Nephroia orbiculata
formerly Cocculus trilobus
Menispermaceae or Moonseed family
Synonyms: Cebatha ferrandiana, Cebatha integra, Cebatha lonchophylla, Cebatha virgata, Cocculus ferrandianus, Cocculus integer, Cocculus longchophyllus, Cocculus orbiculatus, Cocculus trilobus, Cocculus virgatus, Holopeira lonchophylla, Nephroica ferrandiana
Huehue
Hue‘ie, ‘Inalua
Queen coralbead
Natural Range & Environment
Nephroia orbiculata occurs from southeastern Asia to the Himalayas, Malesia, and in regions of the Pacific. In Hawai‘i, huehue is found on all the main Islands except for Kaho‘olawe, where it grows in open areas such as grasslands, raised coralline plains, talus slopes, on dry ʻaʻā lava or crevices in pāhoehoe lava, and in dry to mesic forests from 2 to 1,400 m (7 to 4,593 ft) [Wagner et al. 1990].
Huehue are normally dioecious, with some plants having staminate (male) flowers (pictured here with ant) and others having pistillate (female) flowers (Pistillate flower photograph courtesy of G.D. Carr ©.). When ripe, huehue berries are dark blue, pictured here on a huehue with the most common leaf size and shape (Photograph courtesy of Christelle Dyer CC BY-NC 4.0.). Huehue leaves vary a lot in size and shape. However, regardless of their size or shape, nearly all have a distinctive reticulate vein pattern on their undersurface. (Heart-shaped leaf photograph courtesy of Andrew Evans CC BY-NC 4.0; thin leaf photograph courtesy of Kevin Faccenda CC BY 4.0; large leaf and underside of leaf photographs courtesy of ka_y_ak CC BY-NC 4.0.). Header photograph (courtesy of Omar Hoftun CC BY-SA 4.0) shows the unusual curled seeds of huehue.
Description
Huehue is a long-lived (greater than five years) sprawling vine that is equally at home climbing up a nearby tree as it is crawling over barren rock. Its stems are mostly herbaceous and covered with short hairs, while older stems can become somewhat woody, particularly near the plant's base.
The leaves of huehue can vary quite a bit in size (1 to 5 in [3 to 13 cm] long) and shape (lance-like to ovate to near-circular), likely due to both its genetics and environmental conditions (see some examples above). Nearly-round Nephroia orbiculata leaves are much more common for plants outside Hawai‘i; in Hawai‘i, ovate or elliptically shaped leaves are most common. Color can also vary some, from light green to a bluish green. However, regardless of size, shape, or color, nearly all huehue leaves have a distinctive reticulate vein pattern on their undersurface.
Huehue are normally dioecious (with some reports of monoecious plants [National Parks; Singapore]), with some plants having clusters of staminate (male) flowers and others having clusters of pistillate (female) flowers. Both flower types are small and have yellowish or greenish white petals and sepals. In the flower's center, one needs to look closely to see if it is occupied by a ring of stamens (yellow when ripe) or an even more centralized six-branched pistil. Both cultivated and wild huehue appear to bloom sporadically year round.
Pollinated female huehue flowers develop into small green turning to dark blue berries, each containing one oddly curled and wrinkled seed. Given that many members of the Moonseed family contain poisonous chemicals, including huehue [Ziegler 2002], we strongly advise against eating any of the tempting blue berries.
Growth Requirements
General
In the wild, huehue is both a climbing and a crawling vine. You can take advantage of these behaviors in cultivation. Plant your huehue near a fence, trellis, lamppost, or tree. Alternatively, you can plant it in an open rocky site and watch it slowly cover the area in green, white, and blue. You can also keep huehue in a container; however, you will need to repeatedly prune its longest branches.
Huehue grows best in a site with full sunlight for most of the day but can tolerate some shading. In our experience, the more sunlight you provide, the more flowers you can expect.
