Plants of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Scientific Name Cibotium glaucum
Family Dicksoniaceae
Other Names hapu'u, hap'u pulu
Status Endemic
Distribution & Habitat Dry to damp forests up to 1,830 m on all of the main islands except Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe.  Especially abundant on Hawai'i.
Locations in this Guide Thurston Lava Tube, Ola`a Forest, Kipuka Puaulu, Mauna Loa Strip Road, Mid-Elevation Woodland
General Appearance
Tree ferns growing up to 7.6 m tall.

These ferns often dominate the understory layer in the rainforest.

Recognize this species by the orange, silky haris, called "pulu," that are found at the base of the stipe and on the growing fiddleheads (Stone and Pratt 1994: 189).
Olaa Forest
Leaves
Leaves 3 times divided, up to 3 m long.

[Carlquist (1980: 304) says subdivided twice.]

The undersides of the leaves are whitish and waxy (Carlquist 980: 328).

 Olaa Forest

Research Center
Thurston Lava Tube Thurston Lava Tube
Spores
Reseach Center
Research Center Research Center
Phenology Fiddleheads are generally most abundant from March to May (Stone and Pratt 1994: 189).
Natural History The trunks of the tree ferns are important sites for the germination and establishment of many other plants (Stone and Pratt 1994: 189).
Conservation There are a number of activities that have reduced the populations of these tree ferns.  Pigs knock over the trunks.  The plants were harvested in the middle and late 1800s for the pulu.  A lot of the tree ferns were harvested in the early 1900s, some of which were used  to make commercial starch.  Currently, some harvesting is done to use the trunk as a potting medium (Stone and Pratt 1994: 190).
Miscellaneous Photos
Much of the pit crater at Thurston Lava Tube is filled with Cibotium glaucum. Thurston Lava Tube
Other Notes Identification Guide to the Three Common Tree Ferns in this Area (from Stone and Pratt 1994: 189)
C. glaucum Orange silky hairs at the base of the stipe.
C. chamissoi
(to be renamed C. menziesii on revision)		 Stiff, black or reddish-black hairs along the base of the stipe.
C. hawaiiensis
(to be renamed C. chamissoi on revision)		 Trunk slender, retains dead fronds as a skirt at the top of the trunk.
References Valier, K.,  Ferns of Hawai'i, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, 1995.
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Last Updated: 08/05/03