Canoe Plants refers to plants that were brought by ancient Polynesians and introduced to the Pacific Islands when they first inhabited. The settlers came to the islands via canoe, so the plants varieties they brought with them are now designated “Canoe Plants”.
It is thought that the Canoe Plants were considered sacred and most useful to the ancient peoples. The Canoe Plants were or became so important to the ancient settlers that they are often now believed to be indigenous species. Sugar Cane, Banana, Coconut, Taro, Bamboo, all of these iconic “Hawaiian” species are not actually native to the islands.
The exact number of Canoes species is unknown, twenty-four species are fairly universally agreed upon. Many other species are suspected to have been introduced and there is a blurring as some species that were believed introduced may have also been native. Coconut may be one of these and Hala, which was originally believed to be a Canoe Plant has been found in the fossil record indicating that it was either Native or Native and Canoe.
The origin and name of the original settlers of Hawai’i are unknown, but it is clear that they came to the islands and brought with them the items that were most critical to their long terms survival. It is believed that cuttings, seeds, fruit and roots were stowed during their journey and used to cultivate many of the plants we see on Hawaii today.
List of Known Canoe Plants:
‘Ape
Alocasia macrorrhizos
Common Name: Elephant Ears
‘Auhuhu
Tephrosia purpurea
Fabaceae family
‘Awa
Piper methysticum
Common Name: Kava
‘Awapuhi Kuahiwi
Zingiber zerumbet
Common Name: Shampoo Ginger, Wild Ginger
Ipu
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name: Bottle Gourd
Kalo
Colocasia esculenta
Common name: Taro
Kamani
Calophyllum inophyllum
Common Name: Alexandrian Laurel
Kī
Cordyline fruticosa
Common Name: Ti
Kō
Saccharum officinarum
Common Name: Sugarcane
Kukui
Aleurites moluccana
Common Name: Candlenut Tree
Mai‘a
Musa spp.
Common Name: Banana
Milo
Thespesia populnea
Common Name: Portia Tree
Niu
Cocos nucifera
Common Name: Coconut Palm
Niu
Cocos nucifera
Common Name: Coconut Palm
‘Ohe Hawai‘i
Schizostachyum glaucifolium
Common Name: Bamboo
‘Ōhi‘a ‘Ai
Syzgium malaccense
Common Name: Mountain Apple
‘Ōlena
Curcuma longa
Common Name: Turmeric
Pia
Tacca leontopetaloides
Common Name: Polynesian Arrowroot
‘Uala
Ipomoea batatas
Common Name: Sweet Potato
Uhi
Dioscorea alata
Common Name: Yam
‘Ulu
Artocarpus altilis
Common Name: Breadfruit
Wauke
Broussonetia papyrifera
Common Name: Paper Mulberry
Resources
http://www.hawaiianencyclopedia.com/polynesian-introduced-plants-i.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe_plants
http://wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/category/native-status/canoe-plants/
Discussion1 Comment
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Happy Earth Day!