Maile

Alyxia oliviformis




Maile is an endemic Hawaiian plant, but listed as a member of the Apocynacea or dogbane family. Among the 1500 species, which are divided into 424 genres, feature other plants like the periwinkle, oleander and plumeria. A typical characteristic is found in the leaves, which are simple and usually opposite or whorled. While maile appears vine-like, the majority of its 'relatives' are shrubs or trees. The name comes from Alyxia for chain, oliviformis meaning resembling olive. Coincidentally enough, a thick lei maile does look like a chain of olive leaves, but the name stems from the fact that the fruit resembles olives.



As with other members of the Apocynacea family, a milky, slightly sticky sap is associated with the plant, more specifically to the fruit, which are initially green, and then turn a deep purple or even black when ripe. Fruiting generally occurs in the fall and winter, though the photo with the green fruit shown earlier was taken in June of this year. A large football shaped seed can be found within the fruit's pulp. Seeds sprout readily within two to four weeks, starting with a white root and followed by a long, thin shoot. When it reaches approximately two inches high, the first tiny leaves appear. Growth can be initially slow, but it accelerates after a couple of months and can even reach up to three feet in height within six months.



Maile grows in most mesic forests, but is also found in wet and dry forests, as well as shrub land, from elevations as low as 150 feet, and as far up to 7,000 feet. It grows on all islands except Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe. Hawaiians have a long tradition of assembling the fragrant maile into lei. It was used to scent kapa, either with leaves, or with the tiny flowers, which carry a faint vanilla scent in their small clusters.




Maile

Eia la he 'ala, he' ala anuanu, he ala hu'ihu'i, eia la i ka houpo
Here is a fragrance, a cool fragrance, a chilling fragrance that goes to my heart.



My earliest concrete memory of the maile can be traced to a funeral – my grandmother's to be specific. I wasn't quite two years old at the time, but I knew that fragrance already. It had preceded every visit from my great-grandmother as an infant as her spirit watched over me in sleep. Or so say my parents…. For years I associated the scent of maile with death, and no wonder considering all of my ancestors tend to carry that smell with them when they visit! Even now, thirty years later, when I can smell maile and there is none nearby, I know my 'ohana (family) is there with me.

Maile – if you've grown up around it – is one of those scents that is immediately recognizable. An informal survey conducted among some of my acquaintances left me scratching my head before giving up and going to Google for help. The question was simple: what does maile smell like? Invariably, the reply was, "Maile." The closest I could come up with was laua'e, personally, and even then, it doesn't exactly help a person who has never experienced maile understand what I'm talking about, does it?



My favorite reply came from Dan, who said, "Marzipan." Almond scented … yeah, I can almost see his point there. A search through Google came up with licorice, another scent I think might come close, but only in a very faint dose. Most descriptions I've come across leave it as, "sweet fragrance," or, "distinctive odor." Not even remotely satisfying for me as a writer, but I can't seem to put that scent into words for you, either!

At any rate, maile is ... well, maile. In culture, it features in many different arenas. When my husband and I were married, his uncle 'tied' our hands with maile to symbolically join us. The lei are used at formal grand opening ceremonies for businesses. In place of cutting the ribbon, there is the untying of the maile. The lei feature prominently at all special events, from graduation to weddings to hula. To have a lei maile is to be wearing a symbol that tells other people that it's your special day.

Lei are fashioned in the hipu'u style, where leafy vines are loosely arranged on one plane, with each vine length tied in. In weaving lei maile, the leaves and bark of young vines are first stripped from the central wood of the twig, and then several of the supple plaits are twisted together as lei 'a'i (neck lei) or lei po'o (head lei).

Historically, maile was a peace emblem in times of battle and a symbol of courtship and love. It was used to scent kapa cloth, or lau hala sleeping mats. The plant also was part of a medicinal treatment exclusively for chiefs. It was used in a puholoholo (steam bath) to sweat out an illness called kilikilioe.



In mythology, maile figures prominently in ka'ao. One of the more well-known stories is the one of La'iekawai, a beautiful princess. She and her twin were secreted away when their father threatened to have them killed for not being male. La'iekawai was taken to Paliuli by her grandmother, Waka, and raised as a supernatural being, cared for by birds that carry her upon their wings. She is wooed by 'Aiwohikupua, who, upon realizing her higher rank as an ali'i herself, returns to Kaua'i and fetches his sisters (commonly known as the Maile sisters) to help him win her hand.



Each of them is sent in turn, sending out their fragrance. Maileha'iwale as the eldest of the girls goes first, followed by Mailekaluhea, Mailelauli'i and finally Mailepakaha. La'iekawai rejects them all and in a rage at their failure, 'Aiwohikupua abandons his sisters to their own fates. Remaining with them is Kahalaomapuana – sometimes referred to as Mailelaunui. She is the youngest, and the only sister 'Aiwohikupua did not give a chance to try and woo La'iekawai to him.

She succeeds where her older sisters did not and the five declare themselves to be La'iekawai's constant companions and sisters until such time as she dismisses them. They become associated with her, and later when another supernatural woman, Mali'o, tricks La'iekawai out of the chiefly husband Waka has chosen for her and replaces the man with her own brother, Kahalaomapuana saves the day and wins favor for her 'sister' by arranging for her to marry Ka'onohiokala and to live as a goddess. Her story ends when La'iekawai becomes The Woman of the Twilight and joins her twin, La'ielohelohe, to rule over the islands until their deaths.



The Maile sisters appear elsewhere in myth and legend and are considered important to hula as well. Different halau (schools) place more items on their kuahu (altar) than others, but the five plants they all seem to agree upon are halapepe, 'ie'ie, maile, 'ohi'a and palapalai, for the different gods and goddesses who are patrons of the dance.

Wherever maile is found in the mountains and forests of the Hawaiian Islands, is believed to be where the sisters wandered. The sisters' names are those given to the five varieties of maile based on leaf size and shape. Maile-lau-li'i has narrow pointed leaves and means, literally, small leaf maile. Maile-ha'i-wale, has small rounded leaves, and means brittle maile. Maile-lau-nui has large leaves and means big-leafed maile. Maile-pa-kaha has blunt rounded leaves and is thought to mean proud maile, and Maile-kaluhea is the most fragrant of them all, reflected in the meaning sweet scented maile.

It is said that the subtle pervasive scent of maile precedes the arrival of any of the sisters, and lingers long after they have gone. Of course, I also mentioned that it does the same thing for my 'ohana. Makes me wonder….

Today, with loss of habitat and numerous other factors, maile is drastically reduced in Hawai'i. Much of the maile purchased, especially on O'ahu, comes from the Cook Islands. Tutu Puku'i had an 'olelo no'eau in her famous book: "Maile lau li'i o Ko'iahi (Fine-leaf maile of Ko'iahi)." Often used in chants. The fine-leaved maile of Ko'iahi in Wai'anae was considered the best on O'ahu for beauty and fragrance. After the introduction of goats, this beautiful and much-liked vine vanished.



It doesn't have to be like that. When we went to Keauhou in June, the sheer amount of maile we saw was almost overwhelming. It was also the most beautiful sight as well. If we all do our part to help conserve and preserve our 'aina, sights like the picture above will still be there for our children's children's children. Think about it, and then help malama ka 'aina!

A special mahalo to Dan and Keana for the beautiful photos! This post wouldn't be the same without your contributions. The picture of the maile flower is from the public domain. Also, the 'olelo at the beginning of this section is attributed to La'iekawai and adapted to my purposes.