THE CAPSULAR LOBELIOIDEAE OF THE 



HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, AND THEIR 



OUTSIDE AFFINITIES. 



To this group of Lvbdiuidtac belong the three reiiiaiuiug genera as Lobelia, 

 Trematolohelia, and Brigltamia. The two first mentioned genera possess true 

 capsular fruits while in Brigltamia the capsule is at first somewhat tieshy, but 

 opens at maturity by two slits on each side. Of all our Lobelioideae the true 

 Lobelias have unquestionably the more beautiful flowers. The Hawaiian species 

 may be divided into two groups, comprising ten species and four varieties. What 

 is now considered the genus Trctnuiulubelia was formerly included in the genus 

 Lobelia. 



The most beautiful of our true Lobelias inhabit the sunmiits of the moun- 

 tains that harbor more or less extensive bogs with an entirely different vegeta- 

 tion than one would expect in the tropics. The finest of our Lobelias is Lobelia 

 gloria-iiio)iiis, a truly royal and superb plant. It occurs on the summit of 

 Fuukukid on West ^laui, also on ]Mauna Eeke of the same range. There it forms 

 stately plants with single stems .several feet in height, and when in flower is 

 really a gorgeous sight; the individual tlttwers are large, cream colored witli i)urple 

 streaks and are arranged in a terminal iianicle, sometimes three feet in lengtli 

 and bearing as many as eiglity to a hundred Mowers. On the edge of the bog 

 overlooking the cliffs of the famous lao Valley there occurs a variety longi- 

 bracteatu, whicli has a stem of about 10 feet, after which it divides into four or 

 five ascending branches or flowering sj)ikes with still larger flowers; it differs 

 from the species also in the long acuminate bracts. The species does not occur 

 on the moiuitains of Oahu and ilolokai, buf on Oahu it is represented by another 

 species Lobelia Gaudiehandii witli red flowers, anil snudler spikes. This species 

 inhabits the very sununif of Konahuanui, Oahu, overlooking the precipices on 

 the windward side of the i.sland. On the island of Kauai we meet with another 

 species less robust than the ^laui plants from tlie swamps of Puukukui. The 

 summit of Kauai is an extensive bog harboring a wonderful vegetation of which 

 Lobelias form a striking part. Lobelia Kauaensis inhal>its the wind-swept cold 

 boggy simmiit in company with a variety villosa and another Lobeloid Trcma- 

 tolobelia tiiacrostaelnjs var. Kauac iisis witli purple to red flowers. Lobelia Kaua- 

 ensis is nearly always branching, liearing two, three or four spikes of gorgeous, 

 large and delicate flowers. The flora with which these Lobelias are associated is 

 of an entirely temperate type, as Plantago which forms large rosettes, Sanicula, 

 Drosera, tSfiiphelia, Geranium, Orecjbulus. and Aea( iia. also wonderfid Conipositae 

 as ancient as the Lobelias themselves. 



All of the Hawaiian true Lobelias are mouocarjjic, a character which we find 

 in certain species of Lobelia occurring in the Ab.vssinian highlands, on Mt. 

 Kenya, Euwenzori and Kilimanjaro in Africa. According to Hillebrand, 

 Lobelia Gaudichaudii is closely related to a species from the Loo Choo Islands, 

 specimens of this, a supposedly undescribed species, were said to be in the Gray 

 Herbarium, but according to Dr. B. L. Robinson no such specimen could be 

 found. 



Lobelia Gaudichaudii, Lobelia gloria-montis, and Lobelia Kauaensis are 

 probably of Asiatic origin, and their closest relatives will probably be found in 

 species occurring in the islands south of Japan as Liu Kiu and the Boniue 

 Islands. This type of Leihdia extends into Asia or ratlier northern India, 



