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Eleocharis

R.Br. (1810)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Cyperaceae Genus: Eleocharis

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annuals or perennials, with short rhizomes or elongate, slender stolons.

Stems: Culms naked, terete (cylindrical) or angled.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves basal or nearly so, reduced to bladeless sheaths. Sheathing. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in a single terminal spikelet with a scale-like bract at base; spikelets few–flowered to many–flowered, ovoid, ellipsoid, or cylindrical; glumes spirally imbricate or 2-ranked, all alike, each with an axillary perfect flower. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Perianth of ±8 bristles. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 1–3. Ovary superior; pistils jointed between ovary and style; style base spongy–thickened, conical, persistent; stigmas 2–3.

Fruit: Achenes obovoid; lenticular or trigonous; smooth or cancellate with hexagonal or transversely oblong cells. Seeds 1; seed coat thin; free from pericarp; embryo basal; endosperm abundant.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Kohekohe is a secondary ingredient in numerous treatment of kohepopo and associated problems. For example, it is used in conjunction with ‘alaea clay, noni (Morinda citrifolia), niu (coconut, Cocos nucifera), ‘ala‘alawainui pehu (Peperomia spp.), lehua (Metrosideros spp.), ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai (Syzygium malaccense), kukui (Aleurites moluccana), and kō‘aina kea (sugar cane, Saccharum officinarum) (Chun 1994:40). It is also a secondary ingredient in the preparation of medicine for nae, hoki‘i (tuberculosis), and hopoli, used with ‘ōkahakaha (fern), ‘uhaloa (Waltheria indica), noni, and kōkea (white sugarcane) (Chun 1994:69). Secondary ingredient in treatment of women who have had numerous children and red/bumpy skin on the face; it is combined with hala (Pandanus tectorius), pohepohe (Hydrocotyle verticillata), ‘ala‘alawainui pehu, ‘ihi makole (Oxalis corniculata), naio (Myoporum sandwicense), niu, kukui, noni, and kōkea (white sugarcane) or kōhonua‘ula (red sugarcane) (Chun 194:73–74). Kohekohe is also a secondary component of medicine to treat kohepopo along with ilioha (Conyza),‘ala‘alawainui pehu, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai, leko (Nasturtium microphyllum), ‘aka‘akai ‘oliana (?), noni, and kōkea (Chun 1994:114–115). Secondary ingredient in the treatment of paia and kumulena (associated with kohepopo), along with ‘iwa (Asplenium horridum), ‘uwi‘uwi (ilioha, Conyza spp.), ‘ala‘alawainui pehu, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai, noni, and kōhonua‘ula (Chun 1994:123). For illnesses, such as ke‘a, kahaea, papaku, nae‘oiku, wai‘opua, hopilo, and ni‘au (classified as kohepopo), kohekohe is a secondary ingedient with kukui, ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai, koa (Acacia koa), ‘ala‘alawainui pehu, ko‘oko‘olau (Bidens spp.), noni, ‘uhaloa (Waltheria indica), pōpolo (Solanum americanum), and kōkea (Chun 1994:171). For hoki‘i and ni‘au (forms of kohepopo), kohekohe is used as a secondary ingredient with mai‘a (banana, Musa spp.), ‘uhaloa, puakala (Argemone glauca), ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai, kukui, pōpolo, and kōkea (Chun 1994:206).

  • Stems of this plant can be plaited with makaloa for designs in mats.

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 224 (1810)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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