Hundreds of species of plants thrive on 150 inches of annual rainfall.
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Dwarf Poinciana (Caesalpinia pulcherrima). Long cultivated by native Hawaiians as a source of decorative and lumber wood, tannin fabric dye, and laxatives. The excessively long red stamens are an adaptation to facilitate pollination by birds. Hana Maui Botanical Gardens.
An unidentified orchid I found in the undergrowth of the rain forest near Nahiku, east Maui.
Flower of the Banana Poka (Passiflora tarminiana), or liliko'i in Hawaiian. West rim of Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i. An aggressively invasive weed infesting Maui, Kaua'i, and the Big Island. Large masses of the plant's vines climb high into the canopy of the rain forest, then by their sheer weight break the branches and smother the foliage of native trees and other plants.
Fruit of the Banana Poka (Passiflora tarminiana), or liliko'i in Hawaiian. West rim of Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i.
Flower and foliage of the Banana Poka (Passiflora tarminiana), or liliko'i in Hawaiian. West rim of Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i. An aggressively invasive weed infesting Maui, Kaua'i, and the Big Island. Large masses of the plant's vines climb high into the canopy of the rain forest, then by their sheer weight break the branches and smother the foliage of native trees and other plants.
Flower and foliage of the Banana Poka (Passiflora tarminiana), or liliko'i in Hawaiian. West rim of Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i. An aggressively invasive weed infesting Maui, Kaua'i, and the Big Island. Large masses of the plant's vines climb high into the canopy of the rain forest, then by their sheer weight break the branches and smother the foliage of native trees and other plants.
Fruit of the Banana Poka (Passiflora tarminiana), or liliko'i in Hawaiian. West rim of Waimea Canyon, Kaua'i.
Banana tree with maturing fruit and male portion of fruiting body. Keanae Arboretum, East Maui. Note: The archaic scientific name "Musa paradisiaca" is no longer used. All members of the genus Musa are indigenous to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and Oceania.
"Iholena" variety of banana (Musa paradisiaca), an astringent, slightly bitter fruit when eaten raw, they are better cooked. Note the copper-colored leaves below the fruit. Very large and impressive in person! Hana Maui Botanical Garden, Hana, east Maui.
An unidentified orchid I found in the undergrowth of the rain forest near Nahiku, east Maui.
An unidentified orchid I found in the undergrowth of the rain forest near Nahiku, east Maui.
An unidentified orchid I found in the undergrowth of the rain forest near Nahiku, east Maui.
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