pa‘iniu

Pa‘iniu looks like grass or sedge. There are 3 endemic species. I've probably come across a few of them, but I only could identify this one from fellow hiking friend Jay.

Background Information

This endemic species is wide spread among all the main Hawaiian Islands. It is part of the Lily Family. The scientific name is Astelia. In Ancient Hawaii, Hawaiians used the leaves to make houses and also for lei making. In modern Hawaii, they still used the plant for lei making.