| 'ie 'ie (Freycinetia arborea)   Root
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| 'ie 'ie (Freycinetia arborea) Root
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Roots of 'ie'ie (Freycinetia arborea) have encircled the stem of this tree along the Manoa Cliffs Trail. These roots are incredibly strong and were used by Ancient Hawaiians for many purposes. |
Other plants also use their roots for climbing.
Ancient Hawaiians used the roots of 'ie 'ie to make fish traps and other things which required durability and strength.
These roots are produced by horizontal stems as they clamber about on the ground. However, when the plants encounter a tree trunk, the adventitous roots attach to it. The stem ascends to great heights because the roots wind completely around the trunk giving tremendous adherence for the plant.
We will explore the anatomy of these roots in the lab to see why they are so strong. Many other vines have similar root adaptations, but few produce such a long roots as 'ie'ie. I have seen especially long roots which were not attached to tree trunks and I bet that the ancient Hawaiians had devised methods to grow long straight 'ie'ie roots. I believe that this could be a good research opportunity on an ethnobotanically important species. I don't think that anybody has looked at the various ways in which these roots respond to environmental stimuli like light or touch.
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