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Talipariti tiliaceum

(L.) Fryxell (2001)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Talipariti

hau, hau

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees 2–10(–20) m tall.

Stems: Young branches, petioles, and pedicels glabrous or finely stellate pubescent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades cordate–ovate to cordate–orbicular, 8–20(–30) cm long, unlobed. Apex abruptly acuminate. Upper surfaces green, glossy, and subglarous; lower surfaces closely white tomentose, leaf blades coriaceous. Margins entire or serrulate. Median veins or 3 central veins on lower surface with an elongate, bordered gland near base. Petioles usually ¼–¾ as long as blades, glabrous or finely stellate pubescent. Stipules foliaceous, 10–60 mm long, enclosing the buds, clasping the stems in pairs, then deciduous leaving an annular scar.

Flowers: Flowers solitary or few in naked cymes; peduncles and pedicels articulate, pedicels glabrous or finely stellate pubescent; involucral bracts connate basally to form a 7–12 toothed cup usually ½ or less the length of the calyx, closely and smoothly stellate pubescent. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx campanulate to tubular or subuceolate, 1.5–3 cm long, composed of connate sepals, lobed to middle and beyond, 5-lobed or 5-parted, often accrescent in fruit, midvein of each lobe with a flat, elongate gland, lobes valvate in bud. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, yellow, rarely whitish when fresh, usually brownish red to maroon at base, fading during the day through orangish yellow to dark red, drying greenish, convolute, basically tubular below with petals spreading above 4–7(–8.5) cm long; lower surface usually densely pubescent, the corolla of 5 petals, obovate, distinct from each other but adnate at base to staminal column, convolute in bud. Stamens 5 to numerous, monadelphous, forming a staminal column, included, closely antheriferous for most of its length; anthers monothecal. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, 5-celled or rarely appearing 10-celled by a vertical partition, the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile; ovules 3 or more per cell; style exceeding the staminal column, 5-branched, branches erect, maroon; stigmas expanded and slightly decurrent.

Fruit: Loculicidally dehiscent capsules; olong–ovoid; short–beaked; 1.3–2;8 cm long; valves firm; moderately woody; closely yellowish stellate pubescent; exocarp and endocarp sometimes separating at maturity. Seeds reddish brown; reniform; up to 4.5 mm long; striate with minute papillae or stellate tufts.

Ploidy: 2n = 80; 92; 96

Habitat: Along coasts; mouths of streams; and other wet areas.

Elevation Range: 0–300(–1220) m.

Historical Distribution

Synonyms (51)

Abelmoschus guineensis Walp. (1842)
Cistus tricuspis (Banks ex Cav.) Darwin (1868)
Hibiscus albovariegata W.Bull (1872)
Hibiscus boninensis Nakai (1914)
Hibiscus circinnatus Willd. (1809)
Hibiscus corrugatus J.W.Moore (1933)
Hibiscus elatus DC. (1824)
Hibiscus guineensis DC. (1824)
Hibiscus porophyllus Vell. (1829)
Hibiscus tiliaceus L. (1753)
Hibiscus tiliaceus f. albiflorus (O.Deg. & Greenwell) H.St.John (1973)
Hibiscus tiliaceus f. immaculatus (O.Deg. & Greenwell) H.St.John (1973)
Hibiscus tiliaceus f. variegatus Guillaumin (1931)
Hibiscus tiliaceus subsp. tiliaceus
Hibiscus tiliaceus subsp. tiliaceus var. henryanus
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. calyculosus Gagnep. (1945)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. concolor Gagnep. (1945)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. genuinus Hochr. (1900)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. hastatus (L.f.) Hochr. (1900)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. henryanus F.Br. (1935)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. potteri (O.Deg. & Greenwell) H.St.John (1973)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. purpurascens Seem. (1865)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. sterilis F.Br. (1935)
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. tiliaceus
Hibiscus tiliaceus var. tortuosus (Roxb.) Mast. (1874)
Hibiscus tiliaceus × Hibiscus tricuspis
Hibiscus tiliifolius Salisb. (1796)
Hibiscus tortuosus Roxb. (1814)
Hibiscus tricuspis Banks ex Cav. (1787)
Hibiscus × corrugatus
Kosteletzkya hastata Garcke (1881)
Parita tiliaceus (L.) Scop. (1777)
Pariti boninense (Nakai) Nakai (1936)
Pariti circinnatum (Willd.) G.Don (1831)
Pariti grande Britton (1933)
Pariti guineense G.Don (1831)
Pariti purpurascens Seem. (1861)
Pariti tiliaceum (L.) A.Juss. (1825)
Pariti tiliaceum f. albiflorum O.Deg. & Greenwell (1956)
Pariti tiliaceum f. immaculatum O.Deg. & Greenwell (1956)
Pariti tiliaceum var. abortivum Nadeaud (1873)
Pariti tiliaceum var. potteri O.Deg. & Greenwell (1956)
Pariti tiliaceum var. trilobatum Nadeaud (1873)
Pariti tiliifolium Nakai (1936)
Pariti tortuosum (Roxb.) Voigt (1845)
Pariti tricuspe (Banks ex Cav.) G.Don (1831)
Talipariti potteri (O.Deg. & Greenwell) Fryxell (2001)
Talipariti tiliaceum var. chihsinlinensis S.S.Ying (2020)
Talipariti tiliaceum var. tiliaceum
Talipariti tiliaceus
Talipariti tortuosum (Roxb.) Fryxell (2001)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Hau is a very useful plant. Its bast fibers can be used for cordage, its light wood for the spars of outriggers and floats for fishnets (Handy et al. 1972:233), also used in firemaking with the harder wood of the Perrottetia (olomea). The hau "log" (‘aunaki) was slightly hollowed and the pointed stick (‘aulima) of olomea was rubbed in it to start fires. Branches also used in ‘ohai sport known from Kaua‘i, where oiled, burning branches were tossed from cliffs (Degener 1930:218); bark for sandals (Krauss 1993:71); used on hula altars (kuahu) (Emerson 1909:20). Cordage used to sew kapa sheets together or tie sandals, also for kapa design sticks (lapa), slingshots, string of a bow, branches set along shorelines to indicate kapu fishing zones, kite frames and adz handles (Lucas 1982:44). In the Ethnology Collection at Bishop Museum there is a post-contact example of the wood made into a bowl.

