

THE HAWAIIAN FORESTER 

 AND AGRICULTURIST 



Vol. XVIII. Honolulu, June. 1921. No. 6 



THE ALAHEE TREE. 



By C. S. JuDD, Siif'crintendcnt of Forestry. 



One of the charming- but little known of our small Hawaiian 

 trees is the alahee, or walahee fPlectronia odorata Forst. F. v. 

 M.j. This is found in the dry regions at the lower elevations 

 throughout the islands and is particularly noticeable because of 

 its shining dark-green leaves, whicli resemble those of the maile 

 vine (Aly.via olk'oeforniis Gaud). The tree is not peculiar to 

 Hawaii, but is found also in Tahiti, the Fijis and in other isl- 

 ands of the Pacific. 



First appearing as a low recumbent shrub, it grows very 

 slowly into a small stiff tree, until finally it may attain a height 

 of 25 feet and a diameter of eight inches. In middle life the 

 alahee often has a pointed crown, which gives it the appearance 

 of a Christmas tree, but as the tree becomes older the crown 

 flattens out and becomes rounded. 



The bright green elliptical leaves, which are very glossy on 

 the upper surface but paler beneath, are arranged on the branch- 

 lets opposite to each other and are said to have been used by the 

 ancient Hawaiians as a dye for coloring articles black. 



About the first of June the trees are whitened with flat-topped 

 clusters of very fragrant blossoms, to which honey bees are par- 

 ticularly attracted. The berry-like two-celled fruit resulting 

 from the blossoms resembles somewhat a rough pea, but more 

 closely a shining caper. Unfortunately it is attacked almost as 

 soon as formed by the larvae of a small indigenous moth fOrnc- 

 odes objiirgatella Wlsm. ), so that uninjured seed is rarely found 

 on the tree. The worm enters the berry between the two seeds 

 and usually bores into each so that they will not germinate. 



For this reason it is almost impossible to secure good seed 



for nursery use and the natural spread of the tree is also greatly 



hindered. Occasionally a march will be stolen on this natural 



enemy and enough good seed will be shed to produce a new crop 



c^»J of natural seedlings around the mother tree. About the only 



^ way to secure seedlings for distribution is to lift the naturally 



sown plants. These stand transplanting well and are an attract- 



^. ive ornament to anv vard. In fact, the alahee would make a 



