Hawaiian Name(s): pua kala, kala, naule, pōkalakalaScientific Name: Argemone glauca
Vernacular Name: prickly poppy
Family: Papaveraceae
Status: endemic
Authority: (Nutt. ex Prain) Pope
Description: Perennial herbs 7-15 dm long, covered with yellow, stiff prickles & white flowers.
Habitat Usually occuring on leeward sides of islands in coastal dry forest and subalpine forest between 0-1900 m of most main islands (Wagner et al. 1990:1005).
Medicines: The seeds and sap of the stalk used as a narcotic and analgesic for toothaches, neuralgia and ulcers; sap also used to treat warts (Krauss 1993:102).
Non Medicinal Uses:
Specific gravity of wood: n/a
Famous Locations:
Mele:
`Ōlelo Noeau:
Dye Color and Parts:
Kino lau:
Location on Bishop Museum Kalihi Campus:
Propagation Information: Easy. Seeds sprout in Fall, transplant to individual pots after 2nd/3rd true leaves develop, avoid overwatering, flowers after 3 months, after primary stalks have aged cut them back & new shoots emerge; rapid sprouting leads to containment problem (Culliney and Koebele 1999:134–136).
Native Plants Hawaii.
Seed: Seed length approximately 2 mm. Photograph: B.Kennedy.
