Cibotium glaucum

Description:

Hpuu or Hpuu puluCibotiaceaeEndemic to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu (Cultivated)The pulu, the soft woolly material around the base of the fronds, was used by early Hawaiians for dressing wounds and embalming bodies.Hawaiians, both long ago as well as more recent times, ate the uncoiled fronds (fiddles), which were considered delicious when boiled. The starchy core, though, was famine food. But it was considered the most important food in lean times and one trunk may contain 50-70 pounds of almost pure starch. It was prepared by peeling the young fronds or placing the entire trunk with the starchy center in an imu or in steam vents at the volcano. The saying was "He hpuu ka ai he ai make" (If the hpuu is the food, it is the food of death).This photo shows a hpuu pulu knocked over but still growing on its side. This survival method helped save many hpuu from perishing through a tough period in modern history. When was that time and what happened? Find out at the link below.NPH00006www.nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Cibotium_glaucum