'Awa Kua'ea/ Nēnē

Kii: K

aKii: Kawa Library

'Awa Kua'ea, is also known as Nēnē. The puna or internodes are green, and covered by dark greenish, mottled spots called kīkohukohu. Kua 'ea refers to the Honu 'ea a species of turtle found in Hawai‘i. Kua means back, referring to the shell of the Honu 'ea. The kīkohukohu resemble the patterns on the honu 'ea's shell.

Honu 'ea

Kii: South Australian Museum

The punapuna or internodes on the stalks are tall and long. The piko of the lau is green. This awa variety is commonly grown. Martha Warren Beckwith author of Hawaiian Mythology writes "babies were given the juice of the nene variety as a soothing syrup. “This is a fretful (onene) child and must be given the awa nene,”

 Nene is a fast growing awa and is easily grown.

The flower buds of the 'awa Nene were also chewed by the mother and fed to the child with a fever to put the child to sleep. This is known as pū'ā, which is to feed by passing directly from mouth to mouth, of masticated food such as fish or poi; infants and the aged were fed like this.

'Awa Honokāne Iki is sometimes mistaken for the Nēnē variety. 'Awa Honokāne Iki has fewer kīkohukohu (spots) and the spots are are farther apart. Striation may be seen on many of the lower sections of punapuna.

'Awa Honokane 'iki

Kii: Hawaiian Kawa Library

Honokane'iki variety has, dark streaks  on many of the lower sections of punapuna and the Kikohukohu are loosly scattered and few in number. The punapuna or internodes of Honokane'iki are a lighter and a brighter green as compared to the 'awa Kua'ea. The 'Awa Kua'ea, has no dark streaks, darker green punapuna and more pronounced spotting or kīkohukohu throughout the punapuna.

The Hawaiian dictionary defines the word nene as

1. nvi. , as a cricket; to croak, as a mud hen; crying, as in distress; whimpering, as a sleeping infant; rumor, gossip; to be attracted to; cherish, think of, as with affection. Cf. hōnēnē; nē, fretting; nēnē hiwa. ʻO nā kānaka Hawaiʻi, he poʻe makeʻe haku, he poʻe nēnē ʻili kapu, the Hawaiian people are people who cherish their lords, people constantly thinking of the sacred skin [of chiefs]. hoʻo.nē.nē Same as above. Hoʻonēnē kaua (FS 139), rumors of war, talk or threats of war.

2. n. Hawaiian goose (Nesochen sandvicensis), protected and rare on Maui and in Hawaiʻi uplands (down to 40 at one time and about 1,000 in 1978).

3. n. Mat pattern: two vertical rows of triangles, with the bases below, and the apices touching the bases above.

4. n. A variety of ʻawa, stems green with dark-green spots. Also, kuaʻea.

5. Same as ʻai-a-ka-nēnē, a plant. (Neal 803.)

6. Probably same as nēnē ʻau kai.