limu kā kanaka

Kauaʻi evidence

Limu kā kanaka associated with Manuʻakepa, Kauaʻi. Confirm historical material and species identification; cultural name requires careful attribution. Local field observation: low dark brown-green to nearly black patches grow on ground and gravel; taxonomic identity remains unverified.

Names and classification

Scientific name

Nostoc commune

Hawaiian names

limu kā kanaka

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Cultural Kauaʻi attribution; specimen confirmation open

Origin

Not adjudicated

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-28

Evidence limits

Confirm historical material and species identification; cultural name requires careful attribution.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

terrestrial / wet ground · damp gravel

Food and resource needs

Light, water, and nutrients; strain-specific requirements not assessed

Reproduction

Not assessed for Kauaʻi population

Shelter

Not assessed

Growth form

cyanobacterium

Threats and conservation

Monitoring

Verify voucher, current occurrence, and taxonomic name before stronger local claims

Data gaps

Verify whether the cultural Manuʻakepa name corresponds to voucher-confirmed Nostoc commune; do not equate place-name evidence with taxon occurrence without qualification.

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Not assessed

Seasonal description

The name limu kā kanaka is linked in a Kauaʻi cultural source to Nostoc commune and Manuʻakepa. This is cultural attribution, not a voucher-confirmed identification or a claim of present-day abundance.

Sources and further reading

• https://www.alohacwg.com/nomenclature-library/pokipoki-o-hanaka-ie-ie