 |
Broussonetia papyrifera -- Wauke, or paper mulberry.
Wauke is a fast growing medium to small tree. Leaves may have several to no lobes, and the leaf surface is distinctly rough to the touch. Wauke has small, berry-like clumps of undistinguished flowers.
Paper mulberry, as it is also called, was used for paper making in China for millennia. For Hawaiians, it was the best source of kapa (tapa) and was also used in cordage (rope) production.
As seen in the photos above, from Amy Greenwell Botanic Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii, one way to obtain long slender branches, best for kapa making was to severely cut back the plant and the woody stub remains at soil level. Stems of plant, trimmed of side branches and leaves, produce desirable strips of inner bark without holes for kapa making. Photos by Priscilla Millen.
|
Go back to Learning Objective 3