HAWAIIAN FLOWERS

By
LORAINE E. KUCK
and
RICHARD C. TONGG

Illustrated by
TED MUNDORFF

TONGG PUBLISHING COMPANY, HONOLULU
1943

By the same authors
THE TROPICAL GARDEN
Its design, horticulture and plant materials.

Copyright 1943
By Loraine E. Kuck and Richard C. Tongg
All rights reserved.
Printed in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

Preface

The working title of this book during its preparation was that question so often on the lips of tourists in Hawaii,

“What flower is that?”

Had there still been tourists in Honolulu, it is likely that that name would have been used on the cover, for the book is designed to help answer it. Now that the islands are filled with visitors intent on more serious business than pleasure, it has seemed best to call it simply “Hawaiian Flowers.” It is published at this time in the hope that some of these visitors may find in it an hour’s escape from the strain and pressure of war. For, in spite of war, the flowers still bloom in Honolulu, often right over the bomb shelters that fill gardens and parks.

In using the book to help identify the island flowers, it is hoped that the color plates and descriptions together, will make it fairly easy for the layman. Persons interested in more serious study will know how to go to more technical works for information. Care has been taken to have each name accurate to aid those going to the accepted authorities.

In making the color plates the attempt has been made to have them both artistic and scientific, a difficult undertaking under any circumstances. In striving to present pictures of individual flowers so they may be identified, it has been necessary, at times, to sacrifice the gorgeous effects presented in nature by masses of these flowers; such, for instance, as is seen on the Shower trees. The writers wish to take this opportunity to thank Ted Mundorff, the artist, for his trouble in making the reproductions as accurate as possible.

They wish, also, to express appreciation to Mr. Edward L. Caum, botanist with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Experiment Station, for reading the manuscript and checking the botanical information it contains. Mrs. Arthur Silverman, in the Library of Hawaii, has been most helpful in looking up obscure references.

Works consulted in preparing the book include Rock’s “Ornamental Trees of Hawaii,” and his “Indigenous Trees of Hawaii”; Marie Neal’s book, “In Honolulu Gardens” and Bailey’s Cyclopedia of Horticulture.

Honolulu, 1943

Contents

PAGE Introduction [Where to See Hawaiian Flowers] 11 Chapter I [Hawaii’s Own Flower, The Hibiscus] 17 Chapter II [The Blossoming Trees] 23 Chapter III [Native Trees] 39 Chapter IV [Tropical Shrubs] 47 Chapter V [Colored Foliage Shrubs] 65 Chapter VI [Flowering Vines] 71 Chapter VII [Ginger Blossoms] 87 Chapter VIII [Special Tropical Flowers] 93 [Index] 103

List of Illustrations

OPPOSITE PAGE Plate I [Hibiscus] 16 Plate II [Flowering Trees] 16 Plate III [Flowering Trees] 16 Plate IV [Flowering Trees] 16 Plate V [Native Trees] 48 Plate VI [Tropical Shrubs] 48 Plate VII [Tropical Shrubs] 48 Plate VIII [Tropical Shrubs] 48 Plate IX [Tropical Shrubs] 64 Plate X [Colored Foliage Shrubs] 64 Plate XI [Flowering Vines] 64 Plate XII [Flowering Vines] 64 Plate XIII [Flowering Vines] 80 Plate XIV [Ginger Blossoms] 80 Plate XV [Special Tropical Flowers] 80 Plate XVI [Special Tropical Flowers] 80

Introduction
WHERE TO SEE HAWAIIAN FLOWERS?

If you are already in Hawaii, this question will seem purely rhetorical, since the answer is so obviously, “Anywhere.” There are few places indeed, in the islands, where flowers of some sort are not in sight. Mostly, of course, these are the Hibiscus, but you will soon notice others and the quest for new ones is apt to develop into a full-sized hobby. For the benefit of newcomers, a few of the gardens, parks and drives where you will find many Hawaiian trees and flowers are given here. By the time you have covered these places, you will know how to go on by yourself.

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL GARDEN

Few finer, tropical gardens can be found in the Islands than the one which forms a setting for the Royal Hawaiian Hotel at Waikiki. Not only does it contain a very large assortment of trees, shrubs and special tropical plants, many of them rare, but it has been laid out to make the very most of the charm inherent in the words “tropical garden.” There are cool, green, jungle depths, gorgeous blossoms and wide shady lawns, all beautifully maintained.

To see these gardens it is best to start at the hotel steps, facing the coconut grove. This particular group of palms probably contains the oldest ones in Honolulu, some of the tallest, slender trees being estimated at well over a hundred years in age. Hawaiian kings kept their surf boards in the shade of these trees. In the early days, indeed, they were almost the only trees of any kind in the city. Old pictures show a dusty, sun-baked expanse between Honolulu harbor and Waikiki, with this grove standing up conspicuously. The luxuriant green growth of gardens which now mantles Honolulu is something comparatively recent in its existence, the result of a water system and an interest in gardens.

Near the steps and terrace of the hotel you will find plants with colored foliage including Crotons, red-leaved Tis and the Beefsteak plant. The fountain is surrounded with Lauae fern (Polypodium phymatodes) and near it grow the heart-shaped leaves of Caladiums and A’pes, (pronounced ah-pays). This is the Hawaiian word for various plants of the Taro family.

To the left of the fountain stands a magnificent specimen of a Monkeypod tree, throwing out its giant branches over a wide expanse of lawn. Beyond it is a Bengal banyan, (Ficus bengalensis), with bunches of aerial roots dangling from the branches. When they touch the ground they develop into secondary trunks.

The arbor is covered with Crimson Lake Bougainvillea. In the plantings around it you can find the shrubs illustrated on [Plate VI], for the flowers pictured on it were gathered at this spot.

Further along, to the right, is a Pink and White Shower tree, a Golden Shower and an Octopus tree. The latter, (Brassaia actinophylla), can be identified by its radiating, octopus-like arms, covered with dark red buds or blossoms. There is also a Hala or Pandanus in this area.

Walking across the lawn and turning left, you pass the thick border of Oleander and Hibiscus shrubs which screen out the street. In this section may be found a Royal Poinciana, a Potato tree, a Kukui and some Breadfruit trees, (Artocarpus incisa). You can tell the latter by their very large, deeply lobed, oblong leaves, and the rough, round, green fruit, about the size of a muskmelon, which grows on the ends of the branches. This fruit, when baked, tastes something like a sweet potato. Here is also a Pomegranate tree and beyond are Bananas.

Turning again to the left you enter the real tropical garden, a cool, green, jungle under the second coconut grove. Some of the trunks of these palms are enwrapped in the great green and gold leaves of the Pothos or Philodendron vine. Growing under the tall palms are lesser ones, along with bamboos and tree ferns. The latter have soft, fibrous, brown trunks with three or four very large, typical, fern-leaves growing out of the top. The paths hereabouts are bordered with more of the Lauae fern and with Begonias and Anthuriums, while green and red Ti plants and A’pes fill in the background. If you keep somewhat to the left, you approach the hotel building again, where you will find the Torch Gingers and Red Gingers serving as a base planting.

As you pass beyond the building you can see a Tiger’s Claw tree and over to the right, near the road, a Plumeria. Planted around here are Spider Lilies and Shell Gingers. Near the side door of the hotel are Tecomarias or Cape Honeysuckle, and nearby is a glowing African Tulip tree.

The wide grassy cove that fills the curve of the building beyond is bordered by a very fine collection of Hibiscus. Trees in this area include the Yellow Poinciana, more Shower trees and, across the lawn, an old specimen of the Papaya. This has a smooth trunk marked by the leaf scars. The leaves grow out stiffly, on long stems, near the top. The fruit grows directly out of the main trunk.

If you cross the driveway and follow the walk, starting near the entrance, that leads to the tennis courts, you will pass a different assortment of trees and shrubs, those that like sun and not too much water. Date palms have thick, grey-green fronds and rough, stubby trunks. There are pink Plumerias, a Chinese Rice Flower tree, a Milo and Be-still trees. Near the tennis court is a Jacaranda and some Lime trees, and at the very end are both purple and white flowering Orchid trees. Near the Sports Office you can find Jatropha shrubs, the Caricature plant and the red and yellow Pride of Barbadoes.

