ETHNOBOTANICOPOEIA!

We combined our web page because of our shared interests. In particular, we have found many parallels in the medicinal plants used in Indonesia and Hawai'i. That's not so surprising when you know that much of the flora of Polynesia is derived from the Indo-Malaysian flora.

Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) is known as noni in Hawai'i, and bengkudu in Maluku. In Hawai'i today, many people put the very ripe (and very smelly) fruit in big jars and ferment the juice in the sun. This is for medicine, not as an alcoholic drink. In case you are tempted to try this at home, keep in mind that the smell of ripe noni fruit has been likened to "stale vomit." This is an accurate description.
Jars of noni fruit fermenting on the roof of the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook on the Big Island of Hawai'i. The Manago Hotel is located just down the street from the Amy Greenwell Botanical Garden, which has a large collection of native Hawaiian plants as well as a collection of banana varieties from all over the Pacific.
Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae), called kuawa in Hawaiian, is an introduced species. The tannin-rich young shoots are chewed for diarrhea, and the leaves are steeped to make a soothing bath for skin rashes. This is one of the most-commonly used medicinal plants in Hawai'i, and most ethnic groups are familiar with it.
Plantago europaea (Plantaginaceae) or common plantain. It is called laukahi in Hawaiian or obako in Japanese. One of the more common uses is to wilt the leaf over a flame or in the microwave and place the leaf on a boil. There are numerous endemic species of Plantago in Hawai'i.
Ipomoea pes-caprae (Convolvulaceae) Beach morning glory or pohuehue (Hawaiian) or katang (Maluku). This plant formed the basis for a variety of la'au (medicines), and was sometimes eaten in times of famine (although it is supposedly toxic).
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Last modified on 12 September 1996.

This page and all of its contents consist of our opinions only. We offer no assurances of the accuracy of anything in these pages, so use any information stated or referenced at your own risk. Descriptions of ethnomedical uses of plants are not to be construed as medical advice.

Original images © Copyright 1996 by the ETHNBOTANICOPOEIA! All rights reserved. Images or derivatives of these images may not be used for any purpose except by our expressed permission.