Special Features and Information
General
Ericaceae is a large family of about 4,250 species within 124 genera that includes herbs, shrubs, and trees with a nearly worldwide distribution. Plants in this family are often found growing in acidic or infertile soils, with many having a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi that help them extract nutrients from these soils. There are many well known and economically important members of the Ericaceae, such as: cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, rhododendron (including azaleas), and some common heaths and heathers [WikipediA;Ericaceae].
Pūkiawe was previously considered to be in the Epiacris family (Epacridaceae), but today is classified as part of the Heath family (Ericaceae). Currently, the only other native Hawaiian members of Ericaceae are three endemic species of ʻōhelo (Vaccinium spp.) [Flora of the Hawaiian Islands].
Pūkiawe makes up a substantial portion of the berry diet of Hawai‘i's State bird, the nēnē, an endemic Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis) [Black et al. 1994], and likely aids in the species' seed dispersal. Ranchers and others often regard pūkiawe as a "weed" since it is often common in pastures and rangelands and has "no forage value" [Haselwood & Motter 1983]. In the wild, it's common to see individual pūkiawe shrubs with differing colored fruit within a few feet of each other.
Hawaiian Name
Puakeawe, puakiawe, pukeawe, and pūpūkiawe all appear to be just spelling/pronunciation variations of pūkiawe [Pukui & Elbert 1986]. In addition to being the Hawaiian name for Leptecophylla tameiameiae, pūkiawe is also the Hawaiian name for the black-eyed Susan (Abrus precatorius) [Pukui & Elbert 1986], a slender branching vine best known for its seeds, which are used for lei, Buddhist rosaries, and decorative chains and bracelets [Neal 1965].
Kāwaʻu is a Hawaiian name used on Lānaʻi and Maui for this species [Wagner et al. 1990]. Kāwaʻu is also the Hawaiian name for the unrelated indigenous tree, Ilex anomala, and, on Maui, for the endemic and endangered tree, Mezoneuron kavaiense [Pukui & Elbert 1986].
Etymology
The genus name, Leptecophylla, was arbitrarily formed from the Greek words, lepteces, meaning "fine-pointed," and phyllum, meaning "leaf," referring to the fine, pungent tip on the leaves of most species [Weiller 1999].
The former genus name, Styphelia, is derived from the Greek word, styphelos, meaning "hard, harsh, or rough," referring to the coarse nature of plants in this genus [Wagner et al. 1990].
The species name, tameiameiae, is believed to be a Latinized transliteration honoring King Kamehameha I, or Kamehameha the Great (c.1758–1819), who established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810 [Little & Skolmen 1989]. The spelling illustrates the difficulty of transcribing the spoken letters "k" and "t" before the language was written.