Iliahi
is Sandalwood which is a semi -parasitic plant often associated
with Koa. Sandalwood was once the economy of Hawaii. People were
taxed in Sandalwood. The ruling Alii would then sell it to foreign
traders often to pay off debts that they already owed. The traders
in turn sold the Sandalwood in China. This was a very hard time
for the Hawaiian people. Farming and fishing were neglected to the
pursuit of Sandalwood which became further and further in the mountains.
By about 1830 the Sandalwood was commercially extinct. That was
a few years ago and it can be found again. Let us hope that we have
learned from our mistakes in the past. |
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Hawaiian
Plants