Kuahiwi. The mountaintop. A sacred area because of its height.
Kualono. The region near the mountaintop. Very little vegetation grows in this area. The mamane and naio are the only hardy trees to grow here. Both of these are hardwood trees. The flower of the Mamane was special to the ali'i; when wanting a special lei he sent his runners to fetch this flower because of its shape and yellow color. 'A'ali'i can also be found at this height.
Wao ma'ukele. The region named because of the wet, soggy ground. This area is located in the rain belt of the island, especially on the ko'olau side of each island. The trees of this area are the very large koa and 'ohi'a, varieties of lobelia, and mamane. These are the typical trees of the area. There are other trees, but the koa and the 'ohi'a dominate the canopy.
Wao akua. The forested region below the wao ma'ukele. This is said to be occupied by the spirits of the forest. Mankind seldom ventured into this area during ancestral times, except when a particular kind of tree was needed and could not be found elsewhere. The large trees acquired from the wao akua and the wao ma'ukele deserved substantial offerings. This is the region where the forests had a greater variety of trees. The trees in this are should be healthy so as to supply seeds and regenerate new growth to keep the forest alive. Some of the trees and plants found are ho'awa, ko'iko, maile, maua, alani, koa, and 'ohi'a.
Wao kanaka. The forested region ma kai (towards the ocean) of the wao akua. This area was frequented by man. He found wood for weapons, making his house, tools, surfboards, and canoe accessories; he also harvested dye, collected medicine and bird feathers, gathered vegetation for lei, gathered vegetation for the kuahu, material for making rope and many other useful things. The trees in the wao akua are also found in this area, but the trees may be smaller. Other flora found in this area are pilo, hapu'u, papala, hau kuahiwi, palapalai, olapa, and mamaki, to name a few.
Kula. The upland grassy plains. Some areas of an island had a very large kula area, as opposed to other areas that had very narrow or no grassy land section at all. A few of the most well known plants of the kula area are 'ilima ma'o, 'ama'u, 'a'ali'i, uluhe, and pili.
Kahakai. The edge of the ocean. At the kahakai were found the niu, hala, kauma'oa, kamani, hau, milo, naupaka, lama, and alahe'e. All these plants were useful to the Hawaiian and made life bearable for man on these islands.
Exerted from "Wao Akua" prepared by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Department of Land and Natural Resources. To purchase a copy, contact DLNR.