Native Plants of Hawai‘i - Neraudia angulata

Neraudia angulata var. angulata

& var. dentata

Urticaceae or Nettle family

Synonyms:

No Known Ancient Hawaiian Name (See Hawaiian Name below)

Angular-fruit maʻoloa

Natural Range & Environment

Both varieties are endangered and endemic to the Waiʻanae Mountains, Oʻahu, from about 450-825 m (ca.1,475 to 2,705 ft) in diverse mesic forests [Wagner et al. 1990].

Maʻoloa (Neraudia angulata var. angulata) in a private urban garden with native ferns and sedges. Female flowers and fruit.

Description

Neraudia angulata is an upright shrub from 1.5-3 m (5 to ca. 10 ft). The branches and leaves are pubescent (fuzzy). The variety dentata has dentated (toothed) leaf margins. Maʻoloa is dioecious, that is, male and female (pictured above) are found on separate plants. Flowers are tiny and rather insignificant. After flowering, small pink to reddish angular-shaped (boxed- or four-sided) fruits form in clusters. With reference to the Neraudia varieties angulata and dentata, the native Hawaiian plant guide, Manual of Flowering Plants of Hawaiʻi, mentions: "The close sympatry of the varieties nearly throughout their range should be investigated" [Wagner et al. 1990].

Growth Requirements

General

Maʻoloa is a beautiful and low-maintenance native shrub that adds grace and charm to any urban landscape. This versatile plant thrives in partial to full sunlight and requires regular watering, but can also tolerate some shade. Maʻoloa is easy to care for and responds well to pruning, although it is recommended to avoid heavy pruning. Increasing the availability and use of maʻoloa in urban landscapes can enhance the beauty and diversity of our surroundings.

Pests and Diseases

Maʻoloa seems to be relatively resistant to most pests, although spittlebugs and mealybugs have been known to occasionally appear on new growth. Leaf distortion has been observed on maʻoloa, as well as on other native plants like ʻōhiʻa (Metrosideros macropus, M. polymorpha) and native hibiscuses (Hibiscus waimeae subsp. hannerae, H. arnottianus). The cause of this deformation remains uncertain, but it seems to come and go with the application of a combination of an insecticide, a miticide, and fungi. Eventually, the distorted leaves will darken and fall off. Refer to the Pests & Diseases page for treatments.

Uses

Ancient Hawaiian

Kapa was occasionally made from maʻoloa (Neraudia melastamifolia) called kapa ʻoloa [Krauss 1993]. However, it is not known specifically if N. angulata was also used for this purpose.

Modern

Special Features and Information

General

The endemic genus Neraudia, with five species, are member of the Nettle Family (Urticaceae). Other native relatives include endemics such as ʻākōlea (Boehmeria grandis), Hawaiian stinging nettle (Hesperocnide sandwicensis), four species of māmaki (Pipturus spp.), olonā (Touchardia latifolia), two Urera spp., and the indigenous pilea or Pacific island clearweed (Pilea peploides). Unlike their mainland relatives, most of the gentle native Urticaceae do not have painful stinging hairs. However, the endemic Hawaiian stinging nettle (Hesperocnide sandwicensis) is an exception. This rare, but sometimes locally common, annual plant has quite painful stinging hairs. It is found in subalpine woodlands or alpine areas, ranging from ca. 450-825 m (ca.1,475 to 2,705 ft) on the plateau between Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Mauna Kea on Hawaiʻi Island.

Hawaiian Name

Maʻoloa is the name of Neraudia melastomifolia. Although there is no known ancient Hawaiian name for Neraudia angulata, this website has chosen to use the name Maʻoloa. Other Hawaiian names for Neraudia melastomifolia include Maʻaloa and ʻOloa.

Etymology

The generic name Neraudia is named for Jules Néraud (1794-1855), a French lawyer and amateur botanist of Madagascar, with whom Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré (1789-1854), a French botanist, became acquainted while in Madagascar [Bjursel 2025]. The Latin specific and varietal epithet angulata, somewhat angled, refer to the fruits of this species [Gledhill 2008]. The pistillate calyx is conspicuously angled as well. The Latin varietal epithet dentata, dented teeth, refers to the leaf margins of this variety [Gledhill 2008].

DWE