Hapu
Cibotium menziesii

Family: Dicksoniaceae

What it is like

A tree fern. It has a large trunk which can be 7 m high and 16 cm across. The leaf stalks have long, stiff, dark hairs. The fronds are pale and smooth and are pale underneath. Often the fronds remain hanging around the trunk. The midrib can be yellow. There are often hairs on the stalk.

There are 10-15 Cibotium species. They occur in the Pacific.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. They will grow in most soils but do best in well-drained humus.

Countries/locations it is found in

Hawaii, Pacific, USA

How it is used for food

Starch is extracted from the trunk.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Trunk - starch

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cibotium chamissoi Krajina not Kaulfuss;