Common Name:

General Information

Alyxia stellata is a sprawling, evergreen shrub or climbing plant that can produce twining stems up to 3 metres long[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. A very fragrant plant, it is used to adorn the body and impart pleasant aromas to the body, to clothing etc. This species is one of the few plants grown commercially in Hawaii for making leis (garlands)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Northern Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Found in a range of habitats from dry, open sites to dense, wet forest[]. Dense or thin forest, in thickets on hillsides and ridges, in beach thickets, and on sea cliffs, often on limestone, at elevations up to 350 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	3.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the dry to moist tropics, in Hawaii it can be found at elevations from sea level to 1, 500 metres with a mean annual rainfall of up to 2,500mm[].
Grows well in the dappled shade of a woodland, but also succeeds in full sun or in deep shade[]. Requires a well-drained soil, preferably moist, but it is also tolerant of somewhat dry conditions[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].

Edible Uses

We have seen no specific record for this species, but local wine industries sometimes use Alyxia to flavour their product with the coumarin substances found in the bark[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the roots is used as a treatment for blood in the stool[].

The chopped plant is combined with the stems of Senna ocidentalis and the bark of Bobea spp. and Acacia koa and then made into a mash. This mash is mixed with water and heated - the resulting liquid is used as a wash on cuts and other skin conditions in order to clean the infected areas of the skin[].

The compounds responsible for the fragrant smell of many Alyxia species are a mixture of isomeric coumarins which are particularly found in the bark[].
The presence of iridoid substances is also reported[].

Other Uses

Both the leaves and the flowers are fragrant when bruised or crushed. The stripped bark gives a sweet odour resembling vanilla[].
All parts of the plant contain courmarin, which gives the plant a pleasant fragrance[].
The leathery and woody leaves and bark have an enchanting fragrance, not noticeable until they are crushed or twisted. This fragrance increases with age and desiccation[].
The plant was very much favoured by early Hawaiians and is still highly prized in lei making[]. These leis are chains of leaves, flowers and the bark after it has been stripped off the wood. These are twisted around each other to form a decorative and scented chain for use on festive occasions[].
Because newly made kapa cloth has a strange smell, scented plants such as this species and sandalwood were stored in large calabashes with the kapa used for clothing and bedding[].

All parts of the plant can be used in steam baths to get rid of body odour[].

Propagation

Seed - the plant is easy to grow from seed, especially if the fruit pulp is removed prior to sowing[, ]. Treated seeds sprout in 2-4 weeks, initial growth is slow, increases after 1-2 months[].
Cuttings of 5 - 8mm diameter and 10 - 15cm long are preferred. The cuttings are directly inserted to a depth of 2cm in a medium of equal parts soil and compost. The cuttings should be screened from direct sunlight and regularly sprayed to maintain humidity. After 2 weeks roots of 1cm length will have developed, and the first pair of leaves can be discerned after 3 weeks. The cuttings are ready for transplanting when 2 - 3 pairs of leaves have developed. Shade as well as frequency of watering can be gradually reduced[].

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