Clidemia hirta, -- or Koster's Curse




Another serious threat to Hawaii's native flora is Clidemia hirta,commonly called Koster's Curse. Clidemia has made substantial inroads into the forests of the Ko'olau Mountains of O'ahu, replacing much of the native understory of herbs, ferns, mosses, and native grasses, disrupting the natural retention of rainwater.
The purple fruits, seen in the photo on the right, are bird-attractive and contain literally hundreds of small seeds which are rapidly dispersed.


Residents can recognize the plant by its fuzzy leaves and quilt-like venation. Clidemia, like Miconia, belongs to the Melastoma family, many members of which have proved to be aggressive pests in the native Hawaiian environment. Hikers frequently pull up the smaller plants and hang their roots in the air to prevent further spreading. Photo above left by Charles Lamoureux, others by Priscilla Millen.

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