Returning to the hotel you pass one of the most common trees in the island, the Kiawe or Algaroba, (Prosopis chilensis). It is a spreading, light-foliaged tree, often twisted picturesquely. It has fine, bipinnate leaves, small spikes of tiny, yellow flowers and yellow, bean-like pods. These trees now cover large areas of the island, although the seed of the original tree was brought here in 1828 by the Catholic missionary, Father Bachelot. They are natives of tropical America.

Bordering the drive at the rear of the hotel you can find the Lobster Claw, (Heliconia), and a specimen of the Kou tree. Growing on the large old Monkeypod trees that shade the motor turn-around are examples of the curious Staghorn fern.

DRIVING FROM WAIKIKI TO TOWN

The ride from Waikiki to the center of Honolulu provides an opportunity to see many more trees and flowers. If you go by the Ala Moana, you pass by Moana Park bordering the shore. It holds a building, with a large inclosed court, where the Flower Shows usually take place, and where the Park Board has its office.

If you go by way of Kalakaua avenue and King street, you will be interested in knowing that the line of trees growing in the parkway down the middle of Kalakaua for some blocks before reaching King, are Mahogany trees. At the corner of King and Keeaumoku is a park-like square with some fine, very old trees, including some of the Kapok, (Ceiba pentandra) which produces the kapok floss of commerce. This has huge surface roots, almost like flying buttresses. The building in this square is the office of the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry.

A few blocks farther down King street is Thomas Square. In peace times you can watch the fountain in the center of this park as you sit under the shade of the four giant Banyans. There are specimens of the false Wili-wili here, which scatter their red seeds on the ground in early spring. Facing Thomas Square on the makai side is the private estate of the Wards known as the Old Plantation, closed to the public. On the other is the Honolulu Academy of Arts, which is open to the public.

The Academy has two delightful court gardens in the building, one an Oriental, Chinesque garden, the other a Persian courtyard. At the back are a series of small formal gardens. There are always unusual flower arrangements in the Academy building.

Near the center of Honolulu is Iolani Palace, former home of royalty and now the capitol of the Territory. In the park around this building are many fine old trees and some interesting shrubs.

A short distance from the palace, up Punchbowl street, stands the Queen’s Hospital. Years ago some unusual trees were planted in its grounds, including the Bombax. There is a good example of the curious Bottle tree or Baobab, (Adansonia digitata), near the entrance by the Emergency hospital. You can recognize it by its trunk, which quickly tapers from about five feet in diameter to hardly more than one foot, as various limbs branch off.

If you go straight out King street, past Fort Shafter, you will come to Moanalua Gardens, a park-like area at the foot of the hill. This is a private estate belonging to the Damon family, but the public is invited to visit it. There is a pond with tropical water lilies and some extremely large trees. There are also greenhouses filled with Orchids and Anthuriums which visitors are sometimes invited to enter.

NUUANU AVENUE

A ride out Nuuanu avenue, will reveal a wealth of trees and flowers. On the left hand side, shortly before reaching School street, you come to Foster Park. This old estate is now a public park, presented by Mrs. Mary Foster, but originally it was the garden of Dr. William Hillebrand. He was an early botanist and lover of flowers, who imported many new things into the islands and planted them here. The size of some of his old trees is now tremendously impressive. Besides this, the city has collected here many unusual plants. It also maintains a greenhouse in which visitors can see Orchids in bloom and many other unusual, exotic plants.

Farther out, Nuuanu avenue is bordered by the fine homes of some of Honolulu’s well-to-do citizens. From the road you can catch many glimpses of charming gardens. Farther up Nuuanu valley you run into a wild, natural growth. Here you can find Koa trees, yellow Gingers and green Tis.

MANOA VALLEY

Another interesting ride is through Manoa Valley, where there are many more homes and gardens. This takes you past the campus of Punahou school which holds a large number of interesting trees. Along its lower wall is the famous hedge of Night Blooming Cereus. These flowers have their blossoming period in July, August, and September.

If you follow Manoa Road, you will come to Waioli Tea Room, run by the Salvation Army Girls’ Home. In the garden there is a real Hawaiian grass house.

Returning down Oahu Avenue you come to a small square, called Kamanele Park, which holds an unusual Rainbow Shower tree. A turn to the left here will take you into the grounds of Mid-Pacific School; at the back is the nursery of the Mid-Pacific Horticultural Establishment to which visitors are welcome.

A short distance beyond Kamanele Park is the campus of the University of Hawaii. This holds many unusual plants and trees, including the famous Sausage tree (Kigelia pinnata). It grows in the lower corner, across from the fountain.

DIAMOND HEAD AND KAHALA

Still another interesting drive is to go toward Diamond Head from Waikiki, passing through Kapiolani Park, with its row of Ironwood trees (Casuarina equisetifolia), like mainland evergreens. The road around Diamond Head passes many more fine gardens, and farther on you come to the residential area known as Kahala.

[Plate I]
HIBISCUS—CHAPTER 1

Identification key (1) Coral Hibiscus (2) Double Yellow Hybrid (3) Waterfall Hybrid Hibiscus (4) Turk’s Cap (5) Rose of Sharon (6) Common Red Hibiscus (7) Hawaiian Native White

[Plate II]
FLOWERING TREES—CHAPTER II

Identification key (1) Gold Tree (2) Royal Poinciana (3) Potato Tree (4) Tiger’s Claw (5) Plumeria (6) Be-still (7) African Tulip

[Plate III]
FLOWERING TREES—CHAPTER II

Identification key (1) Golden Shower Tree (2) Pink and White Shower (3) Orchid Tree (4) Coral Shower (5) Rainbow Shower (6) Yellow Poinciana

[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.

Individual Hibiscus flowers follow a plan of five, with five petals, five stigmas, five lobes to the calyx and the like. The stigma is branched into five parts and is usually a bright crystalline red, like a bit of coral at the top of the central column. Stamens grow on the sides of this column, yellowing it with their pollen. This central column is like the one seen in hollyhocks, a flower which is a relative of the Hibiscus. Usually it is stiffly upright, but sometimes it sweeps outward in a graceful curve. When this is the case it is good indication that the flower is a hybrid and had in its ancestry the Coral Hibiscus, which has a very long pendulous column.

Hibiscus also form double flowers, the pink ones sometimes suggesting old fashioned cabbage roses or peonies. They are formed when the stamens are modified into petals. Both single and double flowers appear in all hues but blue. Color tones vary from clear white through palest pink and yellow to glowing scarlet, orange and gold, deepening to richer tones and dark crimson. In recent years hybrids have been produced which bring several hues into a single flower, one with a red center, for instance, may have yellow petals bordered in pink. Some of these polychromes are more interesting than attractive. The size and shape of the flowers vary also. Average diameter of a blossom may be five or six inches but some are dwarfs of an inch, while selection has produced some a foot across. These large ones seem even more artificial than most of the Hibiscus, almost requiring to be touched before their reality is established.

The Hibiscus shrub is rather undistinguished in appearance, growing sometimes into a tall tree twenty feet high, but usually nearer eight or ten. The leaves are opposite, roundly pointed and often slightly scalloped.

The Hibiscus is the floral emblem of the Territory of Hawaii. It was so decided in 1923 by a joint resolution of the Legislature which designated it as “a beautiful, indigenous blossom which grows luxuriously on all the islands, appearing to be most generally representative, no other flower having so great a variety of color or form, or such continuous blooming.” Botanists point out that in making this statement the legislature conveniently overlooked the 150 or so species of Hibiscus which are not native of Hawaii, in favor of the six or seven which are. Hawaiians called the native blossoms “Kokio.”

There are two species of white Hibiscus native to Hawaii, the commonest being Hibiscus arnottianus Gray. It is found on Oahu and Molokai. During long periods of time this species grew in isolated areas in the islands until it developed varieties which appear to be quite different from each other. These are known by such names as the Tantalus White, the Waianae White, the Punaluu White and so on. Another native white Hibiscus is H. Waimeae called the Kauai White, (which may, however, be only a form of the other.) These two are the only ones of all the Hibiscus which are fragrant, having a faint, delicate scent. This characteristic has sometimes been transmitted to its descendents, so scented hybrids will occasionally be found. These native whites also remain open longer than the single day which most Hibiscus flowers live, Hibiscus Waimeae sometimes lasting even three days. Occasionally, therefore, a hybrid will also be found which stays fresh for several days. Both of these characteristics are sought by hybridists.

