Maiʻa

Maiʻa he meakanu nui o ka ʻohana Musaceae. He mea nui ka maiʻa i ka moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi kahiko a me ka mahiʻai ʻana. Ua lawe mai nā kānaka Polenesia i ka maiʻa i ko lākou hoʻokele moku ʻana mai i Hawaiʻi. 

 Moʻolelo a me ka moʻomeheu 
He kinolau ka maiʻa no ke akua Kanaloa, ka mea i pili i ka hoʻōla ʻana a me ke kai. I ka wā o Liholiho, he kapu ka hapanui o nā ʻano maiʻa i nā wāhine. Ua ʻae ʻia nā wāhine e ʻai i ʻekolu ʻano maiʻa wale nō: ka pōpōʻulu, ka iholena, a me ke kaualau. Ma kekahi moʻolelo Hawaiʻi, na Pele i lawe mai ka maiʻa i Hawaiʻi. Ua hoʻohana ʻia ka pūʻolo maiʻa ma kahi o ke kanaka i ka mohai ʻana i nā heiau.

He nui nā manaʻo hoʻomaʻamaʻa e pili ana i ka maiʻa. Ua manaʻo ʻia he pōʻino ke āu maiʻa ʻana ma ka moemoeʻuhane a me ka halawai ʻana me kekahi e lawe ana i ka maiʻa. ʻAʻole maikaʻi ka lawe ʻana i ka maiʻa i ka huakaʻi lawaiʻa, no ka mea, wahi a ka poʻe lawaiʻa, e hoʻopilikia ana i ka iʻa ke ʻala o ka maiʻa.

 Nā ʻano maiʻa 
Ma mua o ka hiki ʻana mai o ka poʻe Eulopa, ua mālama ʻia nā ʻano maiʻa Hawaiʻi he 70 a ʻoi. Eia nā ʻohana maiʻa kuʻuna:

 ʻOhana Iholena 
 Iholena Lele - He maiʻa kiʻekiʻe me ka hua melemele-keʻokeʻo
 Iholena Hāhā - He maiʻa haʻahaʻa me ka hua nunui
 Iholena ʻUlaʻula - He maiʻa me ke kumu ʻulaʻula

 ʻOhana Maoli 
 Maoli Hāʻi - He maiʻa lōʻihi me ka ʻiʻo ʻeleʻele
 Maoli Koaʻe - He maiʻa pōkole me ka ʻili ʻōmaʻomaʻo
 Maoli Puhi - He maiʻa me ka hua nui

 ʻOhana Pōpōʻulu 
 Pōpōʻulu Hāpai - He maiʻa nui me nā pepeiao nui
 Pōpōʻulu Hua Mōkālā - He maiʻa me ka hua kūkulu like
 Pōpōʻulu ʻUlaʻula - He maiʻa me ke kumu ʻulaʻula

 Nā maiʻa i lawe ʻia mai 
Ma hope o ka hiki ʻana mai o ka poʻe Eulopa, ua lawe ʻia mai kekahi mau ʻano maiʻa hou:
 Maiʻa Pākē (Cavendish) - Ka maiʻa kūʻai nui
 Maiʻa Malino (Apple banana) - He maiʻa ʻono me ke ʻala ʻapala
 Maiʻa Bōlū (Bluefield) - He maiʻa no ke kūʻai ʻana
 Maiʻa Wiliama (Williams hybrid) - He maiʻa no ka mahiʻai ʻoihana

 Nā hiʻohiʻona kino 
He meakanu nui ka maiʻa, ʻaʻole he lāʻau maoli. He 10 a 15 kapuaʻi ke kiʻekiʻe, me kona kumu hoʻopuni (pseudostem) i hana ʻia me nā ʻaʻa lau i hoʻopili pū ʻia. Aia ke kumu maoli (rhizome) ma lalo o ka lepo. He 6 kapuaʻi ka lōʻihi o nā lau, a 2 kapuaʻi ka laulā, me nā ʻaʻa e holo ana ma ka lōʻihi o ka lau.

Ulu mai ka pua mai luna mai o ke kumu, me nā pua kāne ma ka wēlau a me nā pua wahine ma ke kumu o ka pua nui. He ʻulaʻula ka spathe. ʻAʻohe hua ʻiʻo ma loko o ka hua maiʻa, a e ulu ana ka hua ma hope o 2-3 mahina mai ka pua ʻana.

 Lapaʻau 
He nui nā hoʻohana lapaʻau o ka maiʻa. Ua hoʻohana ʻia ka lehu o ka lau i puhi ʻia no ka ʻeha puʻuwai. No ka nae (hānō), ua hui ʻia ka wai kolo a me ka lehu me ka noni, ka ʻōhiʻa ʻai, a me ke kukui no ka hana ʻana i lāʻau e inu ʻia me ka meaʻai a me ka wai lāʻau.

 Hoʻohana ʻana 
Ua hoʻohana ʻia nā māhele like ʻole o ka maiʻa. Kālua ʻia ka puaʻa me nā lau maiʻa ma ka imu, a hana ʻia nā moena me nā lau maloo. Hoʻohana ʻia nā lau no ke kāpī ʻana i ka pā hale, a hoʻohana ʻia nā puaina no ka hana lei. Ua hoʻohana ʻia nā lau no ke kaula lei a me ke kāʻei ʻana.

 Nā ʻōlelo noʻeau 
Ua ʻike ʻia ke koʻikoʻi o ka maiʻa ma nā ʻōlelo noʻeau:

 "ʻAʻohe hua o ka maiʻa i ka lā hoʻokahi" - ʻAʻole e ulu ka maiʻa i ka lā hoʻokahi; he ʻōlelo aʻo e hoʻomanawanui
 "Ua like me ka ʻili o ka maiʻa pala" - He ʻōlelo hoʻohālike no ka ʻili melemele nani
 "Ua hoʻi hou ka nani me he lau maiʻa ʻōpiopio lā" - He ʻōlelo no ka hoʻi hou ʻana mai o ka nani
 "Ka maiʻa i kanu ʻia e Kahāʻawi" - Ka maiʻa i kanu ʻia no ka hāʻawi ʻana aku i ka malihini

 Wahi noho 
Ulu maikaʻi ka maiʻa ma nā wahi malu makani, a kanu pinepine ʻia ma kahi o nā hale a ma nā kaha wai o nā loʻi. Loaʻa ka maiʻa ma nā awāwa mōhāhā (mesic valleys) mai ke kai a 3,020 kapuaʻi ke kiʻekiʻe. Makemake i ka wai kūpono a me kahi malumalu no ka ulu pono ʻana.

 Nā kūmole 

Māhele:Mea kanu
Māhele:Meaʻai
Māhele:Lāʻau Hawaiʻi
Māhele:Lāʻau lapaʻau