‘Ama’u has dark brown, rough steams that grow straight. It produces groups of fronds, shaped like palm trees, pinnately compound with crenate margins. The young fronds are red and they become green as they mature. The spores appear at the bottom of the fronds, in clusters.
(Kepler, Kay Angela. 1998. Hawaiian Heritage.)
(Valier, Kathy. 1995. Ferns of Hawaii.)
The fronds of this fern were used for thatching the roofs of houses and to extend the usefulness of used tapa cloth.
'Äma'u fern is also used for crafting lei, as medicine and for food preparation.
(Kepler, Kay Angela. 1998. Hawaiian Heritage.)
(Valier, Kathy. 1995. Ferns of Hawaii.)
(Information for this species compiled and recorded by Camelia Cirnaru, NTBG Consultant.)
The 'Ama'u fern is endemic to Hawai‘i and is found near streams, mixed between other species that make the rich vegetation of the Hawaiian forests.
(Kepler, Kay Angela. 1998. Hawaiian Heritage.)
(Valier, Kathy. 1995. Ferns of Hawaii.)
In the old Polynesian culture, it was believed that when the 'Ama'u fern grew straight up, a flood was coming soon.
(Kepler, Kay Angela. 1998. Hawaiian Heritage.)
(Valier, Kathy. 1995. Ferns of Hawaii.)
We currently have 60 herbarium specimens for Sadleria cyatheoides in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
