Hau Pua with Petroglyph Canoe Band Vessel, by Heather Mettler
hau
1. n. A lowland tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus), found in many warm countries, some spreading horizontally over the ground forming impenetrable thickets, and some trained on trellises. The leaves are rounded and heart-shaped, the flowers cup-shaped, with five large petals that change through the day from yellow to dull-red. Formerly the light, tough wood served for outriggers of canoes, the bast for rope, the sap and flowers for medicine. (wehewehe.org)
pua
1. nvi. Flower, blossom, tassel and stem of sugar cane; to bloom, blossom. Pāpale pua, pāpale pua kō, hat made of stem of sugar cane. Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō, the wiliwili tree blooms, the sharks bite [a blossoming girl is desired by males; sharks are believed to mate when the wiliwili blooms and to be especially ferocious]. E hauʻoli hoʻi ka wao akua, ā e pua mai hoi (Isa. 35.1), the wilderness shall be glad and blossom too. (PPN pua).