Other native species of Hibiscus are H. kokio, which occurs in red or coral colors on Hawaii, Oahu, Molokai and Maui. Hibiscus kahili grows on Kauai in several forms colored red or pink, although this may be a variation of H. kokio. H. brackenridgei is a yellow species, sometimes with a purplish center, growing on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and Maui, while H. youngianus is pink or purplish.

One of the best places to see many varieties of Hibiscus is the garden of the Halekulani Hotel. Mrs. Clifford Kimball has made the flower her hobby for years and achieved remarkable results.

COMMON RED HIBISCUS. CHINA ROSE
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linnaeus

The species of Hibiscus which seems to have the greatest number of variants is, botanically, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, sometimes called the China Rose. The type flower is scarlet, usually with a deeper colored throat and about five inches in diameter. It is the one oftenest seen in hedges, since the shrub serves admirably for this purpose.

These plants seem to have innumerable variations in color and shape, the former running in hue from yellow to crimson and appearing in both single and double forms. In fact, it seems that most of the plants brought into Hawaii, which were not themselves hybrids, were forms of rosa-sinensis. Although, most of these imported forms have usually been classed as variants of rosa-sinensis, it is now believed that many of them were hybrids. The remarkable variation which occurs when these forms are crossed points to a mixed ancestry. ([Plate I])

CORAL HIBISCUS
Hibiscus schizopetalus Hooker

A species which stands out as markedly different from the usual Hibiscus is H. schizopetalus which has been given the name in Hawaii of Coral Hibiscus. This is doubtless because its deeply cut, turned-back petals suggest branches of red coral. The flower stem is very slender, so the weight of the head causes it to fall over and hang down, bell-like. And since the central column of this flower is extremely long and slender it sways far beneath the flower, giving an effect of peculiar grace. This plant has leaves that are small and fine. It is tall and slender, almost vine-like, so that it has been used to make arbors. The Coral Hibiscus has been a parent of many island hybrids, imparting to them its grace, its lengthened column and its frilled petals. ([Plate I])

HAWAIIAN INTEREST IN HIBISCUS

While the Hawaiians had always loved their flower and the Common Red seems to have been brought in at an early date, probably direct from China, real interest in Hibiscus culture began about the turn of the century. Around 1902, Walter M. Giffard began crossing different strains and getting some of the spectacular results for which this plant is noted. Interest grew and as Island people traveled, they often sent or brought home new varieties. One of the persons who became interested in the plant was Gerrit Wilder, who seems to have held the first Hibiscus show. This was in 1914, and he was able then to exhibit some 400 different varieties. In the years following, interest was very widespread and many people made crosses, until there were literally thousands of different forms and colors.

HYBRIDS

Crossing is very easy. The pollen of one flower is dabbled on the pistil of another, after its own pollen has been removed. Precautions are taken to keep the bees from stepping into the experiment, by protecting the crossed flower with a bag. The seeds ripen in a month or so and when planted may be expected to blossom in about a year.

The outcome is a grab bag of mixed and unexpected characteristics. By selection and care, some hybrids have been produced that are amazing. New shades and tints come into being, and mixtures of colors. Doubles become larger and curlier. No one knows how many thousands of these hybrids have been produced in Hawaii. Some of them are fairly well established and widespread by propagation through cuttings; others never existed in more than one plant. The only color no one has ever produced is blue. It is the hope of all hybridists.

WATERFALL OR BUTTERFLY HIBISCUS

One of the most conspicuous of the hybrids because of its prolific blooming is that sometimes called the Butterfly or Waterfall Hibiscus from its graceful form. This is believed to be a cross between the Native White and Coral. The plant often grows into a small tree and is usually a mass of pink flowers. As a rule, it is the only one of all the Hibiscus plants that carries enough color to be outstandingly conspicuous in the garden. On others, the flowers are scattered. ([Plate I])

YELLOW HIBISCUS

Among the most beautiful and sought after Hibiscus are those with yellow or orange blossoms. The range of tone is wide, the colors appearing from palest lemon to rich yellow, gold and brilliant orange. The yellow flowering plants are usually rather small and carry only a few blossoms at a time. ([Plate I])

ROSE OF SHARON. ALTHEA
Hibiscus syriacus, Linnaeus

A close relative of the true Hibiscus is the lavender or white Althea or Rose of Sharon. The central column is white and the center of the flower usually dark red. It is a native of Syria and the Holy Land. ([Plate I])

TURK’S CAP
Malvaviscus arboreus Cavanilles

Another close relative of the true Hibiscus is the little red Turk’s Cap. This looks like a small Hibiscus flower which has not opened. It never does open widely, but sometimes the number of the half furled flowers is so great the shrub appears quite red from them. ([Plate I])

Other relatives of the Hibiscus are the Hau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and the changeable mallow, (Hibiscus mutabilis) not to mention the Okra and Roselle among edible plants.

Chapter II
THE BLOSSOMING TREES

Hawaii’s most impressive floral displays are the flowering trees which line the streets and fill the gardens. They rival, in the masses of their flowers, the fruit trees of the mainland, but they possess colorings of tropical brilliance which have no rivals outside of warm countries. Moreover, instead of blooming for a few brief days, or at most, weeks, these trees continue in bloom for months at a time. Some of them never cease. About the middle of June, there is a period when the display is at its best. This is when all the shower trees are out, the early ones still lingering, the later ones coming on, and when the red of the Poinciana, and the blue of the Jacaranda, add their hues to the galaxy of yellows and pinks. At this time, too, the Plumerias bring white and rose to the scene. Midwinter finds most of these gone, but the African Tulip flowers are then a fiery crown on many trees and some trees, like the canary colored Be-still, continue their flowering all the year round.

GOLD TREE. SUNSHINE TREE
Tabebuia donnell-smithi Rose

One of the very special events in Honolulu’s floral calendar is the blooming of the Gold or Sunshine tree which grows on School Street, near Nuuanu. The time of year at which this takes place is highly uncertain, being sometimes in midwinter, again late in the spring. Certain other specimens of the tree are just as erratic, and none seems to have any relation to another, so that if the flowering period of one is missed, another may be found in bloom.

When not in bloom the Gold tree is rather ungainly in appearance, its smooth, slender, light grey trunk lifting the branches high in the air far beyond reach. But when the flowers suddenly appear on the bare branches, it seems like the touch of Midas, for they are shining masses of the purest gold, or like crystallized sunshine. The breathtaking color is intensified by the necessity of looking up at them against the vivid blue of a spring sky.

The tree is a member of the Bignonia family, and individual flowers are of typical Bignonia form, a slightly irregular tube with five lobes, irregularly margined. The leaves which appear after the flowers fall are, on older specimens, of compound form made up of opposite leaflets. On young trees the leaflets radiate from a common center.

The chief specimen of this tree grows in the Foster Gardens, now a public park, but originally the home of Dr. William Hillebrand, who must have planted it along with the many other novelties which he introduced. A second tree now grows across School street in a small nursery garden and a fine specimen is found in Moanalua gardens. Still another grows in the school grounds across from the Nuuanu YMCA.

It is a native of tropical America. ([Plate II])

ROYAL POINCIANA. FLAMBOYANT
Poinciana regia Bojer

Of all Hawaii’s flowering trees, the Royal Poinciana is easily the most stunning and conspicuous for sheer color and brightness. A solid mass of red, it is, nevertheless, not merely gaudy, but one of the most graceful and picturesque of trees, a flat umbrella of color in small specimens, or composing into long sweeping curves in larger ones. It suggests the massive regalia of some magnificent Oriental potentate. The color is most dramatic if viewed against a grey, valley raincloud in the late afternoon, touched by the level yellow rays of the declining sun.

The tree may become forty feet high, if growing under favorable conditions, but if the roots are cramped it remains quaintly dwarfed. Although bare for a short season in winter, the general flowering season of the Poinciana is long, for some trees begin to bloom early in spring, while others wait until late summer to open. June is the month when most of them are in bloom and the streets are consequently most gorgeous.

