Freycinetia arborea
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| Freycinetia arborea, ʻIeʻie | ||||||||||||||
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 'Ie'ie fruit
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| Freycinetia arborea Gaudich |
Freycinetia arborea or ʻIeʻie is a densely branched, brittle, woody climber native to Hawaii. It is a member of the screwpalm family Pandanaceae. ʻIeʻie is found in forests on the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii. The shiny green leaves have pointed ends and are spiny on the lower side of the midrib and along the edges. It climbs tree trunks, or forms dense tangles on the forest floor. The bracts and fruit of the ʻIeʻie were a favorite food of the ‘Ō‘ū (Psittirostra psittacea), a rare bird which was formerly a principal seed dispersal vector for plants with small seeded, fleshy fruits in low elevation forests.
[edit] See also
- Kiekie - a related species from New Zealand.
[edit] External links
- Botanical Dermatology Database. URL:Pandanaceae. Accessed 16 May 2007.
- Hawaii's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2005. URL:Birds: ‘Ō‘ū (PDF). Accessed 16 May 2007.
[edit] References
- Menninger EA (1967), Fantastic Trees. New York: Viking Press.
- Starr Database: Plants of Hawaii. URL:Known distribution in Hawaii of Freycinetia arborea. Accessed 16 May 2007.
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