and Botani/ of the Sandwich Islands, 259 



chants, who thought that sandal wood must be very common 

 on board when it was used as fire-wood. 



The naiho (Myoporum tenuifolium) attains the height of 1 5 

 to 20 ft., and a circumference of 3 or 4 ft. ; the scented wood 

 differs, according to the age of the tree, from a light yellow to 

 a reddish colour ; the tree is branchy ; the leaves are lance- 

 olate, entire, pointed, smooth, and of a light green colour ; 

 the flowers are small, solitary, of a white colour, with a pink 

 spot on the internal part of each petal, the corolla five-cleft, 

 stamina five, attached to the corolla. This tree is found grow- 

 ing on elevated situations, the wood is considered of excel- 

 lent quality for planes, and is used by the carpenters at the 

 Sandwich Islands for that purpose. 



The vegetable productions are very numerous among the 

 Sandwich group ; among them I observed the ylckcisi falcata, 

 orkoaofthe natives, growing abundantly on the hills; the 

 wood is very hard, is used in the manufacture of canoes, and 

 was formerly tabued exclusively for that purpose. On this 

 tree I observed a species of Fiscum growing abundantly. 



On the declivities of the hills, as also in the valleys, grow 

 two species of Eugen/fl'. One is called by the'natives ohia reua 

 {reua signifying a flower), the flowers of which were used for 

 necklaces, and the tree was formerly held sacred : it attains a 

 great elevation ; is branchy, and small in circumference ; and 

 when covered with a profusion of its red blossoms has an ele- 

 gant appearance. The other species is the ohia ha, the wood 

 of which is used for building and other purposes, and the 

 bark is used by the natives for dyeing their cloth of a dark 

 brown or reddish colour. The Jambo (Eugenia malaccensis) 

 is also indigenous, and is named ohia ai (ai signifying to 

 eat). 



The native females use a variety of flowers in the formation 

 of their leis, or head wreaths, of which those of yellow or orange 

 colours are preferred ; as of a species of /Sida, the rima of the 

 natives, which is cultivated, and produces double flowers. A 

 species of Tribulus, called nohu by the natives, is very abun- 

 dant on the plains, the leaves of which are pinnate, and covered, 

 as well as the stalks, with a light silvery pubescence ; the 

 flowers are yellow, five-petaled, calyx five-cleft, stamina ten ; 

 the fruit is small, armed with five or six short spines, and con- 

 tains several seeds ; the natives dread them, and avoid walk- 

 mg on the plains with their bare feet during the season it is 

 m fruit. A species of Argemone abounds wild, bearing large 

 beautiful white flowers (probably grandiflora) ; it is indigenous 

 to the Sandwich Islands, and was remarked by Captain Cook 

 when he discovered the group. In the valleys the fern, called 



s 2 



