

Scientific Name: Nothocestrum (4 species)

Vernacular Name: none

Family: Solanaceae

Status: endemic

Authority: N. breviflorum A.Gray, N. latifolium A.Gray, N. longifolium A.Gray , N. peltatum Skottsb.

Description: Large shrub/small tree.

Habitat N. breviflorum dry to mesic forest (Hawai‘i), N. latifolium dry to mesic and diverse mesic forests 460–1530 m (Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Maui), N. longifolium usually wet forest, but alao mesic and diverse mesic forests 360–1620 m (all main islands execpt Ni‘ihau and Kaho‘olawe), N. peltanum diverse mesic forest 915–1220 m (Kaua‘i) (Wagner et al.1990:1263–1264).

Medicines: The leaves, bark, and tap root are pounded, mixed with water, strained, heated with hot rocks, and cooled to use in the treatment of puho kolekole a ‘a‘ai (abcesses). It is also made into a liquid medicine with ‘ohi‘a bark (Metrosideros spp.), moa holo kula (Psilotum nudum) and kō honua‘ula (red/purple sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum) for puho kolekole (Chun 1994:15–16).

Non Medicinal Uses: The wood used as gunwale (moamoa) (Krauss 1993:50; Malo 1951:21).

Specific gravity of wood: unknown

Famous Locations:

Mele:

`Ōlelo Noeau:

Dye Color and Parts:

Kino lau:

Location on Bishop Museum Kalihi Campus:

Propagation Information: Difficult to maintain. Grow from seeds. Young aiea often show spurts of growth followed by dormant periods, refrain from over fertilizing as they shock easily & will lose all or most of their leaves (Culliney and Koebele 1999:41–43).
Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database.
Native Plants Hawaii.

Microscopy
Cross Section: Field of view: 2.6 mm x 1.6 mm. Photograph: H.Lennstrom
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Radial Section: Field of view: 2.6 mm x 1.6 mm. Photograph: H.Lennstrom
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Tangential Section: Field of view: 2.6 mm x 1.6 mm. Photograph: H.Lennstrom
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