69 



The Hawaiian Kamanl 



'^ {Calophylliim inopJiylliim L.) 



By Vaughan MacCaughey, College of Hawaii, Honolulu. 



One of the most characteristic littoral trees in the Hawaiian 

 archipelago is the kamani, CalophyUum inophyllum L. It is dis- 

 tinctive of many Polynesian beaches, and of the picturesque 

 native settlements that formerly clustered along the lovely 

 strands of Hawaii. The kamani tree was valued by the early 

 Hawaiians for its ample and refreshing shade, its attractive flow- 

 ers, its medicinal resin, its copious fragrant oil, and its beautiful- 

 grained w^ood. It is today reckoned among the important cabinet 

 woods of Hawaii. During a residence of ten years in the 

 Islands, the author has had opportunity to study this interesting 

 tree of Polynesia and the Old World tropics. The present paper, 

 to the author's knowledge, is the first extended and modern ac- 

 count in the literature. 



The kamani family, Guttiferae, is so called from the Latin 

 "drop-bearing." in allusion to the resinous exudation which char- 

 acterizes many of its members. It is closely related to the Hy- 

 pericaceae, with which it is united by many botanists. It com- 

 prises 35 genera and about 370 species, widely distributed 

 throughout the tropics of both hemispheres. Garcinia, with 150 

 species (Old World), and Clusia, with 80 species (American), 

 are the largest genera. Many species are stately tropical trees, 

 with beautiful foliage and useful timber. Most species of Gutti- 

 ferse yield a yellow or greenish resinous juice when cut. Com- 

 mercial gamboge, an intensely yellow resinous pigment, is de- 

 rived from Gavcinia morella. Various clusias have juices which 

 are purgative, and in some cases are used as varnish. The 

 mammee apple (Mammea americana) is a noteworthy tropical 

 fruit that is plentiful in Hawaii. The mangosteen (Garcinia 

 Mangostana), of the East Indies, is one of the very finest trop- 

 ical fruits. 1 There are no indigenous Gutti ferae in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. The kamani was introduced in early times by the prim- 

 itive Hawaiians, and is now thoroughly naturalized. 



The genus CalophyUum comprises 55-60 species, all of the 

 Old World except four tropical American species. The Greek 

 name, "beautiful-leaved," refers to the rich, dark-green, shining 

 foliage, which is indeed handsome. The genus is closely related 

 to Garcinia, which, however, has only 4-8 petals. The calophyl- 

 lums are mostly large timber trees, rich in balsamic resins, with 

 oily seeds, and shining foliage. 



1 See MacCaus^liey, Vaughan : Mangosteen in Hawaii, Hawaiian Forester, 

 14:125-6, May, 1917. 



Forest trees of the Haw^aiian Islands. Bull. Torrey Bot, 



Club, 44:145-57, March, 1917. 



