(20) LAUKAHI OR CLIFFBRAKE
Found in both sections of Hawaii National Park, the laukahi is found most frequently in dry areas. In the Kilauea section it has been found at elevations ranging up to 9,500 feet. The segments of the fronds, known technically as PINNAE, are blue-gray in color and are often shaped like a clover leaf, particularly when the fern is growing in shade. The PINNAE are usually rolled up lengthwise, hiding the reproductive structures. Hillebrand (5, p. 633) lists this species as occurring on Maui, Hawaii and Kauai, and over the High Andes from Chile to Mexico.
(21) DORYOPTERIS OR LANCE FERN
Native only to the Hawaiian Islands but having no Hawaiian name, the lance fern is common from Hilina Pali to the seacoast and throughout the Kau Desert. The plants are small, tufted, and from six to fifteen inches high. They often are abundant around the bases of lava outcroppings.
(22) SILVERFERN
A non-native plant which escaped from garden cultivation, the silverfern often grows in large clumps in dry washes in the Hilina Pali area, and extends out onto the Kau Desert. Also called “goldfern” these plants derive their name from a waxy gold or silver-colored powder on the underside of the fronds.
(23) IWAIWA OR MAIDENHAIR
Maidenhair fern, often used in floral decoration, is a plant familiar to many. Preferring shady, moist places it is common in the vicinity of Hilina Pali. The black glossy stalks provided ornamentation for Hawaiian baskets and hats. The native species apparently is being replaced by a non-native which was introduced about 50 years ago.
(24-26) NIANIAU OR SWORD FERN
The sword fern is a familiar plant in tropical and sub-tropical areas. A common house fern, its scientific name, Nephrolepis, means “kidney-scale” in Greek. The fern was so named because the spore dots on the underside of the leaflets are protected by a kidney-shaped tissue called an indusium. In the Haleakala section, Puu Nianiau, the hill below the lodge, received its name from these ferns, which are also called “OKUPUKUPU.” They are common in humid regions of the park, particularly in the vicinity of steam cracks near Kilauea. The three species illustrated have been found in the Park. Several large stands may be seen in Kipuka Puaulu (Bird Park).