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'Olapa
Dominant
trees of the Hawaiian wet forest of 4,000 to 6,000 feet elevations, the 'olapa
and lapalapa are easily recognized by their constant quaking. Trees grow
to 40 or 50 feet tall with opposite leaves each palmately divided into three to
five leaflets which are oval to oblong in one species and heart-shape in
another. Leaf petioles are flattened and very supple which accounts for
the fluttering leaves that readily distinguishes these trees from others of the
wet forest. Fruits are clustered, ranging in color from green to deep
purple depending upon their maturity.
It is said that the group of hula called "'olapa" gets its name from
these trees because the body movements of the dancers imitate the graceful
movements of the 'olapa leaves. In the slightest breeze, the leaves of
most species quiver. As wind speeds mount, the movement of the leaves
become hysterical. The musicians and dancers wore the lei fashioned from
the 'olapa and lapalapa leaves which was prized for its movements and its
attachment to the hula. The lei was made by knotting the stems of the
leaves together.
Reference: Ka Lei, The
Leis of Hawaii by Marie A. McDonald
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