Limu, otherwise known as rimu, remu or ʻimu (from Proto-Austronesian *limut)[1] is a general Polynesian term for edible plants living underwater, such as seaweed, or plants living near water, like algae.[2] [3] In Hawaii, there are approximately one hundred names for kinds of limu, sixty of which can be matched with scientific names.[4] Hundreds of species of marine algae were once found in Hawaii.[5] Many limu are edible, and used in the cuisine throughout most of Polynesia.
Several species of limu are used as food throughout Polynesia and is typically eaten raw as accompaniment to meals, usually fish.
In Hawaii, limu was seen as a major component of the Hawaiian diet alongside fish and poi. Hawaiians cultivated several varieties of seaweed for food as well as to feed fish farmed within fish ponds. As many as 75 types of limu were used for food, more than the 35 used in Japanese cuisine, which is also well known for its use of seaweed. In modern times, limu is often used as a condiment, typically in raw fish dishes such as poke.[6]
Limu was used in hoʻoponopono, the ancient Hawaiian process of conflict resolution. Injured and accused parties gathered to pray, seek forgiveness and eat Hawaiian: limu kala leaves as a symbol of reconciliation.[7] It is also used in traditional hula attire[8] and as medicine.[9]
Due to the shape of its foliage, the Maori also applied the name Maori: rimu to the native tree Dacrydium cupressinum.[2]
Limu comes from multiple genera[10]
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowned sea bells (Turbinaria ornata) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu taratara (Rarotonga and Mauke), Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Rimu taratara (Aitutaki), Limu (Pukapuka)[11] | ||
| Double-edge sargassum (Sargassum aquifolium) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Rimu akau[12] | ||
| Open-sponge seaweed (Hydroclathrus clathratus) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu oma (Rarotonga)[13] | ||
| Sargassum obtusifolium (Sargassum obtusifolium) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu {{okina (Rarotonga)[14] | ||
| Sea grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu kai (Rarotonga and Mauke), Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu kōnini (Mangaia), Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Rimu kai (Aitutaki)[15] | ||
| Turkeytail seaweed (Padina boryana) | Rarotongan; Cook Islands Maori: Remu ta{{okina (Rarotonga)[16] | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dictyopteris australis (Dictyopteris australis) | Rapanui: Auke | ||
| Sargassum obtusifolium (Sargassum obtusifolium) | Rapanui: Miritoni | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus tree alga (Caulerpa cupressoides) | Mama{{okina (Rapan) | [17] | |
| Chnoospora minima (Chnoospora minima) | Imu keikei aoa (Marquesan) | [18] | |
| Cladophora patentiramea (Cladophora patentiramea) | Imu ouoho (Marquesan) | ||
| Gracilaria (Gracilaria) | Tahitian: Remu {{okina (Tahitian) | ||
| Grass kelp (Enteromorpha flexuosa) | Imu vai (Marquesan) | ||
| Green sea cushion (Codium arabicum) | Imu tutae kioe (Marquesan) | ||
| Sea grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) | Tahitian: {{okina (Tahitian), Imu topua (Marquesan), Remu vine (Austral), Konini (Rapan) | ||
| Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) | Tahitian: Rimu miti (Tahitian), Imu kokuu (Marquesan) | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antler seaweed (Codium reediae) | Hawaiian: Limu a{{okina | ||
| Branched sea cushion (Codium edule) | Hawaiian: Limu wawae{{okina | ||
| Branched string lettuce (Ulva prolifera) | Hawaiian: Limu {{okina | ||
| Champia (Champia) | Hawaiian: Limu {{okina | ||
| Chondria tenuissima (Chondria tenuissima) | Hawaiian: Limu {{okina | ||
| Crowned sea bells (Turbinaria ornata) | Hawaiian: Limu kahili | ||
| Dictyopteris (Dictyopteris) | Hawaiian: Limu lipoa | once found in almost continuous beds around O‘ahu. Disappeared from Waikiki Beach in the 1960s, crowded out by pollution and the invasive Gracilaria salicornia. | |
| Dictyota (Dictyota) | Hawaiian: Limu alani | ||
| Double-edge sargassum (Sargassum aquifolium) | Hawaiian: Limu kala | employed during Hawaiian: ho{{okina. | |
| Grateloupia filicina (Grateloupia filicina) | Hawaiian: Limu huluhuluwaena | or "pubic hair") – favorite of Liliʻuokalani. | |
| Gelidium (Gelidium) | Hawaiian: Limu loloa | long or slender | |
| Gymnogongrus (Gymnogongrus) | Hawaiian: Limu koele | dry or hard | |
| Halymenia formosa (Halymenia formosa) | Hawaiian: Lepelepe-o-Hina | shawl of the goddess Hina. Shares its name with a native butterfly and a family of nudibranchs. | |
