[Plate IV]
FLOWERING TREES—CHAPTER II
Identification key (1) Monkeypod Tree (2) Bottlebrush Tree (3) Jacaranda (4) Chinese Rice Flower (5) Wong-lan (6) Bombax
Chapter I
HAWAII’S OWN FLOWER—THE HIBISCUS
What is that flower seen everywhere, you may ask, the one with five, stiff, papery petals, and a column rising in the center? Such blossoms are seen tumbling in cascades of pink from small trees, spangling hedges with red polka dots and decorating green shrubs in an artificial way, looking like something designed for an old-fashioned stage set.
The answer, of course, is Hibiscus, Hawaii’s own flower, and the outstanding flower of all the South Seas. You will see these blossoms worn in the hair of Hawaiian women, or tucked over the ear of Samoan men when they dance the native siva-siva. You will find them strewn down the length of leaf-covered tables prepared for a native feast or laid out in colorful exhibition on counters of staid Island banking houses. You may run into them formed into huge fountaining bouquets, the flower heads fastened to long, artificial stems, or, at shows and entertainments, you may see them covering walls and other objects solidly.
All these uses and more are possible because the Hibiscus possesses the unique trait of not wilting for a day after it is picked. These flowers open at dawn and live but a single day. Whether they be left on the shrub, picked and put in water, or laid out dry on a table top, they remain fresh and crisp until nightfall, when they suddenly close. Fresh buds open every day, so the Hibiscus is always in bloom.