Urera kaalae
A long-lived Hawaiian shrub or small tree in the nettle family, 3–7 m tall, with heart-shaped leaves, sap turning greenish black in air, native to mesic forest slopes and gulches at 300–760 m in the southern and central Waianae Mountains of Oʻahu, bearing flowers that are male or female on the same or different plants, and threatened by habitat loss.
Common Names
Opuhe
Summary
opuhe is a native Hawaiian shrub or small tree in the nettle family that grows 3–7 m tall with hollow branches, pale brown bark, and large heart-shaped leaves 10–28 cm long; sap darkens to greenish black in air; flowers are male or female and may occur on the same or different plants, and fruits are achenes; distinctive features include heart-shaped leaves and stinging hairs.
It inhabits slopes and gulches in mesic forests at elevations 300–760 m and is restricted to the southern and central Waianae Mountains on Oahu; it is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with threats from habitat loss, ungulate grazing, invasive plants, and rats; conservation actions include exclosures and outplanting, with propagation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden and Waimea Arboretum; historically, ōpuhe fiber was used to treat constipation, and strong bark supplied fiber for fish nets.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
10-23 feet
Bloom Color
White, Red, Green
Bloom Time
Spring, Year-round
Foliage Color
Pale green
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds (achenes)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Wawra
- Publication
- Flora 57: 542 (1874)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Rosales
- Family
- Urticaceae
- Genus
- Urera