  • The flower buds and sap used as laxative and for ‘ea and pa‘ao‘ao. That may be followed with an enema made from noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia). Sap from the bark was scraped and mixed with sap from the kikawaio fern (Christella cyatheoides) and ‘uwi‘uwi (cf. Conyza spp.), with root bark from ‘uhaloa (Waltheria indica) and pōpolo (Solanum americanum) for chest congestion.The leaf buds were chewed/swallowed for dry throat. The inner bark (with sap) was soaked and drunk for labor pains and rubbed on stomach (Chun 1994:83–86). Sap used as an internal lubricant as a mild laxative and to facilitate the passage of a fetus through the birth canal (Abbott 1992:101).

CULTURE

  • [I] Ka ‘ili hau pa kai o ‘Alio. The hau bark, wet by the sea sprays of ‘Alio. This is a reference to a strong shore-dweller. Salt air and sea sprays made the bark of the hau trees on the shore stronger than those of the upland. ‘Alio is a place on Kaua‘i. [II] Ka makani ha‘iha‘i lau hau o Olowalu. The hau-leaf tearing wind of Olowalu. A gusty wind. [III] Ka pali ‘oahi o Makana. The firebrand-hurling of the cliff of Makana. Papala or hau wood was cut, thoroughly dried, and carried up the hillside to where an imu lay ready to be lighted. When dusk desended, the imu was lighted and the logs placed in it. When the blowing of the wind was just right, the lighted log was hurled into the wind and borne seaward, high over the heads of the spectators, before dropping into the sea. [IV] Keke‘e hau o Ma‘alo. Crooked are the hau trees of Ma‘alo. A humerous saying. The hau grove of Ma‘alo, Maui, was known as a place for illicit love affairs. [V] Ki‘ilili ka pau hau o Kalena. The hau blossoms of Kalena squat. Said of pretty young women who squat and do nothing–they are good lookers but not good workers. A play on lena (lazy) in Kalena. [VI] Pu‘ali o Ka-hau-nui ia Ka-hau-iki. Big-hau-tree has a groove worn into it by Little-hau-tree. Said when a child nearly wears out the patience of the adult in charge of him, or of a large company of warriors discomfited by a small one. Kahaunui and Kahauiki are places just east of Moanalua, O‘ahu.

  • Kinolau of Lupea.

PROPAGATION/CULTIVATION

  • Cuttings/air-layers; sprawling branches & dense tangles make it hard to place it in a garden, must be properly pruned (Nagata 1992).

Natural History

Statewide Status

Indigenous

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Indigenous
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Indigenous
Kaua'i Indigenous
O'ahu Indigenous
Molokai Indigenous
Lana'i Indigenous
Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) Indigenous
Maui Indigenous
Hawai'i Indigenous

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Contr. Univ. Michigan Herb. 23: 258 (2001)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:888 (Mi, FF, K, O, Mo, L, M, H [as Hibiscus tiliaceus]); Fryxell 2001:258 (COMBNOV, Syn. H. tiliaceus = Talipariti tiliaceum); Pfeil et al. 2002/Wagner & Herbst 2003:33 (Syn. T. tiliaceum = H. tiliaceus); Staples & Herbst 2005:387 (KEY), 390 (DESCR); Athens et al. 1992:27 (single pollen grain found in pre-human contact pollen core); Wichman & St. John 1990:109 (Ni, observed but uncollected); Hanes et al. 2024/Barrett et al. 2025 (Syn. H. tiliaceus = T. tiliaceum); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:193 (remove FF [no evidence of nat.])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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