Mānoa Heritage Center

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ʻAkoko

PC: Lianne Rozzelle
PC: Mānoa Heritage Center
PC: Mānoa Heritage Center

Chamaesyce

Native Endemic

Koko is the word for blood in Hawaiian and ʻAkoko means blood-colored. It got its’ name because of the red-colored seed capsules that resemble drops of blood on the plant. The milky liquid inside the plant is used in medicine and rubbed on branches for bird catching. ʻAkoko is in the Euphorbiaceae family. Some of its non-native relatives are the Para rubber tree (which latex comes from), Castor oil, and poinsettia.