Research Guides: Hawaiian Studies (HWST 107): Hawaiian Medicinal Plants

Mala La’au Lapa’au = Medicinal Plant Garden

Guide to selected plants of the Māla Lāʻau Lapaʻau [9 p. PDF]
Call Number: QK99.H3 L66 2014
"The most commonly used plants for lāʻau lapaʻau practices that are growing in our Māla are described in this guide: ʻawa, ʻawapuhi kuahiwi, kō, ko'oko'olau, kukui, māmaki, noni, ʻōlena, pōpolo, and ʻuhaloa."

Published by: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Department of Native Hawaiian Health

HAWAII PACIFIC COLLECTION

Use scrollbar to view all titles.

Hawaiian Heritage Plants
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific DU624.65 .K46 1998
"In a series of essays, the author weaves cultural and biological, historical and geographic, aesthetic and spiritual aspects of Hawaiian ecology into non-technical accounts of 32 plants important to early Hawaiians."
A heading for "Medicine, Hawaiian" is listed in the index of this text with numerous entries.
Plants in Hawaiian Culture
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific DU624.65 .K72 1993
This introduction to the ethnobotany of the Hawaiians describes the plants themselves, preparation and uses of plant materials, and how the plants and artifacts made from them were used as food, canoes, houses, wearing apparel, musical instruments, medicine, and in fishing, games and sports, war, religion, and burial.
See chapter 9 - Medicine and Medicinal Herbs.
Plants in Hawaiian Medicine
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific DU624.65 .K73 2001
Written by Hawaii's beloved Beatrice Krauss, an ethnobotanist who dedicated her life to the study of Hawaiian plants, this book covers the medicinal uses and preparation of 30 native plants. Beautiful artwork by Hawaiian illustrator Martha Noyes compliments the text. Plants in Hawaiian Medicine was the winner of the 2002 Ka Palapala Po okela Award for Excellence in Hawaiian Culture.
Plants of Old Hawaii
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific DU624.65 .L84 1982
A selection of entries cover medicinal uses.
Folk Remedies From Hawaiʻi
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific GR110 .H38 C66 1985
This book "introduces visitors to island medical customs and remedies, while it affirms and celebrates our interest in local medical folklore. Humorous cartoons illustrate popular folk remedies for a variety of ailments while the illustrated glossary offers useful information about the uses of plants and other substances in customary home treatment as passed down from Hawaiian and other ethnic cultures in Hawai'i."
Hawaiian Medicine Book
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific GR110 .H38 H39 1986
Pages 50-65 cover information on "The Medicines."
Hawaiian Herbs of Medicinal Value...
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99 .K213 1968a
"Originally published in 1922, this compilation was made by employees of the Board of Health of the Territory of Hawaii. It covers herbs found in the Hawaiian Islands that were believed by the Hawaiians to possess curative and palliative properties most effective in removing physical ailments."
Kahuna Laʻau Lapaʻau: The Practice of Hawaiian Herbal Medicine
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99.H3 G88 1977
"This is the third and last volume is [i.e. in] a series of manuscripts taken from the archival files of the former Hawaiʻi Territorial Department [i.e. Board] of Health. These manuscripts had been commissioned by the 1917 Territorial Legislature to investigate the "Medicinal Properties and Values of Herbs and Plants grown in the Territory of Hawaii" [2nd trade edition also available, published 1979]
Native Plants Used as Medicine in Hawaii
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99.H3 K73
"This pamphlet is a sampling of some of the native plants which Hawaiians used as medicine. Some have grown here from ancient times, and others have been brought here by more recent immigrants. An explanation is given of what sicknesses the plants were used to treat, and how they were prepared."
Medicine At Your Feet: Healing Plants of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99.H3 L46 1998
A practical guide to the plant medicines of the Hawaiian Islands. Included for each plant is its name, properties, regional and global uses, combinations, contraindications, scientific research, growing, dosages, and preparation information. Fully illustrated and indexed, this is a comprehensive yet easy to read reference for anyone desiring to learn more about holistic medicines.
Lāʻau Hawaiʻi: Traditional Hawaiian Uses of Plants
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK473.H4 A33 1992
"Intended for a general audience, La'au Hawai'i provides the first comprehensive description of Hawaiian plant use. It shows how Hawaiians cultivated and used plants for food, clothing, shelter, transport, and tools, as well as religion and recreation." [Chapter 13 - Medicines and Healing]
Hawaiian ʻawa: Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific RS165.K3 H393 2006
"The plant called 'awa in the Hawaiian language is known throughout the world as kava. It has become prominent in alternative medicine for its ability to reduce anxiety, soothe sore muscles, and induce relaxation, calm, and sleep, without being addictive or impairing the user's judgment."
Re-Discovering Remedies: 32 Medicinal plants found on Big Island of Hawaii by Maria Arroyo
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99.H3 A77 2012
This book shows 32 medicinal plants found on the Big Island of Hawaii, how to use them and their Indications. "To the point" - easy to understand information. Colorful photographs and hand drawings are helpful to identify the plants easily.
Hawaiian Herbal Medicine by June Gutmanis
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99.H3 G88 2013
"Hawaiian Herbal Medicine stands alone as a landmark book. Never out of print, it uses extensive research, historical documents, and interviews with Native Hawaiians who were experts in their field. The knowledge of many of these kahuna reaches back to ancient times when Hawaiian medical practices were based on rigorous training. This included mental and physical diagnosis, and the complex use of medicinal plants."
Hawaiian Herbs of Medicinal Value
Call Number: Hawaii Pacific QK99 .K213 1968a
Hawaiian herbs of medicinal value found among the mountains and elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands, and known to the Hawaiians to possess curative and palliative properties most effective in removing physical ailments.
Practical Folk Medicine of Hawaii
Call Number: QK99 .M33 2014
A new, updated version by Likeke McBride. A reprint of a 1970s book, this version has been updated with color pictures of the plants, new botanical names, a new introduction by Dane Silva and an informative chapter on Hawaiian healing.

