THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 123 



1913 the writer, with the invaluable assistance of Mr. Joseph S. 

 Emerson (deeply versed in the Hawaiian language and lore), 

 made a careful survey of the native varieties and their names. 

 We collected over 300 distinct varietal names in use among 

 the natives. A certain proportion of these were synonyms 

 and variants, but after making all due allowances and examin- 

 ing the native taros themselves in hundreds of plantings, we 

 arrived at the conclusion that the primitive Hawai'ians culti- 

 vated and habitually recognized over 200 distinct varieties and 

 strains of taro. Much of the old culture has been wholly 

 abandoned, and many of the varieties today are very localized, 

 or are on the verge of extinction. The choicer kinds were 

 raised exclusively for the chiefs and nobility and were often 

 spoken of as "royal taro." Other kinds were reserved for 

 medicinal use, and for religious incantations and ceremonies. 



From the standpoint of cultivation the Hawai'ian taros 

 may be conveniently classed in four groups : 



1. Those raised only in upland, dryland, or unirrigated 

 regions, kula. 



2. Those raised only in wetlands, lowlands, or irrigated 

 areas, lo'i. 



3. Those raised both in wetlands and drylands, lo'i and 

 kula. 



4. Wild taros, growing in damp places and swamps in 

 or near the forests. 



The islands of Hawai'ia and Maui were famous in the 

 early days for the excellence of their upland taros, whereas 

 the islands of Oahu and Kaua'i, with extensive coastal plains, 

 were devoted chiefly to the lowland kinds. Great skill was 

 shown by the primitive Hawai'ians in diverting water from 

 the mountain streams and leading it through ditches down 

 to the taro lands, where the innumerable tiny patches, each 



