''Cibotium glaucum'', the hāpu‘u pulu, is a species of fern in the family
Cyatheaceae
The Cyatheaceae are a family of ferns, the scaly tree ferns, one of eight families in the order Cyatheales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the family may defined much more broadly (Cyatheaceae ...
, native to Hawaii.
A slow-growing
tree fern
Tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk (botany), trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae ( ...
typically tall but reaching , it is hardy in
USDA zones
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
10 through 12.
Its fiddleheads are the source of the material
pulu, which means "mulch" or "padding" in the
Hawaiian language
Hawaiian (', ) is a critically endangered Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family, originating in and native to the Hawaiian Islands. It is the native language of the Hawaiian people. Hawaiian, along with English, is an offi ...
.
Women used pulu as an absorbent during their
menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that makes pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eg ...
s.
See also
*
Olaa Forest in
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a national park of the United States located in Hawaii on the island of Hawaii. The park encompasses two active volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's largest s ...
References
glaucum
Endemic flora of Hawaii
Plants described in 1832
Native ferns of Hawaii
{{Cyatheales-stub