Individual Poinciana flowers, which have to be looked for closely to be distinguished in the masses of bloom at the end of the branches, have five petals. One of these is white, on the flag-red trees, or yellow on those tending toward scarlet coloring. These light touches give a piquant effect to the mass of color. Long, curved, brown pods hang on the tree for months after flowers and leaves have gone, and show that this tree is a member of the legume family.

The flowers usually appear on the bare tree before the new foliage comes out, but in a short time the leaves appear and for some weeks the green and red colorings remain together. The leaves are fernlike, bipinnate in form, with very small leaflets. Even when the flowers have fallen to form a carpet of red underneath the green tree, it is graceful and attractive.

It is a native of the island of Madagascar and was named for de Poinci, a governor of the Antilles in the 17th century. The French have given it another name, Flamboyant, by which it is widely known all over the tropical world and one which is particularly appropriate.

No visitor to Hawaii can miss the Poinciana, but the row that grows along Wilder avenue is perhaps the most effective, although individual large trees elsewhere may be more impressive for size and form. ([Plate II])

POTATO TREE
Solanum macrophyllum Dunal

The nightshade family, to which the potato belongs, is one of the most widespread of botanical groups. It contains however, but few trees. One of these is usually called the Potato tree, because its flower is similar in form to that of the common potato. It grows in Hawaii, but is not common although it grows in some gardens and in the Mid-Pacific Horticultural Establishment. While similar in form to the ordinary potato blossom, the flower of the Potato tree is comparatively large, being about two inches across. It has five joined segments which give it almost a pentagonal outline. The color is a rich purple-blue when it first opens, but this fades to a pale blue and then almost white. In the center is a golden yellow column made of the thick anthers.

The tree grows very rapidly. Its leaves are large, about a foot long, and irregularly lobed. They carry a few sharp thorns along the back of the midrib. The plant is a native of Mexico. ([Plate II])

TIGER’S CLAW. CORAL TREE. INDIAN WILI-WILI
Erythrina indica Lamarck

Tall trees, bursting into pointed red blossoms in midwinter and early spring, are appropriately called Tiger’s claw or Coral trees. The flowers are a deep, rich, red, very striking on the bare trees at this season. They grow in long clusters which radiate horizontally on woody stems from the ends of the branches. Individual flowers break out of the split side of a pointed calyx. Fundamentally of the pea-type, these flowers have one petal much larger than the others, the general effect being that of a pointed claw or feline toe-nail.

The leaves, which appear soon after the flowers, are made up of three triangular leaflets. The pod is black and contains dark red seeds. The branches are thorny.

This tree is a native of tropical Asia and a member of the legume family. There is a fine specimen growing in the grounds of Iolani Palace which blooms in January or February. Others grow on Punchbowl street near Beretania, and in the grounds of the Central Intermediate School.

A closely related tree, which is native to the Hawaiian islands, is called the Wili-wili by the native people. Botanically it is Erythrina monosperma. It grows in dry places on the islands where it is conspicuous for its pale red, orange or yellowish flowers, similar in form to the Indian Tiger’s claw. The bright red seeds of this Wili-wili were made into leis by the Hawaiians, but nowadays most of the red seed-leis are made from the Adenanthera pavonina, known as false Wili-wili. Adenanthera trees, which have unusual, curling pods filled with the bright red seeds, grow in Thomas Square where the seeds may be picked up in the Spring.

The wood of the Hawaiian Wili-wili is very light, and so was used for making the outrigger log of canoes. ([Plate II])

PLUMERIA. GRAVEYARD FLOWER. FRANGIPANI
Plumeria acutifolia Poiret

One of the most popular of Hawaiian flower leis is made up of the thick, waxy flowers of the Plumeria. They are particularly successful for this purpose because they remain fresh for a long time and have a fine fragrance. The common name in Hawaii, Plumeria, or, as the lei-women say, Pumeli, is derived from that of Plumier the French botanist, but a mistake was made in spelling it so the genus is now properly designated as Plumeria, not Plumiera. Although this tree is a native of tropical America, it grows in India and in the temple gardens of Ceylon, where it is known by the romantic name of Frangipani. In Honolulu it is extensively planted in cemeteries, from which it is known as the Graveyard flower.

The flower varies from almost white to yellow, with yellow centers. Another species with rich, cerise, colored flowers is the Plumeria rubra. These two have crossed and produced a wide range of flowers with pink or peach colorings. One hybrid, of particularly striking apricot color was produced by Gerrit Wilder. A specimen may be seen on Manoa Road near the top of Punahou hill.

The Plumeria tree has a few stiff, blunt branches. At their tips, the clusters of flowers appear in early spring, when the tree is still bare, creating a highly picturesque effect. A little later the foliage appears and the tree continues to bloom the rest of the year. The flowers have five, waxy petals joining in a short tube. The leaves, which also cluster toward the tips of the branches, are very long and pointed at each end, hence the name acutifolia. When cut, the stems exude a milky juice.

This tree is a member of the Periwinkle family.

BE-STILL. YELLOW OLEANDER
Thevetia nereifolia Jussieu

A small tree, holding a scattering of trumpet-shaped, yellow flowers and marked by shimmering, narrow, light green leaves, is popularly called the Be-still tree. There seems to be no reason for this name, unless it is that the slender leaves are never still and the name is a sort of invocation. The flowers are a clear, satiny, yellow, with a delightful fragrance. They grow here and there all over the tree, and at all times of the year. A less common variety has pale, orange-colored flowers. The fruit is a nut which is poisonous. Green at first it turns brown, then black.

The tree never becomes very large, twenty feet being about its maximum height. It always has a fresh look, even when growing in dry places, due to the light color of the leaves. The slender foliage suggests that of the Oleander (Nerium), accounting for its specific name of nereifolia, and this association also accounts for the common name of Yellow Oleander, which, however, is entirely wrong.

The tree is a member of the Periwinkle family and a native of tropical America. ([Plate II])

AFRICAN TULIP TREE
Spathodea campanulata Beauvois

Large, fiery red flowers, like cups of molten metal, crown the high branches of the African tulip tree. This tree differs from many of the flowering trees in Hawaii by producing its flowers all the year round. There is a season in midwinter when they seem to be brightest and most numerous, but this may be due merely to lack of competition.

Individual flowers suggest a lopsided cup, with five irregular, frilled lobes. The edges of the corolla are a vivid yellow, and the inside of the cup is yellowish also, with red streaks. The flowers grow in circular masses of closely crowded buds, a few developing at a time, so that the tree seems to be ever-blooming. The flowers grow out of a spathe-like calyx from which is derived the generic name of Spathodea. They are followed by boat-shaped pods, some two feet long, which split open and spill out masses of shining, flaky, winged seeds.

The leaves are large and compound in structure, made up of three or four pairs, and an end leaflet. The leaves are dark green in color, leathery and with conspicuous veining.

The tree is a member of the Bignonia family and a native of tropical Africa. Specimens grow in Kamanele Park, Manoa. ([Plate II])

GOLDEN SHOWER TREE
Cassia fistula Linnaeus

Immense pendant clusters of large, yellow blossoms, hanging in grapelike bunches among the leaves explain the popular name of the Golden Shower tree. Although the foliage does not fall, the yellow blooms sometimes cover the tree so completely they overwhelm the leaves and make it look as if this tree were the only thing in the landscape which is standing in sunshine, all else being shadowed.

Leaves are very large and compound in structure, each leaflet being two to six inches long.

The bright, golden, yellow flowers have five petals, clearly veined. Like all the shower trees, which belong to the Pea family, the yellow flowers are built on the general plan of a pea blossom, but the five petals are very nearly of the same size and shape. From the center of the flower project the long curving pistil and some stamens. This pistil develops into a straight, cylindrical, black pod, sometimes three feet in length. It has given the name of Pudding-pipe to the tree in India. This long “pipe” is the Cassia pod of commerce, a cathartic being made out of its sticky brown pulp. The tree is a native of tropical Asia.