Herbal Medicine - Polynesia / Oceania

New Zealand Medicinal Plants
Call Number: QK99.N5 B766 1981
The book examines the New Zealand flora, its economic plants, and their chemistry, and review the question of the use made by Maoris, missionaries, and early settlers of native plants for medicinal purposes.
Polynesian Herbal Medicine
Call Number: QK99.P75 W45 1992
"The aim of this book is to present a picture of past and present Polynesian medicinal plants." For Hawaii medical practices, see pages 23-30 and 103-116.
Tongan Herbal Medicine
Call Number: QK99.T58 W53 1992
Traditional Tongan Medicine -- Tongan medicine in ancient times -- Modern Tongan medicine -- Contemporary herbal medicine
Samoan Herbal Medicine
Call Number: RM666.H33 W449 1996
Traditional Samoan medicine -- Modern Samoan medicine -- Samoan medicinal plants -- Literature cited -- Glossary of Samoan medical terms

More on Hawaii Plants...

Hawaiʻi's Invasive Species
Call Number: QH353 .H38 2001
Describes the causes and consequences of the introduction of invasive alien species of plants and animals to Hawaii.
Endangered Plants and Threatened Ecosystems on the Island of Hawaiʻi
Call Number: QK86.H3 E53 2008
Natural history -- Conserving Hawaiian species -- Climate and vegetation -- Endangered species policy -- Rare and unusual plants -- Conservation on public lands
Hawaiian Reef Plants
Call Number: QK571.5.H3 H85 2007
Exploring our marine flora -- The Hawaiian shoreline -- Coastal reef ecosystems -- Key to divisions -- Blue-green algae -- Red algae -- Green algae -- Seagrasses -- Brown algae -- Diatoms
Poisonous Plants of Paradise: First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawaiʻi's Plants
Call Number: RA1250 .S365 2000
A guide to potentially harmful plants in Hawaii, designed for both medical professionals and the general public. It describes each plant in words and photographs, identifies the plant's toxins, mechanism of injury, incidence, and signs and symptoms, and provides first aid recommendations.
Hawaiian ʻawa: Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure
Call Number: RS165.K3 H393 2006
Cultural-historical perspectives; Active ingredients; Chemistry, pharmacology, and safety aspects of kava; Hawaiian cultivars; Non-Hawaiian cultivars; Preparing the drink; ʻAwa production guide.

Taro

Medicines: There are numerous varieties of kalo, some if which are favored over others in medicinal treatments.

Source: Taro Leaves. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web.

Hawaiian Ethnobotany ONLINE Database

Hawaiian Ethnobotany Online Database This link opens in a new window
Web site and reference information provided and maintained by Bishop Museum. Browse cultural and scientific information about 145 plants commonly used in traditional Hawaiian culture. Search by Hawaiian names or scientific names.

