Mezoneuron kavaiense - a photo on Flickriver

[syn. Caesalpinia kavaiensis]
Uhiuhi
Fabaceae
Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands
Endangered
Oʻahu (Cultivated), Hawaiʻi Island form

The trunk from this cultivated specimen has a 8-10+ inch diameter.

Early Hawaiians used the hard wood for digging tools (ʻōʻō), war clubs and daggers, prepping boards for kapa (lāʻau kahi wauke), kapa beaters, kalo (taro) cutters, spears for heʻe (octopus), fishing implements (lāʻau melomelo or lāʻau mākālei), and shark hooks (makau manō) fitted with bone points.

This strong wood was also used in house (hale) construction for posts, rafters and purlins.

The bark and young leaves pounded with other plants were pounded, squeezed and liquid taken to purify the blood.

Uhiuhi, or māmane (Sophora chrysophylla), wood was also used for sled runners in a sport for the aristocrats called papa hōlua. The slopes were usually made with layers of grass or ti leaves.
Notes the Huliheʻe Palace website: "The person about to slide gripped the sled by the right hand grip, ran a few yard to the starting place, grasped the other hand grip with the left hand, threw himself forward with all his strength, fell flat on the sled and slid down the hill. His hands held the handgrips and the feet were braced against the last cross piece on the rear portion of the sled. The sport was extremely dangerous as the sleds attained high speed running down hill. Much skill was necessary to keep an even balance and to keep from running off the slide or overturning the sled. In competitions, the sled that went the farthest, won."

One older source (Charles Gaudichaud,1819) states that Hawaiians "used all fragrant plants, all flowers and even colored fruits" for lei making. The red or yellow were indicative of divine and chiefly rank; the purple flowers and fruit, or with fragrance, were associated with divinity. Because of their long-standing place in oral tradition, the flowers of uhiuhi were likely used for lei making by early Hawaiians, even though there are no written sources.

Etymology
The current generic name is Mezoneuron is from the Greek meizon, greater, and neuron, nerve, referring to the winged pod.

The specific epithet kavaiense is in reference to the island of Kauaʻi.

nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Caesalpinia_kavaiensis

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Taken on: January 2, 2012

Tags:

Caesalpinia

kavaiensis

Uhiuhi

plants

flowers

Caesalpinia kavaiensis

taxonomy:binomial=Caesalpinia kavaiensis

taxonomy:binomial=Mezoneuron kavaiense

Mezoneuron kavaiense

Mezoneuron

kavaiense

Hawaii

Hawaiian Islands

Kauaʻi

Oʻahu

Lānaʻi

West Maui

Maui

extinct

Hawaiʻi

endangered

endangered species

tree

endemic

Hawaiian

wood

tools

ʻōʻō

lāʻau kahi wauke

kapa beaters

kapa

tapa

kalo

taro

spear

heʻe

octopus

fishing

lāʻau melomelo

lāʻau mākālei

makau manō

shark

wauke

lāʻau

hook

makau

manō

house

hale

post

rafter

perlin

māmane

Sophora chrysophylla

Sophora

chrysophylla

sled

sports

papa hōlua

Huliheʻe Palace

Charles Gaudichaud

lei

bark

leaves

medicine

medicinal

medicinal plant

Legume

trunk « less

Sets appears in: • Fabaceae (Legume or Pea family)

Groups appears in: • Hawaii • Flickr Nature more » • PLANT [directory] 植物 • The Nature Conservancy • Hawaiian Native Biota • Hawaii Flowers and Plants • Protected or Endangered Species • Field Guide to Trees of the World • Legumes ! • Pea Family / Fabaceae • Rare Plants & Flowers • Encyclopedia of Life Images • Wildscreen Arkive • Ethnobotany Polynesia « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS, f/4.0, 1/400 sec, 6mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Aperture:	f/4.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	6mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	-1/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	picnik.com
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