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Asplenium musifolium

Mett. (1859)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Pteridophyta Class/Clade: Polypodiopsida Order: Polypodiales Family: Aspleniaceae Genus: Asplenium

‘ēkaha [ekaha], ākaha [akaha], bird’s-nest fern, ēkaha kuahiwi, ēkahakaha [ekahakaha]

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form:

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves:

Sori:

Gametophyte:

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • This plant is used in a treatment for ‘ea and pa‘ao‘ao. A liquid is made of strained ‘ōkaha leaf shoots, ‘ohi‘a lehua leaf buds (Metrosideros spp.), ‘ohi‘a ‘ai bark (Syzygium malaccense), ‘āla‘ala wai nui pehu (Peperomia spp.), ‘aka‘akai ‘oliana (onion, Allium cepa), and kōkea (white sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum). Another variation combines ‘ōkaha leaf shoots, kukui nuts and flowers (Aleurites moluccana). For body sores (puho kolokolo koko‘ole), an ointment is made from ‘ōkaha leaves, salt, ‘auko‘i (Senna occidentalis), and kō(Chun 1994:67–68).

  • Used on hula altars (kuahu) (Emerson 1909:19). Midrib used to decorate lauhala items (Bornhorst 1996:77; Valier 1995:62), canoe-building ceremony in which the tree stump was covered with ‘ōkaha before it was shaped (Bornhorst 1996:77).

PROPAGATION/CULTIVATION

  • Buy plant from nursery, water regularly & transplant into successively larger pots; can be put in tree spreading roots in fan shape & tied to branch; water well till established & then twice a week after that (Bornhorst 1996:76–77). It grows somewhat slowly (Hoshizaki & Moran 2002:199).

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Kaua'i Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Molokai Indigenous
Lana'i Indigenous
Maui Indigenous
Hawai'i Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Bibliography

Name Published In: Abh. Senckenberg. Naturf. Ges. 3(1): 130 (1859)

Other References

Palmer 2003:70 (K, O, Mo, L, M, H [as A. nidus]); Staples & Herbst 2005:28 (DESCR); Thomas, Tribble, et al. 2025 (A. nidus misapplied, in part = A. musifolium); Forbes 97.L BISH (L†, 1913)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Asplenium musifolium Mett. South Hilo distr., Waiakea Uka area, Novelty Greens at 142-A Malaai Rd. Ferns in 6" pots inside plastic-roofed house. PRESERVED_SPECIMEN Staples, G.W. Purell, M. Collector Number: 1278 Hawaii BISH 2/14/2007
2 Asplenium musifolium Mett. south hilo distr., waiakea uka area, novelty greens at 142-a malaai rd. mesic to wet koa forest with Perrottetia sandwicensis, Psychotria hawaiiensis, Broussaisia arguta, Hedyotis acuminata PRESERVED_SPECIMEN staples, g.w. purell, m. collector number: 1278 Maui BISH 2/14/2007
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