Golden Shower trees line both sides of Pensacola street between Lunalilo and Wilder avenues. They are at their best in June and July. ([Plate III])

PINK AND WHITE SHOWER TREE
Cassia javanica Linnaeus
(Cassia nodosa Hamilton)[1]

Great feathery masses of unevenly tinted, pink flowers cover this small tree, suggesting in their luxuriance and variable coloring the apple blossoms of the temperate zone. The flowers grow on short branchlets, in what seem to be tufts of reddish stems, the tufts growing out of the main branches so close together these branches are completely enwrapped. The splendid effect of such inflorescence makes the Pink and White Shower tree one of the most important in Hawaii’s annual procession of blossoms. The tree is deciduous and flowers often precede the leaves, but these shortly appear, adding contrast to the total effect, with their fresh green. The leaves are of feather form with many pairs of rounded, medium sized, leaflets.

Each flower is made up of five petals, from the center of which grows a tuft of stamens. The calyx and stem is dark red. Each petal is palest pink or white, with deeper pink veinings, giving the name of Pink and White shower. Eventually, too, the pale pink fades adding to the variegated effect. The tree remains in bloom for months, with June as its peak. It never becomes very large and is often quaintly irregular in form. Long, cylindrical, brown, seed pods hang on when flowers and leaves have fallen. It is a native of tropical Asia.

This tree is grown widely as a street tree in Honolulu, Piikoi street between Wilder and Lunalilo being a good place to see it. There are, also, some fine specimens along Nuuanu avenue. ([Plate III])

ORCHID TREE
Bauhinia variegata Linnaeus

Exquisite lavender or white orchids, as beautiful as Cattleyas, seem to grow on the small Orchid tree. It is not, however, related to the real orchids, but is a member of the legume family. When covered with pure white flowers the tree is a splendid sight, but the lavender variety, which blooms more sparsely, shows more beauty when the individual flowers are examined. They resemble strikingly the real orchid, with a large main petal marked with purple, and four crepy side-petals. A bunch of white stamens grows from the center. The flowers appear in the cooler months, with spring as the finest season. They are scentless.

The leaves of this Bauhinia, as of others, are peculiarly shaped being deeply cleft into two rounded lobes, so that they suggest the wings of a green moth. Insects find the leaves very succulent, so they are usually full of holes, or completely eaten.

The tree is a native of India where its bark is used for tanning and dyeing, while its leaves and flower buds are used as a vegetable. ([Plate III])

A pink-flowering member of the Bauhinia family is called the St. Thomas tree and is Bauhinia monandra. This has similar lobed leaves and pink flowers, both being smaller than on the Orchid tree. The main pink petal is dotted with crimson and the tree is very gay when in bloom. After the flowers fall it hangs full of pods.

CORAL SHOWER TREE. PINK SHOWER
Cassia grandis Linnaeus

Earliest of the shower trees to bloom is the one which has come to be known in Honolulu as the Coral Shower, or sometimes as the Pink Shower. (But not to be confused with the later-blooming Pink and White Shower.) The Coral Shower flowers during March, April and May, its soft rose color and general appearance somehow suggesting pink coral. In effect this tree is strikingly like the blossoming cherries with loose upright limbs covered with pink flowers.

The flower buds are particularly attractive being rounded, velvety balls of delicate, pinkish lavender. The flowers hang in short racemes from the branches completely covering them in good specimens. Like the pink and white they have five petals, but are smaller and more evenly colored. Stamens and pistils project from the center. The leaves follow the first blossoms closely, the new foliage being pinkish. Leaves are pinnate, with the leaflets rather large. The pods are cylindrical and dark brown.

Unlike the other showers, which come from Asia, this tree is a native of tropical America.

Liholiho street, between Wilder and Lunalilo is bordered with these trees and a fine specimen stands on Punahou campus. ([Plate III])

RAINBOW SHOWER
Cassia hybrida
(Cassia javanica × Cassia fistula)

It probably was inevitable that sooner or later someone should try to cross the Golden Shower with one or the other of the two pinks. Fortunately this first took place some years ago, so that today the many “Rainbow Showers” resulting from this cross may be seen in all their breathtaking loveliness. They are among the most beautiful of all the flowering island trees, and no two are alike, unless propagated by grafting. In general, the inflorescence of these hybrids seems more numerous than on either of the parents, a result, no doubt, of combining the numerous flowers of the Pink and White with the spreading growth of the Golden Shower. At the height of their bloom, some of these trees appear to be almost solid with great fluffy masses of color.

Hues vary from palest cream and lemon yellow through all manner of peach and apricot tints to some that are a rosy orange. Flowers of individual trees often hold two tones, resulting in this variety of coloring. This is an effect that is enhanced frequently by the difference between the inside and outside of the petals, the buds being of a different color from the full blown flowers. There is a great difference, also, in the form of individual flowers.

There is considerable variation in the blooming period, but on the whole the Rainbow Shower trees come out later than the others, with July and August as the months of greatest bloom. They may be seen on Farrington street between Wilder and Beretania, and there are some fine individual specimens, one on Lunalilo street between Pensacola and Kapiolani, another on Makiki above Nehoa. A fine, clear, yellow flowering tree, sometimes mistaken for a pure Golden Shower, stands in Kamanele Park. ([Plate III])

YELLOW POINCIANA
Peltophorum inerme Roxburgh

A tree with many upright spikes of small, deep-yellow flowers, bright against the greenery of the fine-cut leaves is called the Yellow Poinciana, because it was once classed as a Poinciana. At the same time it is in bloom, it hangs full of reddish-brown pods which are one of its characteristic features. The flowers appear in the late summer and autumn, although there may be a second blooming period at some other time of year.

The flower buds are round and covered with brown, velvety down. This same down also covers the young growth and the midrib of the leaves. Individual flowers have five crepe petals of about the same size. The larger, triangular heads of bloom, are made up of smaller clusters. The reddish brown pods which follow the flowers remain on the tree for a long time. They are thin and flat and hold three or four seeds. The leaves are bipinnate, composed of many small rounded leaflets. There is no period when the tree is bare.

This tree, a member of the legume family, is a native of Malaya and the East Indies. It grows widely in Honolulu, with several fine specimens in the grounds of Iolani Palace. ([Plate III])

MONKEYPOD TREE
Samanea saman (Bentham) Merrill

Those huge, wide-spreading trees—the largest trees in Honolulu—which in spring and summer are often covered with a thin film of pink flowers, are Monkeypod trees. Stately and massive, with rough, dark bark, the branches of these trees support a rounded canopy of leaves. It is a single layer thick and casts a light shade over an immense area of ground. There is a giant specimen in Moanalua Gardens; others grow in front of the Library of Hawaii, and traffic passes around another great tree in the middle of Vineyard street, near Nuuanu.

The flowers are like short tassels made up of tufts of silky, pink stamens. They grow on short stems in bunches near the ends of the branches, and cover the tree lightly during the spring and summer. They are followed by the thick, dark, pods, which hang on the tree until the following spring. Leaves are compound in structure, made up of opposite pairs of pointed leaflets which fold together in the late afternoon. The leaves fall in spring, and, together with the drift of falling flowers, which comes a little later, and the hail of old seed pods, give the Monkeypod the name of being the dirtiest of Hawaii’s trees. Owners who never finish sweeping up under them always remark, however, that the beauty of the giant tree is worth the trouble.

This tree is a legume, a native of Central America and the West Indies, where its native name is zaman, from which its scientific name is derived. ([Plate IV])

BOTTLEBRUSH TREE
Callistemon lanceolatus De Candolle

Long, cylindrical spikes of red flowers, very like the round brushes used to clean test tubes or bottles, have given its common name to this tree. The effect is created by tufts of red stamens. In most varieties the flower spikes grow upright, but on some, as shown on [Plate IV], they hang in swaying pendants. Their color is a fine, pinkish red, which contrasts strikingly with the greyish green of the foliage. The latter is narrow, pointed and fine.