| Laurencia nidifica (Laurencia nidifica) | Hawaiian: Limu mane{{okina | ||
| Laver (Porphyra) | Hawaiian: Limu luau, Hawaiian: Lipahe{{okina | ||
| Martensia fragilis (Martensia fragilis) | Hawaiian: Limu ha{{okina | ||
| Ogo (Gracilaria coronopifolia) | Hawaiian: Limu manauea | cooked with meats to form a savory jelly. Later diced raw with poke, mixed with chili and salt. | |
| Polysiphonia (Polysiphonia) | Hawaiian: Limu hāwane | ||
| Red sea plume (Asparagopsis taxiformis) | Hawaiian: Limu kohu | ||
| Sailor’s eye (Valonia utricularis) | Hawaiian: Limu lipu{{okina | ||
| Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) | Hawaiian: Limu palahalaha, Hawaiian: Pakaiea | named after a shark god who was swaddled in its silken leaves.[19] used in hula[20] | |
| Spyridia spinella (Spyridia spinella) | Hawaiian: Limu hulu pua{{okina | ||
| Tattered sea moss (Hypnea) | Hawaiian: Limu hina | ||
| Tuffed seaweed (Ahnfeltiopsis concinna) | Hawaiian: Limu {{okina | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble caulerpa (Caulerpa sedoides) | Maori: Rimurimu | ||
| Carrageenan weed (Gigartina) | Maori: Rehia, Maori: Rimurehia | ||
| Clymene (Clymene) | Maori: Karengo, Maori: Kareko, Maori: Parengo, Maori: Reporepo | ||
| Eelgrass (Zostera) | Maori: Karepō, Maori: Nana | ||
| Gracilaria (Gracilaria) | |||
| Kelp (Laminariales) | Maori: Pakake, Maori: Pakaka | ||
| Laver (Porphyra) | Maori: Karengo, Maori: Kareko, Maori: Parengo, Maori: Reporepo | Originally, Karengo was used to describe seaweed belonging to the Porphyra genus. Recent genomic analysis however has Karengo cover more than 30 species belonging to genus Porphyra, Pyropia, Clymene and Lysithea. | |
| Lysithea (Lysithea) | Maori: Karengo, Maori: Kareko, Maori: Parengo, Maori: Reporepo | ||
| Neptune’s necklace (Hormosira banksii) | Maori: Koiri | ||
| Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) | Maori: Rimu kaikai | ||
| Sea rimu (Caulerpa brownii) | Maori: Rimurimu | ||
| Southern bull kelp (Durvillaea) | Maori: Rimurapa, Maori: Rimuroa, Maori: Kōauau | ||
| Southern laver (Pyropia) | Maori: Karengo, Maori: Kareko, Maori: Parengo, Maori: Reporepo | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus tree alga (Caulerpa cupressoides) | Niuean: Limu tahi | ||
| Sea grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) | Niuean: Limu fua | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowned sea bells (Turbinaria ornata) | Samoan: Limu lautalatala | ||
| Gracilaria (Gracilaria) | Samoan: Limu aau | ||
| Halymenia (Halymenia) | Samoan: A {{okina | ||
| Sargassum (Sargassum) | Samoan: Limu vavoa | ||
| Sea grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) | Samoan: Fuafua | ||
| Turkeytail seaweed (Padina boryana) | Samoan: Limu lautaliga | ||
| Image | English name | Indigenous name | Description and use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus tree alga (Caulerpa cupressoides) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Kaka | [21] | |
| Cladosiphon (Cladosiphon) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Tanga{{okina | ||
| Flat-top sea grape (Caulerpa peltata) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Fuofua | ||
| Green feather algae (Caulerpa sertularioides) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Louniu, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Louango, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Tu{{okina | ||
| Hypnea charoides (Hypnea charoides) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Limu vai | ||
| Scalpel green seaweed (Caulerpa scalpelliformis) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Palalafa | ||
| Sea grapes (Caulerpa racemosa) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Toke, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Fuofua, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Alako, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Te{{okina, Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Te{{okina | ||
| Serrated green seaweed (Caulerpa serrulata) | Tonga (Tonga Islands);: Kaka | ||
Limu has become increasingly difficult to find because of over-picking, pollution, and urban development,[22] especially construction in watersheds. Many important kinds of limu grow best in brackish water where fresh water empties into the sea. Another threat to limu is the spread of marine alien invasive species, such as members of the genus Kappaphycus (smothering seaweed), Gracilaria salicornia (gorilla ogo), Avrainvillea amadelpha (leather mudweed), Hypnea musciformis (hook weed) and Acanthophora spicifera (prickly seaweed).[23]