Biol172 Lab Report on The Kukui Nut Tree

Biology 172 Lab

October 2^nd, 2013

The Kukui Nut Tree

The Kukui Nut tree, Aleurites molucanna, is seen frequently in Hawai‘i (Armstrong). The Kukui Nut tree is an angiosperm, which means that it is a flowering plant that forms seeds inside a protective chamber called an ovary (Reece, et al). Otherwise known as the candlenut tree; it grows all over Hawai‘i producing its beautiful flowers, silvery green or grayish leaves, and the well-known fruits. How did this amazing tree survive and reproduce successfully here in the Hawaiian Islands? In this paper, we’ll be looking into the specific modifications, adaptations, and features that the Kukui Nut tree underwent to thrive here.

The history and origin of the tree is what will be looked at first. Kukui is native to the Indo-Malaysia region and was introduced in ancient times throughout the Pacific islands. It can grow in a wide range of dry to wet tropical and subtropical habitats but is most comfortable in the moist tropics with annual rainfall (Elevitch and Manner). The early Hawaiians had many uses for Kukui, especially the big seeds, which are borne in large quantities - as many as 75 - 100 pounds (34–45 kg) annually, by a large tree (Little and Skolmen).  Some of the many uses of the Kukui tree included adhesive, canoe building, fire-making, fishbait, medicinal, kapa(bark cloth) making, lamp oil, leis, pigment, storage containers, and tattoos (Abbott).

For the Kukui trees reproduction, it is said that the tree is quick growing, can grow well on relatively poor sites, and can regrow very well even after severe pruning. Given these characteristics, Kukui probably has growth rates comparable to other common secondary forest tree species. The tree requires little attention once it is established (Elevitch and Manner). Propagation of Kukui seedlings is easily done by seed. Although the seeds can take up to 3–4 months to germinate, they are large and quickly grow into strong, stout seedlings ready for field planting. Kukui can also be propagated by cuttings, but this isn’t common and might not yield a plant that grows as strongly as a seedling.

There are many advantages that the Kukui Nut tree has growing on the many diverse locations in the Hawaiian Islands, but there are still very few disadvantages to planting the widely adapted and multipurpose Kukui tree. Perhaps the biggest commercial disadvantage is that no large markets exist for any Kukui products anymore. Also, it is so easy to grow in many environments that there is no clear commercial advantage to growing it in any specific place. There are also a large number of fungi that are known to attack Kukui (Elevitch and Manner).

In conclusion, we can see that the Kukui tree successfully reproduced throughout the Hawaiian Islands over the past thousands of years. It aided the early native Hawaiians in numerous ways and I believe it’s safe to say that the Hawaiians also aided the Kukui Nut tree in its seed dispersal. It now grows in various different settings and still grows abundantly wherever it grows. The easy growing, easily-adaptive Kukui tree is an incredible tree of Hawai‘i that will not be extinct any time soon.

Bibliography

Abbott, Isabella A. Lā‘au Hawai‘i: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants. Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 1992.

Armstrong, W.P. "Tung Oil Tree, Candlenuts & Kukui Nuts." 2000. Wayne's Word: An    On-Line Textbook of Natural History. 24 September 2013.

Elevitch, Craig R and Harley I Manner. "Species Profiles for Pacific Island Agroforestry   - Aleurites moluccana (kukui)." April 2006. Www.traditionaltree.org. 24    September 2013.

Little, Elbert Jr and Roger Skolmen. "Kukui, candlenut-tree." 1989. CTAHR. 24   September 2013.

Reece, et al. Campbell Biology. San Fracisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings, 2011.