Research Guides: Hawaiian Medicinal Plants: Books &amp; More

JSTOR Global Plants

Global Plants is the world’s largest database of digitized plant specimens and a locus for international scientific research and collaboration.

Plant type specimens are in great demand for scientific study because of their pivotal role as original vouchers of nomenclature. They also act as a historical record of changes in various flora.

The largest of its kind, Global Plants consists of 66 sub-collections, showcasing hand-selected specimens that have been meticulously digitized by partner herbaria with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. This resource also features partner-contributed reference works and primary sources, such as collectors’ correspondence and diaries, illustrations, and photographs.

JSTOR Global Plants This link opens in a new window

DVD - The Hawaiian Art of Healing

The Hawaiian Art of Healing by featuring Henry Auwae
Call Number: DVD 362
Publication Date: 2011
"From the age of five, Henry Auwae learned the art of lāʻau lapaʻau (herbal medicine) from his grandmother, a woman whose knowledge extended back to nineteenth century Hawaiʻi. In this two-disk documentary series, "Papa" Auwae shares this traditional knowledge."

Streaming access through Ethnographic Video Online (UH login required).

HAWAII PACIFIC COLLECTION

Use scrollbar to view all titles.

Hawaiian Heritage Plants
Call Number: 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: 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: 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: DU624.65 .L84 1982
A selection of entries cover medicinal uses.
Folk Remedies From Hawaiʻi
Call Number: 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: GR110 .H38 H39 1986
Pages 50-65 cover information on "The Medicines."
Hawaiian Herbs of Medicinal Value
Call Number: 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.
Hawaiian Herbs of Medicinal Value...
Call Number: 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."
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.
Re-Discovering Remedies: 32 Medicinal plants found on Big Island of Hawaii by Maria Arroyo
Call Number: 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.
Kahuna Laʻau Lapaʻau: The Practice of Hawaiian Herbal Medicine
Call Number: 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]
Hawaiian Herbal Medicine by June Gutmanis
Call Number: 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."
Native Plants Used as Medicine in Hawaii
Call Number: 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: 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: 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]
Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers And Growers
Call Number: QK495.R85 N45 2006 (Hawaii Pacific)
Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers, is a full-color, how-to guide into the world of the tropical healing plant known as noni (Morinda citrifolia).
Hawaiian ʻawa: Views of an Ethnobotanical Treasure
Call Number: 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."

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

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.

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

Hawaiian Medicinal Priests

Kahuna: Traditions of Hawaiian Medicinal Priests and Healing Practitioners by Malcolm Naea Chun
Call Number: GN477.4 .C48 2016 (Haw Pac)
This book, Kāhuna, focuses upon the priests and practitioners who developed and prescribed those treatments through prayer, ritual and medicines, and with as much information as can be found about them. The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Nāea Chun has put together a comprehensive story about the origins of Hawaiian medicinal kahuna to the modern day legalism that overshadows the practice today.

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.

ONLINE RESOURCES

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.

Native Plants Hawai'i
NPH is a comprehensive and searchable knowledgebase that seeks to promote the understanding and use of native Hawaiian plants.

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.

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

Of Related Interest...

Native American Medicinal Plants
Call Number: RS171 .M64 2009 (REFERENCE)
Anthropologist Daniel E. Moerman describes the medicinal use of more than 2700 plants by 218 Native American tribes. Information includes 82 categories of medicinal uses, ranging from analgesics, contraceptives, gastrointestinal aids, hypotensive medicines, sedatives, and toothache remedies.

Hawaiian Medicinal Plants: Books & More

Featured Book