Touchardia latifolia is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae. It is commonly known as olonÃÂ in Hawaiian. It is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
The genus name of Touchardia is in honour of Philippe Victor Touchard (1810âÂÂ1879), a French vice-admiral. The Latin specific epithet of latifolia means long flat leaves. Both the genus and the species were first described and published in Voy. Bonite, Bot. Vol.3 on table 94 in 1848.
Typical to many Hawaiian plants, olonÃÂ does not have the stinging hairs found in its mainland cousins. It is found on all the main Hawaiian islands except Kahoolawe and Niihau. OlonÃÂ has alternate leaves whose shape greatly varies depending upon the environment from thin lanceolate to broad elliptic. The large range in leaf variation once divided T. latifolia into more than 10 species, which are currently considered to be one. OlonÃÂ typically flowers between the months of May through December The female flowers are borne on branching cymes which become fleshy orange berry-like achenes, and the male flowers are white. OlonÃÂ is easily cultivated (83% germination rate), and sprouts readily from cuttings, but does not transplant well due to its fragile roots.
Touchardia latifolia is endemic to Hawaii and is found in mesic valleys and wet forests at elevations of .
Native Hawaiians cultivated olonàfor cordage, and it was considered one of the finest grades of fibers. Its intertwining strands makes it one of the strongest natural fibers on earth. Olonàwas used extensively in Hawaiian weaponry: as cordage on the wrist loop of pÃÂhoa (daggers); for fastening shark teeth on the heads of leiomano; and as the cord in "tripping weapons", such as the pëkoi. Olonàwas also used for fishing nets and carrying baskets called kà Âkà Â. The fine cordage was once sought by many people around the world, like climbers and sailors, because of its incomparable strength and durability. Olonàwas typically cultivated near an upland stream area which was used to soak the newly harvested fibers between 24 and 72 hours before placing it on long board and using a scraper (sometimes made out of shell or turtle) to remove the excess outer bark. Once the olonàwas prepared and dry, there was so much fiber in the bark that it peels off in sheets of ribbon. The outer bark of olonàwas typically stripped in the uplands and hung around necks as lei.