Beach cabbage or half flower is a common shrub of the beaches and shores of the Arabian Sea, the tropical Indian Ocean, and tropical Pacific islands.
I had already prepared these images before noticing that a former UBC Botanical Garden colleague of mine, Jackie Chambers, had already written a comprehensive entry for Scaevola taccada. I decided to share the photos anyway, since they cover flower and fruit to habit and habitat, but I suggest (re)reading Jackie’s excellent write-up for more about the species.
These particular plants in today’s photographs are from genetic material native to the site, though perhaps planted. The technical report, Rare plant stabilization projects at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, 1998-2008 (PDF), notes that Scaevola taccada was one of four species used as matrix plantings along the coastal strand ecosystem within the park:
The coastal strand environment of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park lies in a narrow band under the influence of salt spray, 15-100 m or more from the shoreline. In shoreline areas with high sea cliffs, the strand is typically narrow; in low bluff or beach areas, the strand may extend further inland.
Today’s photos are from one of the high sea cliffs areas, near the famous Hōlei Sea Arch.
As one of the matrix plantings, Scaevola taccada was planted in significant numbers to augment the naturally-occurring population. The intent was to provide additional habitat for its associated rare and uncommon species such as Ischaemum byrone and Portulaca villosa. The results were not too heartening for most species in the study, though the Scaevola taccada did well.
Of these three species as examples, fewer than 1% of the original plantings of Ischaemum byrone remained after nearly 10 years. None of the Portulaca villosa survived over that length of time. For Scaevola taccada, the number was 143% over the monitored time (explained by establishment of seedlings or small plants directly from the plantings). At the least, the researchers were able to generate suggestions for future restoration efforts with some of the rare species within the report.
Bonus photograph of the water (not botany-related at all!)
Great shots of this species Daniel! The quintessential plant for the seashore and dry inland habitat throughout its range. There are 10 native Scaevola species in the Hawaiian Islands. S. taccada is the only white-fruited and indigenous; the 9 other species have purple fruits and are endemic. The Hawaiian name is Naupaka kahakai, which means “naupaka (Scaevola) by the seashore.”
Here pictured among other natives on the island of Kauaʻi https://www.flickr.com/photos/dweickhoff/5490589943/in/photolist
More information about naupaka kahakai and how the early Hawaiians utilized it can be found at http://nativeplants.hawaii.edu/plant/view/Scaevola_sericea
Aloha
Thanks for the extra information, David!
Beautiful, and look upon which it grows!
There’s also a Hawaiian story of young estranged lovers that ‘explains’ why the coastal naupaka and the higher elecation naupakas flower the way they do. The lovers, once together long ago, were seperated to opposite parts of the island. One lives on the coast and the other in the mountains, thus the coastal naupaka has the bottom half of the flower and the mountainous one had the top part of the flower. I’m sure you can look up the full version of the story easily online, along with other stories and traditions associated with Hawaiian native plants. The coastal naupaka is also used to keep one’s scuba mask from fogging up!
Thanks! I didn’t mention the story because it was in Jackie’s entry, but good to have it in both places!
Great set of photos.
Amazing to me that the seeds are “viable even after prolonged [enough to cross oceans] exposure to sea water, but will only germinate in fresh water”.