Acacia koaia "laau melomelo" (fishing lures), "hoe" (paddles), "ihe" (short spears), "pololu" (long spears), "ōō" (digging sticks), "ie kūkū" (square "kapa" beaters), and "papa olonā" ("Touchardia latifolia" scrapers). "Koaia" leaves were used to cover "hale lau koaie" (shelters and permanent sheds). Acacia koaia Acacia koaia, known as koaia or koaie in Hawaiian, is a tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is closely related to "koa" ("A. koa"), and is sometimes considered to be the same species. "Acacia koaia" is usually distinguished by growing as a short (rarely more than ), broad, gnarled tree; having the seeds
Acacia koa arranged end-to-end in the pod, rather than side-by-side. The phyllodes are also usually straighter, though this character is variable in both species. The wood is denser, harder, and more finely grained than koa wood. Koaia has been much more heavily impacted by cattle and is now rare, but can be seen on ranch land in North Kohala. The koa population has suffered from grazing and logging. Many wet forest areas, where the largest koa grow, have been logged out, and it now comes largely from dead or dying trees or farms on private lands. Although formerly used for outrigger canoes,