HAOLE LEHUA
Calliandra grandiflora Bentham
Flowers which are pompons of pink or white stamens, blooming in winter and spring, announce the Haole Lehua. This name, meaning foreign Lehua, is applied also to a closely related species, Calliandra haematoma which has similar flowers of a bright pinkish red. Resemblance of these flowers to those of the native Ohia Lehua has resulted in this name being transferred. At the present time they are more commonly seen in leis than the true Lehua. Such leis are particularly beautiful suggesting a garland of marabou feathers. The shrub has small compound leaves and grows twelve feet tall. The flowers are followed by brown seedpods, showing the plant to be a member of the bean family. It is a native of tropical America. ([Plate IX])
CUP AND SAUCER PLANT. CHINAMAN’S HAT
Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz
Tall sprays of the Holmskioldia are lined with quaintly shaped little flowers, of tawny orange or deep scarlet color. They are well described by the names of Cup and Saucer, or Chinaman’s hat. Each is made up of a saucer-shaped bract, which is the most conspicuous part, from the center of which rises a small tubular flower. They bloom the year round and may be found in many gardens.
The shrub is sprawling or half climbing, with small opposite leaves, usually with irregular margins. It is a native of Burma and a member of the Coffee family. ([Plate IX])
KONA COFFEE. ARABIAN COFFEE
Coffea arabica Linnaeus
The shrub or small tree that produces the coffee bean of commerce is sometimes grown in Hawaii as an ornamental plant. It is conspicuous for its rich, dark, shining, leaves, strongly veined and for its bright red berries and the fragrance of its small, white flowers. The flowers are starlike, and grow rather inconspicuously in the leaf axils, a few in a cluster. They are followed by the green berries which turn bright red when ripe. These berries usually contain two seeds which are the coffee “beans” of commerce.
The Arabian coffee plant grows best at levels cooler than the average in Honolulu, so the plant is seen on Tantalus and in the high valleys. It is grown commercially in the Kona district, on the Island of Hawaii and the product has been given the name of Kona coffee. Most of the world’s coffee is made from this species, which was originally native to tropical East Africa, but was introduced very early into Arabia. ([Plate IX])
Another coffee plant grown in Honolulu is Coffea liberica, also a native of tropical Africa. It grows under slightly warmer conditions than the other and so does better in Honolulu. It is larger than C. arabica, becoming a small tree. Coffee plants are related to the fragrant Gardenias, and give their name to the family.