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nourishment from the live parts of the tree upon which they 

 grow, but merely use the bark as a substratum. They are not 

 parasitic, although commonly so-called; they are epiphytes. 



Speaking in general terms, the Hawaiian lichens are unique in 

 being among the first, if not the first, invaders of the lava fields, 

 and in ascending to higher levels on the mountains than any 

 other plants. There are probably about 100 species of lichens, 

 representing many cosmopolitan genera, and indicating their 

 aerial transportation. Like the spores of the true fungi, mosses 

 and ferns, lichen spores may be carried into the upper currents 

 of the air and transported for indefinite distances by this agency. 



The Carambola in Hawaii 



By Yavguan MacCaughey, 



Professor of Botany, College of Hazcaii. 



The carambola {Az'errJioa carambola Linn.) is one of the trop- 

 ical fruits which were introduced into the Hawaiian Lslands in 

 very early times, following the discovery of the archipelago by 

 Europeans. It is thoroughly established in many gardens and 

 plantations. The fruit is sold in the Island markets and is uti- 

 lized in a variety of ways. The carambola is practically un- 

 known in the continental United States, although it is widely 

 planted in tropical regions and grows successfully in southern 

 Florida and southern California. 



The genus was named by Linnaeus after Averhoes. a cele- 

 brated Arabian philosopher (1126-1198 A. D.). Carambola is 

 the East Indian name for the species. The Hindu name is kam- 

 rak ; the British in India call it the Coromandel gooseberry. It 

 is native to the East Indies, but is now widely cultivated in south- 

 ern Asia, the West Indies and other tropical countries. 



The genus belongs to the family oxalidacese, which is repre- 

 sented in the mainland United States only by the little herbs of 

 oxalis and related genera. The family is wholly absent from 

 the indigenous Hawaiian flora, and is represented only by intro- 

 duced species. The averrhoas comprise two or three arborescent 

 species, extensively planted throughout the tropics. They are 

 commonly referred to by botanical writers as natives of the East 

 Indies, but there seems to be a question as to whether all the 

 species are not really tropical American in origin, and carried to 

 the East Indies and India by the early Portuguese and Spanish 

 traders. There is considerable evidence to support the latter 

 viewpoint, although the question is still unsettled. 



The carambola tree is evergreen, 15-30 feet in height, with a 

 dense canopy of dark-green foliage. Trees in Honolulu gardens, 

 because of the relative drvness of the air, are often small and 