La`au Lapa`au: Traditional Hawaiian Herbal Healthcare [52:20]

Traditional Medicine - Hawaii

Book Of Medical Practices And Hawaiian Prescriptions (Buke ʻoihana lapaʻau me nā ʻapu lāʻau Hawaiʻi)
Call Number: GN477.4 .B85 2003
BUKE OIHANA LAPAAU, first printed in Honolulu in 1895, a valuable collection of information on Hawaiian medicinal practices, based on the writings of the honorable 'Elia Helekunihi. In addition, it presents select ali'i genealogy and a detailed chronological description of significant dates in Hawaiian history from the time of Liloa through 1893.

Ethnobotany - Polynesia

Plants of the Canoe People: An Ethnobotanical Voyage Through Polynesia
Call Number: GN476.73 .W55 2009
"This book is about the useful plants of the Pacific islanders, with special emphasis on plants used by Polynesians. A total of ninety-six plants are included, listed in alphabetical order by scientific name, followed by a paragraph that includes Polynesian names and their origins and the English name if any. Range, habitat, uses of the plant, and a botanical description of the species are also included for each entry." --Book Jacket

GENERAL PLANTS OF HAWAI'I

Native Planters of Old Hawaii
Call Number: AM101 .B442 no.233 1991
pt. 1. Prehistoric perspectives -- pt. 2. Plants and animals in the Hawaiian economy -- pt. 3. Demography of the Hawaiian Islands -- pt. 4. The makahiki harvest festival -- pt. 5. Descriptions of habitation on each island
In Gardens of Hawaii by Marie C. Neal
Call Number: QK471.N42 1965a
Amy Greenwell Garden Ethnobotanical Guide to Native Hawaiian Plants & Polynesian-Introduced Plants
Call Number: QK473.H4 A53 2009
In addition to describing the plants and their habitats, this guide relates the significance that native and Polynesian-introduced plants had to traditional Hawaiian culture, and tells how these plants are still used today
Alteration of Native Hawaiian Vegetation: Effects of Humans, Their Activities and Introductions by Linda W. Cuddihy; Charles P. Stone
Call Number: QK473.H4 C83 1990
Publication Date: 1990-01-01
Trees of Hawaii
Call Number: QK473.H4 K47 1990
Each entry includes common names, scientific name, plant family, list of related species, and the place of origin of the plants. The narrative offers fascinating information on folklore, history, ecology, and ethnobotany.
Plants and Flowers of Hawaii
Call Number: QK473.H4 S74 1987
A short history of botany in Hawaiʻi -- Biology and derivation of the Hawaiian flora -- Evolution of species and landscapes -- Vegetation zones -- Plants and flowers
A Tropical Garden Flora: Plants Cultivated in the Hawaiian Islands and Other Tropical Places
Call Number: QK473.H4 S75 2005 (Haw Pac Ref)
Gardening in Hawai'i -- Elementary Plant Propagation -- Using Hawaiian Plants in the Garden -- Gardening and the Contemporary Landscape in Hawai'i -- Ecological Impacts of Escaped Garden Plants -- The Cultivated Plants of Hawai'i -- Pteridophytes, the Ferns and Fern Allies -- and more...
Hawaii's Ferns and Fern Allies
Call Number: QK511.H3 P36 2003
Hawaiian Fern Families and Genera -- Hawaiian Fern Ally Families and Genera -- Quick and Easy Guide to Fern Genera as Found in Hawai'i -- Taxonomic Treatments -- Ferns -- Fern Allies -- Descriptions...
Hawaiian Reef Plants
Call Number: QK571.5.H3 H85 2007
Exploring our marine flora -- The Hawaiian shoreline -- Coastal reef ecosystems -- Key to divisions -- Blue-green algae -- Red algae -- Green algae -- Seagrasses -- Brown algae -- Diatoms
A Native Hawaiian Garden: How to Grow and Care for Island Plants
Call Number: SB439.24.H3 C85 1999
Especially valuable to those gardeners who wish to grow and nurture something truly Hawaiian in their own backyards.
Growing Hawaii's Native Plants
Call Number: SB439.24.H3 L54 2005 (Haw Pac Ref)
Part 1. The basics of native Hawaiian plant propagation. Seed preparation -- Methods of propagation -- Greenhouse -- Transplanting and outplanting -- Part 2. Native Hawaiian plant profiles and proagation techniques by family and genera