Ilieʻe
Ilieʻe
Names
- ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi: Ilie’e
- English: Leadwort
- Scientific: Plumbago zeylanica
Species Information
Ilie’e is a small shrub with small white flowers and is endemic to the main Hawaiian Islands (Bishop Museum). Of roughly ten species in the Plumbaginaceae family, ilieʻe is the only species native to Hawaiʻi (Native Hawaiian Plants). Parts of this plant can be used medicinally, and the sap from the roots is used to give tattoos (Bishop Museum).
Distribution
Main Hawaiian Islands
Habitat
May be found in dry and disturbed forests and shrublands (Bishop Museum). They inhabit elevations ranging from sea level to 2,000 feet (Native Hawaiian Plants).
Photos
References & Additional Resources
- Bishop Museum – Ethnobotany Database. (n.d.). http://data.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/ethnobotany.php?b=d&ID=iliee
- Native Plants Hawaii – Viewing Plant : Plumbago zeylanica. (n.d.). http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Plumbago_zeylanica/