Acacia koaia, known as koaiʻaorkoaiʻeinHawaiian, is a species of acacia that is endemic to Hawaii. It is closely related to koa (Acacia koa), and is sometimes considered to be the same species.
Acacia koaia is usually distinguished by growing as a short (rarely more than 5 m or 16 ft), broad, gnarled tree; having the seeds longitudinally arranged in the pod; shorter, straighter phyllodes; and much denser wood. A population on the northern coast of Kauaʻi may be intermediate, but the relationships have not been worked out. Koaiʻa wood is claimed to be very different from that of koa, and this may be the best character to separate them.
Like many legumes, koaiʻa is able to fix nitrogen.[3] However, it has been devastated by cattle and other ungulates and is now rare. It can be seen on ranch land in North Kohala, and at a small fenced exclosure outside of Waimea known as the koaiʻa sanctuary. Koaiʻa is one of the species being used to revegetate the island of Kahoʻolawe, which lost most of its plant life to overgrazing and ordnance testing.[4]
The wood of koaiʻa is harder and more dense than that of koa.[6] It was used to make laʻau melomelo (fishing lures), hoe (paddles), ihe (short spears), pololu (long spears), ʻōʻō (digging sticks), ʻiʻe kūkū (square kapa beaters), and papa olonā (Touchardia latifolia scrapers). Koaiʻa leaves were used to cover hale lau koaiʻe (shelters and permanent sheds).[7]
^"Acacia koaia". CPC National Collection Plant Profiles. Center for Plant Conservation. 2008-07-22. Archived from the original on 2010-10-28. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
^"Acacia koaia". Meet the Plants. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
