280 



THE KALO IX HAUWII. III. 



Dv \'.\i-(;han MacCaughev and Joseph S. Emersox. 



\ARIETIES. 



There are a great many varieties of kalo. The subject lias 

 never been thoroughly studied. IJarrett (h'vides the kalos roughly 

 into three groups : 



a. Kalos with striped petioles. 



b. Kalos with red petioles. 



c. Dasheen kalos. or those which produce tubers about the 

 corm. 



From a commercial standpoint the varieties differ from one 

 another in the size, form, color, flavor, and general quality of the 

 corm or tubers ; in the time needed for maturity ; and in the 

 amount of water needed for growth. The matter of varieties of 

 Hawaiian kalo is one that is worthy of careful investigations. 

 The authors have found that the natives have over two hundred 

 and fifty names for varieties of kalo. Some of these names are 

 undoubtedly synonyms, but the fact remains that they habitually 

 recognized as distinct forms at least 150 to 175 kinds. Concern- 

 ing many of these varieties it has been possible to obtain some- 

 what detailed information. The U. S. Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, through its sub-station in the Hilo, Hawaii, district, is 

 collecting and planting varieties obtainable at the present time. 

 Some of the types are already extinct. With the rapid decline 

 of Hawaiian lore, and with the transferral of kalo production 

 from the Hawaiians to the Chinese, the Hawaiian's knowledge 

 of the kalo must be quickly recorded or lost forever. 



The following list includes all of the varietal and sub varietal 

 names collected by the authors. The majority of these names 

 have been checked and verified : 



HAWAIIAN NAMES FOR KAF.O XARH-yilES. 



1. A'a. (irown chiefly in unirrigated fields, sometimes in Jo'i. 

 It is not commonly grown at the present time; does not occur on 

 Oahu, but is grown somewhat on Hawaii. The interior of the 

 corm is whitish or gray. The leaf l)la(le and ])etiole is clear green, 

 unmarked. The blade is somewhat convex, c^r saucer shaped 

 (apiipii) like .Ip^ti^'ai. The ])()i is likely to be watery (Jichec) 

 and lacking in the ])r()per consistencN- : it therefore re(|uires C(^n- 

 siderable skill in pounding. 



2. Aapu. There are three sub-varieties of this kalo. The 

 names of two are not known to us. 



.3. .Aapu lehua. Said to be synonymous with Knimi (|. v. 



4. .'\ii.\KEA. This name is known on ()ahu as a s\non\in for 

 Haokca <\. v. Corms under lliis name were sent in l''()S to the 

 U. .'>. Di-pt. of Agrieulture. by .Mr. !.. C". Lyman, of llilo. 



