Hawaiians had many other uses for the tree, including leis from the shells, leaves, and flowers; ink for tattoos from charred nuts; a varnish with the oil; and fishermen would chew the nuts and spit them on the water to break the surface tension and remove reflections, giving them greater underwater visibility. A red-brown dye made from the inner bark was used on "kapa" and "aho" ("Touchardia latifolia" cordage). A coating of "kukui" oil helped preserve "ʻupena" (fishing nets). The "nohona waʻa" (seats), "pale" (gunwales) of "waʻa" (outrigger canoes) were made from the wood. The trunk was sometimes used to make smaller canoes used for fishing. "Kukui" was named the state tree of Hawaii on 1 May 1959 due to its multitude of uses. It also represents the island of Molokaʻi, whose symbolic color is the silvery green of the "kukui" leaf.