Ti Leaf

This story takes place in the Mesic area.

Many Hawaiians believed that if there is a danger in a river, pond or anywhere you would want to swim in you should throw a ti leaf into the water. Ti leaves are found in the Mesic area which is the place between the Uka and the Kula .This worked anywhere there was a danger. If the ti leaf sinks and dissapears from your sight, you shouldn't cross because danger was there in the water. If it doesn't sink and flows around with the current, it is safe to cross and the danger has passed.

Some tourists think if they wrap a rock from a heiau with a ti leaf, no spirits will harm them. Hawaiians tease them and call it "Tourist Laulau" because it looks like a laulau. Laulau is a food and it looks like this: it is covered with ti leaf and has chicken, pork, or other things in it. It could be bad luck if you touched a rock from a heiau.

Sometimes I throw a ti leaf into the river just to be safe in case something is lurking in the water, like a mo'o for instance which is a large gecko...

I got this information from Plants Of Old Hawaii by Lois Lucas