The tree belongs to the Myrtle family and is a native of Australia. It is not yet very common in Hawaii, but examples may be seen on the University of Hawaii campus near Dean Hall. ([Plate IV])

JACARANDA
Jacaranda ovalifolia R. Brown

Since blue is the rarest color in the flower world, a tree which is a mass of blue is something that will hardly be overlooked. Yet the rarity of the blue coloring in the Jacaranda is but little more important than the beauty of the tree as a whole. It becomes a large tree, with light grey bark, and is covered with foliage, each leaf of which is almost as attractive as a fern. These bipinnate leaves are symmetrical in form with many tiny leaflets. They usually fall in late winter and early spring, and the tree is bare for a short time.

The flowers, which appear in large, loose, clusters at the ends of the branches, are individually shaped like bells, with two lips, one with two lobes, the other with three. Their color is a soft, lavender blue. The blossoming period is erratic, varying from midwinter to early autumn, but on the whole it is most conspicuous in spring. On individual trees, this blooming period is not very long, but different trees vary as to the season when the flowers appear, so that one may usually be found in flower. The blossoms fall in masses, repeating their color on the ground like a reflection of the tree above.

The seed pods are of curious shape, round and rather flat. They have been worn as costume jewelry, when lacquered in gay colors and attached to ribbons.

Jacaranda belongs to the Bignonia family and is a native of Brazil, where it got its name. A fine specimen grows on Punahou campus. Others are along Nehoa street, near Makiki, and on Manoa road at Kamehameha avenue, and also on Makiki Heights Road. ([Plate IV])

CHINESE RICE FLOWER. MAI SUI LAN
Aglaia odorata Loureiro

The tiny, round, yellow blossoms of the Chinese Rice flower tree probably suggest rice to the Chinese, although each floweret is considerably smaller than a grain of rice. They occur in clusters of hundreds, near the ends of the branches, each tiny flower a minute yellow ball which looks like a bud, but never opens wide. The blooming period is spring and summer.

The tree is rather small, spreading, and very attractive, being covered closely with glossy leaves of compound form. It is a member of the China-berry family and a native of China, from which it was undoubtedly brought directly to Hawaii by some returning traveler. It is still found growing mostly in the gardens of Chinese residents. There is a good specimen in the Mid-Pacific Horticultural Establishment. ([Plate IV])

WONG LAN
Michelia champaca Linnaeus

The intense fragrance and heavy, ivory-colored, waxen quality of the petals, indicates the relationship of the Michelia to the Magnolia family. Brought to Hawaii by the Chinese, it is still a great favorite with them. Older women wear a blossom in their hair, like a bit of carved ivory, and men may slip a few buds into their shirt pocket where the fragrance can be enjoyed.

The pointed buds, about two inches long, grow upright in leaf axils near the ends of the branches. Each is encased in a “nightcap” type of calyx, which slips off as the flower opens. The narrow waxen petals are numerous and grow around the greenish pistil. The flowers are rather inconspicuous but easily found by the scent, which is heavy, sweet and rather musky.

The tree grows upright and never attains great size. Its leaves are glossy, leathery, rather pointed and about eight inches in length. ([Plate IV])

BOMBAX
Bombax ellipticum Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth

A Bombax tree growing in the Queen’s Hospital grounds presents such a striking appearance when blooming that it has become almost as well known as the Gold tree on School street. Unlike the latter, however, which blooms at erratic times, the Bombax can be depended on to put out its blossoms in March and April. They appear on the bare tree, a few at a time, suggesting a bunch of pink egret plumes.

The bud, growing upright on the bare branch, is like a stubby cigar, rising from the calyx which is like the cup of an acorn. The bud splits into five parts, which peel backward like a banana, and curl into a spiral. These are the petals, purplish brown outside, silky white within. The conspicuous part of the flower is the great pompon of pink stamens, an exploding rocket of color. The stamens are about five inches long.

Except when in bloom the tree is inconspicuous. Its foliage is made up of five radiating leaflets. The tree is a native of South America and a member of the Bombax family.

The species is said to produce pods in which the seeds are embedded in a cotton wool. It is, indeed, closely related to the Kapok tree which produces the kapok of commerce. (For an example of this tree, Ceiba pentandra, see the Foster gardens.) But in Honolulu the single specimen of Bombax has never produced seeds nor has it been propagated by other means, so that the tree in Queen’s Hospital grounds has no rivals in interest although others are known to be growing in the Islands. ([Plate IV])

Chapter III
NATIVE TREES

Long before the first human being landed on Hawaii, these islands were covered with a thick growth of trees, shrubs and smaller plants. Land which first rose above the surface of the ocean as hot lava, or as coral, slowly deposited on undersea volcanic rocks, gradually became covered with plant life. It was brought ashore by ocean currents, by birds and by the wind. Among the first plants, doubtless, was the coconut. The huge nuts of this tree, covered with their tough, thick husks, can float on the ocean for months, and after finally washing ashore will take root and grow. The roots are tolerant of brackish water so that they can become established near salt water lagoons.

In spite of what we know of the way in which such isolated bits of land as Hawaii became covered with plants, it remains a constant wonder that so many different ones arrived here without the help of men. For Hawaii has a very rich native flora that has been of great interest to botanists. Many of the plants found growing here are common to all the South Sea islands. Others have so changed, through mutation and self-selection, that totally new species have been created, unique to Hawaii. Trees are among the finest of these native plants, some of them attaining huge size. A few of those most often seen, are illustrated and described here.

HAU
Hibiscus tiliaceus Linneaus

One of the strangest of the native trees is the Hau (pronounced “how”). It is found on all the South Sea islands and is, indeed, cosmopolitan in the tropics everywhere. This tree is often grown on Hawaiian beaches to cast shade on the sand by training it over an arbor. It is normally a creeping or procumbent tree, spreading along the ground. Its long, sinuous branches interlock, if not trained, and eventually form jungles too thick to penetrate except by cutting. When this mass of branches is lifted off the ground, by being trained over some strong support, they form a thick green roof which keeps out light showers. These arbors are called Hau lanais in Hawaii. They have been made at many places along Waikiki beach, one of the best being on the seaward side of the Halekulani hotel. Here the central tree is very old, its trunk, gnarled and twisted and several feet through, creating an unusually impressive specimen.

The Hau is a true Hibiscus, its flowers having the typical form with a central column rising from the center of the five petals. When the petals unfold they are a bright yellow color, usually with a dark spot at the base. As they grow older during the day they turn to an apricot color and when they finally fall, they are a deep red. The leaves are heart-shaped, green and leathery above, whitish and silky with hairs, beneath.

The bent branches of the Hau furnish the crooked sticks used to attach the outrigger log to native canoes. And as might be expected of such a unique tree, many legends cluster around it. ([Plate V])

HALA. LAUHALA. PUHALA. SCREWPINE
Pandanus odoratissimus Linnaeus

Another plant of strange and curious appearance is the Hala, or Screwpine. It might be taken at first sight for a palm, since its leaves have the tough, fibrous quality of palm leaves. Actually it belongs to a family which takes its name from this genus, the Pandanaceae. It grows all over the South Seas and the East Indies, and India.

The descriptive name of Screwpine comes from the way in which the long, narrow, spiny-edged leaves grow out of the branches, in winding whorls. On young specimens they often create curious spirals. On older trees the leaves have a tendency to form tufts at the ends of the branches. These branches divide in pairs, the tree forming a series of ascending Y’s.

The most striking feature of this tree is the way in which it sometimes puts out aerial roots to support the main trunk. These roots grow out and downward, as stiff and straight as a stilt, propping up the tree in what seems an entirely artificial manner. Such roots seem to appear only when the plant needs them, when it is old and heavy or when the soil is moist and loose and does not offer a firm hold.

Male and female flowers grow on different Hala trees. The male flowers, called Hinano Hala, appear as a long, white, pendulous cluster of blossoms, the showy portion being the bracts. They have many stamens and the flower is extremely fragrant. In Hawaii these male flowers are not so frequently seen as the female. The latter appear as a solid, round ball at the ends of the branches, looking a good deal like the fruit of a pineapple, (see [Plate V]). It is a standard joke to point these out to tourists as proof that pineapples grow on trees.

The Hala fruit is a drupe, the various sections colored orange and very smooth and shining. When separated, the sweet scented fleshy part is strung into leis by the Hawaiians, making one of the most curious of these native garlands.

The long, fibrous leaves are called Lauhala and are split and woven into many products. Lauhala floor mats are frequently seen, while finer work is done in making purses, hats and fans.