Water your newly-planted huehue once or twice a week until it is established and you see consistent growth (in about a month). Then, dramatically cut back on your watering, and only water your plant during prolonged dry periods. Huehue is tolerant of drought, strong winds, and high temperatures. It will grow in lava/cinder, coralline, clay, or organic-dominant soils provided the soil drains well. We have not tried to grow it in sand. In a container, use a 50:50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and black cinders or crushed coral.
In cultivation, huehue does not grow as fast as some other native vines like ʻāwikiwiki, pā‘ū-o-Hi‘iaka, or pōhuehue. However, it often begins flowering in about a year. Potted plants or those planted in nutrient-poor soil will benefit from applying a controlled-release fertilizer with minor elements every six months. Alternatively, you can spray your plant every few months with an organic or inorganic water-soluble fertilizer diluted to ⅓ to ½ the recommended strength.
Huehue seems to be a relatively friendly climber and, in our experience, does not smother the tree or shrub it's climbing on. Similarly, on the ground, coverage can be sparse, and, therefore, huehue is not the best choice as a weed-suppressing groundcover — great for super rocky sites, not-so-great for non-rocky places. This is because huehue tends to put out only one or a few long stems. To encourage branching and improve coverage, regularly hand-prune the longest stem(s). However, remember this vine, unlike other native vines like hunakai or pā‘ū-o-Hi‘iaka, normally has a single main stem connected to all its roots. Therefore, do not cut or damage this main stem while pruning.
Pests and Diseases
Huehue is resistant to most pests and diseases with two exceptions: (1) leafminers, and (2) the larvae of Oraesia excavata, a recently-introduced alien fruit-piecing moth, that also feeds on huehue leaves. We have never encountered O. excavata on our plants; however, it seems simple enough to remove them by hand if you do. We have seen leafminer damage to our huehue. The least extreme treatment is to promptly remove and destroy any infested leaves which should disrupt the leafminer's lifecycle. Additionally, you can spray your plant repeatedly (about one week apart) with either neem oil, spinosad, or a systemic insecticide (e.g., imidacloprid) if the problem persists.
Photographs below show: Unidentified leafminers (photograph courtesy of Kellen Apuna CC BY-NC 4.0); Caterpillar of Oraesia excavata (photograph courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr CC BY 4.0).
Uses
Ancient Hawaiian
Hawaiians used the stems of huehue to make funnel-mouthed fish traps and string [Neal 1965]. It was also "used as cordage to bind parts of grass houses" [Wagner et al. 1990].
Modern
Huehue is occasionally used in lei (see Eickhoff for photo-example).
Special Features and Information
General
Menispermaceae contains about 440 species within 81 genera with most being found in low-lying tropical areas (although there are some species present in temperate and arid regions). The family name comes from the Greek words mene, meaning "crescent moon," and sperma, meaning "seed," and refers to the unusual curled seeds of plants in this family (see Header photograph). Many species in Menispermaceae contain poisons. For example, tubocurarine, a neuromuscular blocker and the active ingredient in the dart poison curare, is derived from the South American liana Chondrodendron tomentosum [WikipediA;Menispermaceae].
Huehue is the only native member of Menispermaceae in the Hawaiian Islands. It reportedly contains "certain amounts of a poisonous substance" [Ziegler 2002].
Hawaiian Name
In addition to being the Hawaiian name for Nephroia orbicula, huehue means "pimples, acne; to have pimples" [Pukui & Elbert 1986]. However, we don't know if this relates at all to the plant.
Etymology
The etymology of the genus name, Nephroia, is unclear. However, similar plant names like Nephrodium and nephroideus mean "Kidneys" and "kidney-shaped," respectively [Gledhill 2008].
The former genus name, Cocculus, is derived from the Greek word, kokkos, meaning "berry," referring to the fruit [Wagner et al. 1990].
The species name, orbiculata, means "disk-shaped" or "circular in outline," likely referring to the leaves [Gledhill 2008]. However, rounded Nephroia orbiculata leaves are much more common for plants outside Hawai‘i; in Hawai‘i, ovate or elliptically shaped leaves are most common.
BPK