Cuscuta sandwichiana

Cuscuta sandwichiana (Kauna'oa kahakai) is a parasitic vine and the only member of the genus Cuscuta that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.[1] It parasitizes a wide variety of indigenous, endemic and introduced plants on all of the main Hawaiian islands. It grows in coastal areas with sandy soils from sea level elevation to 975 feet.[2][3] The indigenous kaunaʻoa pehu (literally "swollen kaunaʻoa") Cassytha filiformis is a similar looking species with the same parasitic nature. It is an unrelated plant in the Laurel family Lauraceae which can be distinguished by it larger, coarser yellowish-green stems.[4]

Cuscuta sandwichiana
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Convolvulaceae
Genus: Cuscuta
Species:
C. sandwichiana
Binomial name
Cuscuta sandwichiana
Choisy

Appearance

Cuscuta sandwichiana is a twining vine with thin, leafless yellow to yellow-orange stems and very small yellowish flowers which grow in small clusters along the stems.[5]

Hawaiian use

Lei (garland): Kaunaʻoa kahakai was used for both lei o ka poʻo (head lei) and lei āʻī (neck lei)[6][7]

Medicinal: Plants of both kaunaʻoa kahakai and kaunaʻoa pehu were pounded until soft, strained, and juice drunk to thin blood for women who had given birth or who had thick blood.[8]

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References
  1. Bohm, Bruce A. "Flowering Plants of Hawaii". Floridata Plant Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  2. Wagner, Warren L. (1990). Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i (Bishop Museum Special Publication 83 ed.). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press / Bishop Museum Press. pp. 582–583.
  3. "Cuscuta sandwichiana". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  4. "Cuscuta sandwichiana". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  5. Bornhorst, Heidi L. (1996). Growing native Hawaiian plants: a how-to guide for the gardener. Honolulu: The Bess Press. pp. 49–50.
  6. McDonald, Marie A. (2003). Nā Lei Makamae--The Treasured Lei. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. pp. 36–37.
  7. Neal, Marie C. (1965). In Gardens of Hawaii. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press. pp. 710–711.
  8. Kaʻaiakamanu, Kaluna M. (2003). Native Hawaiian Medicine--Volume III (translated and edited by Malcolm Nāea Chun ed.). Honolulu: First People's Productions. pp. 58–59.
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