The Polynesians brought this plant to Hawaii when they came here to settle. It has many uses, but we will write only of its use as a medicine.

For growths in the nose, the Hawaiians pounded ti flowers with other plants, including ginger "roots" (really underground stems). Then they squeezed out the juice and strained it. They made little balls of tree-fern hairs (pulu) and soaked up the liquid they had made. The patient would breathe in the vapor given off by the medicine in the pulu ball 5 or 6 times a day.

A liquid made by grinding up a mixture of ti flowers and young leaves, and other plants, was used for asthma.

Leaves dipped in cold spring water were placed on the forehead when a person had a headache or fever. This is very much as we do today -- dip a towel or washcloth in ice water and use that.

Hot stones were wrapped in it leaves and used for sore backs -- today we use a hot-water bottle, an electric pad, or a mustard pad in the same way for the same thing.