Peperomia membranacea

Description:

Alaala wai nui or Woodland peperomiaPiperaceae (Pepper family)Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii)Oahu (Cultivated)Alaala wai nui (center) is flanked on the left by kau (Asplenium kaulfussii) and the right by alahee (Psydrax odorata).Aside from one of the indigenous species, native Hawaiian peperomias are seldom seen in landscape settings even though most of the 25 species are not rare or endangered nor are they difficult to grow.Early Hawaiians produced from the leaves and stems of Peperomia spp. a rich gray green dye called ahiahia, or puahia, made from the ashes was used for dying kapa (tapa).Medicinally, the juice was used as a tonic and for inner ear disorders. Various parts of the plants with other ingredients were used orally for fetid vaginal discharge, debilitating consumption, relapse after recovery from illness, severe asthma, and possibly for various stages of appendicitis.EtymologyThe genus name Peperomia is drived from the Greek peperi, pepper, and homoios, resembling, referring the to similarity to the true pepper, Piper.The specific epithet membrancea means membrane or parchment.