Kauna`oa

Kauna`oa is known as the flower of the island of Lana'i. In one Hawaiian legend of sibling rivalry, the goddess of fire Pele is told of trying to escape from the wrath of her sister the goddess of the sea Namakaokahai. During her flight to the island of Lana'i, the lei of Kaunaoa she bore dropped and fell upon the seashore. Thus, the golden vines of the beautiful Kaunaoa started spreading there.

There are two species of Kauna`oa, also known as the Hawaiian dodder. The Lauraceae family has green to orange stems and tends to climb woody plants. The Convolvulaceae family has yellowish orange stems and mainly spreads across the ground. The plant is not a flower, but a parasitic air plant.

Kauna`oa is easily identified by its thin tangled mucilaginous golden-orange vines. Lacking leaves and chlorophyll, Kauna`oa is unable to survive on its own. Instead, it winds its slender shoots tightly around the stems of a host plant, sinking in hooks through which it draws its sustenance. Clusters of tiny, white bell-shaped flowers dangle like waxy pearls from golden chains. Kauna`oa blooms annually in the summer and fall. It can be found growing in drier areas, along beaches and roadsides.

Traditional Cultural and Medicinal Usages

• Strands of Kauna`oa are woven into beautiful lei
• In combination with other plants it was used to treat chest colds, clean out the gastrointestinal tract, and assist women before and after childbirth