`Ulei

`Ulei is known as Hawaiian Hawthorne, It is endemic of Polynesia. It is also known as Eluehe and U'ulei. C.S. Judd noted that it grew as high as 14 feet in the Kona district of Hawai'i and Col. Bryan found it as a tree in Kona and Kau. Hillebrand found it common on all islands to 3,000 feet elevation and it may now be seen, at least in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, at an elevation of almost 4,000 feet at Kipuka Pualulu picnic area. It is also known as the Polynesian Osteomeles and Peke'o (Cook Islands).

`Ulei is a sprawling, branching shrub with a light brown, slightly rough bark that may spread over an area of 100 square feet or more. The wood is a nice reddish-brown. The branches of the`Ulei are long and slender with a dark brown, smooth surface. The leaves of the plant grow in 6-12 pairs, plus one at the tip. They are oval. On the top surface, the leaves are a glossy dark green. While, on the surface below they are silvery due to fine hairs. The aromatic, small, white flowers grow in terminal clusters. They have wide, ovate petals. The `Ulei also has small round fruits that turn purple when ripe. Each contain about 4 small seeds.

`Ulei can be found in lowland dry forests and mesic forests.

Traditional Cultural and Medicinal Uses

• Wood used to form hoops for fish nets; crafting digging tools, tapa mallets, ukele boards, back scratchers, bearing sticks and short tapered sticks or javelins used for playing the game of Pahee
• Fruit is edible, but not preferred to other native fruit