‘A‘ali‘i is the family of sapindaceae and
its species is dodonaea viscosa, it's found on open sites,
ridges, lava, low pastures, shrublands etc. ‘A‘ali‘i
is a shrub with a dark and heavy wood, it becomes long and
straight after a while.
The ‘a‘ali‘i has many useful purposes; such
as being used for house posts once it is long and straight.
The red brown seed used to be placed in wooden or gourd containers,
and then they would pour in some water and put in some hot
stones. This was a dying process to get the red dye to decorate
kapa. ‘A‘ali‘i provides a medicinal purpose,
in a treatment called holonia ‘A‘ali‘i leaves
are mixed with ala‘a bark and puakala ku kula roots.
Then it is ground and strained, the liquid is heated in a
steam bath, which is followed by ground pilikai fruit, this
treatment
is to treat skin rash.
The ‘olelo no‘eau about ‘A‘ali‘i
is "He ‘A‘ali‘i ku makani mai au; ‘a‘ohe
makani nana e kula‘i." I am a wind-resisting ‘A‘ali‘i;
no gale can push me over. This is a boast saying, “ I
can hold my own even in the face of difficulties.” |
