Common name: tumeric Hawaiian name: olena Scientific name: curcuma longal Native status: introduced

Description: Tumeric belongs to the Ginger family. Like the banana plant, the olena has no stem above the ground. In spring the leaves will appear on the plant and in the fall the leaves will die. Flowers grow on a long steam in the center of the leaf. This plant hardly has seeds.

Uses: The Hawaiians made dyes for their tapa. Different parts of the plant gave different colors. The young underground stem made bright yellow dye. Young stem made orange dye. Gold dye came from the mature underground stems. The Hawaiians used tumeric as a medicine for earaches and sinus problems.

Interesting Facts: The flower grows on a long stem in the center of the leaf stalks. A new plant will grow from the sprouting root rather than from the seeds.

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