A relative of the Hala tree is a vine (Freycinetia arnottii), called Ie-ie in Hawaiian. Its male flowers are a bright scarlet, and form a conspicuous sight in the cooler mountain forests where it grows wild.

OHIA LEHUA
Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudichaud

The favorite flower of old Hawaiian song and legend is the Ohia Lehua. It is not found commonly at the warm levels of Honolulu, and never becomes more than a shrub there, but it may be seen in upper Nuuanu valley and on Tantalus. This plant reaches its greatest perfection, as a magnificent tree, often a hundred feet high, at the cool level of the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Lehua blossom is the special flower of that island.

The flowers appear as bright red pompons of stamens; sometimes however, they are white, pink or yellow, for the plant is extremely varied. The leaves are small and often reddish when young.

The Hawaiian people believe that this beautiful red flower is sacred to Pele, the goddess of the volcano. If a flower is picked she may show her anger by sending rain, but if an offering of a flower is first made to her, then others may be taken safely. The flowers are made into leis—the Sweet Lei-Lehua of the song—which are highly regarded.

The Ohia wood is dark, hard and very beautiful, much used for floors and fine carving. The early Hawaiians made images of their gods from it, as well as spears and other implements.

The Lehua is a member of the Myrtle family and found on various South Sea islands. ([Plate V])

Another shrub, (Calliandra haematoma) has been introduced into Hawaii and is now known as the Haole Lehua, that is, the foreign Lehua. It has tufts of red flowers, very like those of the native plant, but they are larger and even more showy than the true Lehua. During the winter and spring, leis are made of these and are often seen, being casually called Lehua leis.

KAMANI
Calophyllum inophyllum Linnaeus

A tree that grows wild along the seashore is given the name of Kamani by the Hawaiians. It has large, thick, leathery leaves, very smooth and shining, and clusters of waxy, white flowers. These flowers have four white petals and in the center is a mass of golden stamens surrounding a red pistil. They are fragrant.

The flowers are followed by round, reddish fruits which contain an oily nut. In other parts of the tropics, especially Fiji and India, this oil has important uses, but it is not extracted in Hawaii. The tree belongs to the Mangosteen family and is found widely through the tropics. The nut may have floated to the shores of Hawaii or possibly some early Polynesian voyager brought it in his double canoe.

True Kamani trees grow on the campus of the University of Hawaii. They may also be seen on a ride around the island, growing near the beach. ([Plate V])

A tree called locally False Kamani, is the Terminalia catappa. Its large leaves and the fact that it, too, grows near the sea probably caused it to be given this name. The special characteristic of this tree is the way its large leaves turn red before they fall in winter. A scattering of these big red leaves on the tree is very noticeable, and when the whole tree finally turns red it becomes a conspicuous object. New, shining green leaves shortly follow the old. A fine example of this tree grows in the grounds of Iolani Palace.

KOA
Acacia koa Gray

Like the Ohia, the Koa tree does not grow well at lower altitudes, but at proper elevations, such as near the volcano, on the Island of Hawaii, it becomes Hawaii’s largest and finest tree. It is, perhaps best known to town dwellers by its wood, known as Hawaiian mahogany, which has been extensively used in furniture. In cooler sections of Honolulu, such as Tantalus, and upper Nuuanu, Koa trees may be found growing. They seldom attain much size, but are often of very picturesque form.

The most characteristic thing about the Koa is its sickle-shaped leaf, like those found on many other members of the Acacia group. It is not a true leaf, however, but the flattened, grayish-green petiole, or leaf stem, modified to serve as a leaf. Such a modification is called a phyllode. The true leaves grow on young trees and sometimes appear on new growth. They are bipinnate, or fernlike, with many small leaflets. Both true and modified leaves are shown in [Plate V], but no flowers. Koa flowers are very inconspicuous, being small, creamy balls of stamens and pistils, like so many of the other Acacia flowers. They are followed by numerous small, brown pods.

The tall straight trunk of the Koa tree was used by the early Hawaiians to make canoes. A fine tree growing in the mountain was selected by the kahuna, or wise man of the village, and laboriously cut down with stone adzes. Then the whole village turned out to help drag it to the water’s edge. Here it was hollowed and shaped with stone implements. Finally, it was colored and the out-rigger attached, the entire process taking months, perhaps years.

MILO
Thespesia populnea (L.) Correa

A tree which has heart-shaped leaves, like those of the Hau, and Hibiscus-shaped flowers, but is of upright, normal form, is the Milo. The flower is a paler yellow than the Hau blossom, and has a red spot at the base of the petals. As it fades, it turns from yellow to a purplish pink. It is followed by a five-parted green capsule, which turns dark brown and hangs on the tree a long time.

The Milo is a member of the Mallow family and closely related to the true Hibiscus. Like the Hau, it is at home over a wide area in the South Seas and the Asiatic tropics. It is found growing on the beaches and is said to have shaded the grass hut home at Waikiki of the first King Kamehameha. ([Plate V])

KOU
Cordia sebestena Linnaeus

A native tree with bright orange colored blossoms is called Kou by the Hawaiians. Botanically it is Cordia subcordata. Though found on other South Sea islands, it is now rare in Hawaii, while a close relative, the Cordia sebestena, is generally called Kou. This foreign Kou, which has been introduced from tropical America, is quite similar in general appearance to the native species. Its flowers are a rich, orange-red, about an inch across. They are tubular, with six broad lobes, frilled and crepe-like in texture. Opening in clusters of three or four at a time, they make a gay showing over the small tree on which they grow. The leaves are very rough and shaped like a heart. Several trees grow on Young street between Piikoi and Pensacola streets. ([Plate V])

The wood of the native Kou was highly prized for making the wooden bowls from which the Hawaiians ate.

KUKUI. CANDLENUT TREE
Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willdenow

Conspicuous for its light colored foliage, groves of the Kukui tree are easily seen on the mountain side, from a long distance. The trees grow best in sheltered ravines and gullies, so that from a distance, the shadow of such ravines is usually lightened by the blotches of greyish green which mean Kukui trees. The trees grow down to sea level, however, and may be found at many places in Honolulu, among others in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden.

Leaves of the Kukui tree vary greatly. One type has pointed lobes, another has lobes which have flattened into almost regular form. The leaves are covered with a grayish down, which is particularly heavy on the under side, giving the tree its light appearance.

The white flowers are very small with five petals. They come in soft, massed clusters, male and female flowers growing separately on the same tree. The male appear on the upper branches, the female on the lower. They are not very different in appearance, but the male (illustrated on [Plate V]) has slightly broader petals. The Kukui is the special flower of Molokai.

The round green fruit contains a nut which was very useful to the early Hawaiians. Containing a high percentage of oil, it was used to make a candle-like torch, by stringing the nuts on the slender midrib of a coconut leaflet. Sixty or seventy nuts would burn an entire evening. The nut is also edible, although purgative in its action especially when not roasted. A pinch of ground, roasted Kukui nut is always served at luaus.

This tree is a member of the Euphorbia family. It grows widely over the South Seas.

Chapter IV
TROPICAL SHRUBS

Hawaii has a wealth of flowering shrubs, most of them introduced from other tropical regions to augment the few which are native. These shrubs make up the larger portion of island gardens, since many of the annuals and perennials of the temperate zone do not grow well in a warm climate. Many of the shrubs have unusual flower forms and others create spectacular effects with masses of color.

PAGODA FLOWER
Clerodendron squamatum Vahl

Brilliant scarlet flowers, in large, loose, upright heads, proclaim the Clerodendron. The blooming period is winter and spring. Individual flowers are slenderly tubular, widening into five narrow lobes which turn back against the tube. The stamens and pistil curve beyond the flower in a small red tuft. Stems of the flower head are also red and hold this color even when the green berries turn blue-black.

The shrub grows about ten feet tall. Its large, heart-shaped leaves are thick and velvety, with wavy margins and prominent venation. The stems and pedicels are downy, and the latter have a tendency to turn red as the leaf matures.

