ʻUala with Tapa Band Vessel by Heather Mettler
ʻuala, ʻuwala
n. 1. The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), a perennial, wide-spreading vine, with heart-shaped, angled, or lobed leaves and pinkish-lavender flowers. The tuberous roots are a valuable food, and they vary greatly in many ways, as in color and shape. Though of South American origin, the plant has been a staple food since ancient times in many parts of Polynesia, as well as in some other regions. (HP 131–66, Neal 706–7.) (wehewehe.org)