This exotic looking shrub comes from South China and India. It is a member of the Verbena family. Specimens grow in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden and Thomas Square. ([Plate VI])

GOLDEN DEWDROP
Duranta repens Linnaeus

The popular name, Golden Dewdrop well describes the clusters of small, bright, yellow berries which hang on this shrub a large part of the year. They are so plentiful they usually cause the slender, grey-stemmed branches to droop gracefully. They lend themselves to interesting arrangements. The shrub may attain ten feet in height. Its small, light-green leaves are pointed at either end.

The flowers are a delicate, lavender-blue, or white, very small and formed as minute tubes, with five lobes. They grow as spreading clusters at the ends of the branches.

This shrub, a member of the Verbena family, is a native of tropical America. It is grown in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden. ([Plate VI])

SHRIMP PLANT
Beloperone guttata Brandegee
(Beloperone nemorosa)

Rosy or yellowish bracts, overlapping with scale-like precision to form a curving tube, are highly suggestive of the curved tail of a shrimp and explain the popular name of this plant. The true flowers appear, one or two at a time, from beneath the colored bracts, near the tip. They are small, white, tubular, with purplish dots on the larger of the two lobes.

The plant is herbaceous and sprawling, growing at most to five feet. Its leaves are slightly rough to the touch, opposite, and of medium size. It is a native of tropical America and a member of the Acanthus family. It grows in the garden of the Royal Hawaiian hotel. ([Plate VI])

[Plate V]
NATIVE TREES—CHAPTER III

Identification key (1) Hau (2) Hala (3) Ohia Lehua (4) Kamani (5) Koa (6) Milo (7) Kou (8) Kukui

[Plate VI]
TROPICAL SHRUBS—CHAPTER IV

Identification key (1) Pagoda Flower (2) Golden Dewdrop (3) Shrimp Plant (4) Flowering Eranthemum (5) Madagascar Periwinkle (6) Rondeletia (7) Star Jasmine (8) Galphimia (9) Plumbago (10) Ixora

[Plate VII]
TROPICAL SHRUBS—CHAPTER IV

Identification key (1) Candle Bush (2) Coral Plant (3) Lipstick Plant (4) Brunfelsia (5) Cotton (6) Ilima (7) Thunbergia (8) Mock Orange (9) Justicia

[Plate VIII]
TROPICAL SHRUBS—CHAPTER IV

Identification key (1) Dwarf Poinciana (2) Chenille Plant (3) Cape Honeysuckle (4) Crepe Myrtle (5) Crown Flower (6) Beach Naupaka (7) Purple Lantana (8) Pikake (9) Crown of Thorns (10) Singapore Holly

FLOWERING ERANTHEMUM
Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlkofer

Conspicuous for its yellowish leaves and small white and purplish flowers is this Eranthemum. The yellow color appears extensively on the young leaves and survives on the older ones as yellow venations, making the plant appear very bright and sunny. The tubular flowers grow in small spikes, the tubes broadening into four lobes. These are spotted with purple dots where they begin to broaden.

The plant grows about six feet high. It belongs to the Acanthus family and possibly comes from Indo-Malaya or Polynesia. Specimens may be seen in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden. ([Plate VI])

VINCA ROSEA. MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE
Lochnera rosea (L.) Reichenbach

Rosy pink or pure white flowers, on a short, herbaceous plant which looks like a temperate zone annual, is the Periwinkle. It is a cousin of the blue myrtle, or periwinkle of the mainland, but resembles the latter only in the general form of the flowers. Known elsewhere as Madagascar periwinkle (although not a native of that island) it is called in Hawaii simply Periwinkle or Vinca.

The flowers are flat, five-petalled and ever-blooming. Some of the white ones have a cerise eye in the center. The leaves are greyish, long, narrow, with blunt tips. It is a cosmopolitan in the tropics and can be found growing on the University of Hawaii grounds. ([Plate VI])

RONDELETIA
Rondeletia odorata Jacquin

Small, round, heads of many bright, red and yellow flowers mark the Rondeletia. It is a shrub which is not common in Hawaii but may be found in the Royal Hawaiian and Foster gardens. The flowers are tubular, with a bright yellow throat and orange-red lobes. The leaves are opposite and sessile. The shrub grows to about six feet high. It is a native of Mexico and a member of the Coffee family. ([Plate VI])

STAR JASMINE
Jasminum pubescens Willde
(Jasminum multiflorum)

The Star Jasmine takes its name from the starry, white flowers which cover the plant at all seasons. Each has from four to nine, pointed lobes, radiating from the mouth of the slender tube. Ordinarily, they are scentless, but a variety with faint fragrance is now becoming popular. When the flowers fall, they leave a group of coarsely hairy, green calyxes like small green pompons. The plant is at first a sprawling shrub, but later becomes a vine. Its leaves grow in opposite pairs along the length of the shoots. They are pointed and slightly velvety. This plant is widely used in Honolulu. It is a native of tropical Asia, and like all the Jasmines, belongs to the Olive family. ([Plate VI])

GALPHIMIA
Thryallis glauca Kuntze
(Galphimia glauca)

Small, terminal, clusters of bright, yellow, little flowers with red stamens, characterize the Galphimia shrub. It grows about five feet high and has small, glossy, opposite leaves. The yellow flowers bloom most of the year, making the plant popular in gardens.

The word Galphimia, by which it is popularly known, is an anagram of Malpighia, the name of the Italian physician for which the family to which it belongs was named. It is a native of southern Mexico. ([Plate VI])

PLUMBAGO
Plumbago capensis Thunberg

The pale blue flowers of the Plumbago are frequently seen especially in dry places where the plant thickly covers the ground or grows over walls and trellises, often with a heavy undergrowth of dead branches below. The flowers have a long tube and five lobes, and grow in short clusters. Their blue color varies from a soft azure to palest tints, and there is a pure white variety. The species with pink blossoms is Plumbago rosea.

The blue flowering plant is a native of South Africa, near the Cape of Good Hope, as its name indicates. It gives the name of Plumbago to its family. ([Plate VI])

IXORA
Ixora macrothyrsa Teijsmann and Binnendijk

Large, round “snowball” heads of scarlet bloom make the Ixora a very conspicuous shrub. Sometimes it seems almost like a small tree for it can reach fifteen feet in height. The small individual flowers have four petals growing at the end of a slender tube that appears to be a red stem. These flowers are sometimes laboriously strung by the Hawaiians into leis, which become solid red cylinders, two to three inches in diameter. There are also plants with pale red or with white flowers, the latter scented. The shrub has fine, large, glossy foliage suggestive of that of the Coffee, of which family it is a member. It is a native of Malaya.

There is a tendency in Honolulu to mispronounce the name as if it were spelled Exoria. ([Plate VI])

CANDLEBUSH. ACAPULCO
Cassia alata Linnaeus

Upright stalks of bright yellow flowers, almost cylindrical in form, explain the popular name of this shrub. When first opening, the individual flowers are closer together on the stalk than shown on [Plate VII], heightening the suggestion of golden candles growing over the shrub. The flowers are at their best in winter, although they may be found later. The individual flowers are pea shaped, as the plant is a member of this family.

The leaves are luxuriant, each one from eighteen inches to two feet long. The leaf is made up of many pairs of large leaflets, which increase in size from the base to the tip. The plant is probably a native of tropical America, but is widely grown in the tropics.

CORAL PLANT
Russelia juncea Zuccarini

Tiny, tubular red flowers, growing loosely over the drooping sprays of a graceful bush have again suggested coral and given the name of Coral plant to this shrub. The sprays may grow to six feet, with stems and a few leaves of greyish green. Individual flowers are about an inch long, tubular, and hang loosely on slender angular stems. The plant is a native of Mexico and belongs to the Figwort family. ([Plate VII])

LIPSTICK PLANT
Bixa orellana Linnaeus

Seedpods of the lipstick plant are extremely ornamental and are often used as dried floral material. They are covered with heavy soft, dark hairs, deep red when fresh and turning to stiff brown as they dry. The pointed pod splits to reveal rows of seeds covered with a red powdery material. This red covering provides the annotto dye of commerce, used among other things for coloring oleomargarine, butter and cheese. It is not produced commercially in Hawaii, but the plants are grown for this purpose in tropical America, where they are native. The name Lipstick plant was produced locally on the spur of the moment when a name was needed, based on the way the red material smeared the skin.