21 



stemmed plants as occur in Cyanca, Rollandla and Dclissea but are always more 

 or less many branched trees or shrubs with trunks varying from a few inches 

 or even less, to one foot in diameter. The flowers as in the other genera of this 

 group are axillar.>-. The ealycine lobes are either connate with the corolla, en- 

 closing the latter completely and dropping off with it after anthesis, or they are 

 short obtuse lobes or minute teeth. The main characteristic is however the 

 cymose inflorescence. Only in a single instance has the writer observed a ten- 

 dency to a raceme; this was in the polymorphic species CI. Waimeac, where two 

 flowers issued from the apex of the peduncle and a third one about a half an 

 inch lower down the peduncle. Clermontia Waimeae occurs in the wet forest 

 of Kohala Hawaii, with other polj'morphic species of both Clermontia and 

 Cyanca. No such racemose tendencies occur in the species on the older islands. 

 The seeds of Clermontia are perfectly smooth and shiny and of a l)rown color; 

 this same characteristic is common to the seeds of Cyanca. In Cyanca however 

 we have very different types of plants. While we have observed a typical can- 

 delabra-like branching habit in Clermontia, Cyanca is far from exhibiting such 

 a constant character. We find it necessary to divide Cyanca into several sec- 

 tions, of which the section palniacformcs is the most remarkable. It is charac- 

 terized by a single stem whicli iu'vcr hrjinches, save when it is In'okcn, and then 

 only will it divide into two or three branches. It is Cyanca which i)roduces the 

 tallest Lobclioidcac of the Hawaiian Islands; the tallest species Ix'ing Cyanea 

 leptostegia (see Plate. X), often reaching a height of forty feet, Cyanca 

 fi'iffardii reaches thirty feet and ('. arborca a similar heiuht. They form stately 

 trees of palm-like lialnt with a dense crown of long, usually sessile leaves, and 

 long drooping or closely packed flowers. They certainly are a striking feature 

 of the landscape. The group Dclisscoidcac exhibits a similar branching habit 

 as Clermontia only their branches are longer, that is they rarely branch again, 

 and are more or less straight ascending. This type of Cyaneae has usiially long 

 racemes and small flowers of a whitish to cream color with a purplish tinge. It 

 is not apt to grow at as higli an elevation as the section patmacfdrmcs. Its 

 species are I'arely taller than fifteen feet. Another gi-oup which also possesses 

 small flowers is the section pilosac which is subherbaceous, especially in the upper 

 two thii'ds. The plants are rarely higher than three to four feet and grow in 

 dense shade in the mossy rain forests, especially well developed on Hawaii. 



Cyanea acuminata of Oahu and Cyanca multispicata of Kaiuii, tlie latter 

 perhaps only a form of the former represent this group in the oldest islands 

 while C. Bixliopii is its representative on JMaui. 



It must be remarked that there is a tendency to lobed leaves in the j'oung 

 state of most of Cyaneae wliile such tendency is not at all present in Clermontia. 

 Lobed leaves occur espeeially in the section palmaeformcs and so dilTereut do the 

 young plants look that it is indeed difficult to place them with their respective 

 species. Thus Cyanea leptostegia has deeply lobed leaves when young; so have 

 C. solenocaly.r, C. solanaeea and others, and while the leaves become entire in the 

 old plants they are usually undulated to such an extent as to appear lobed. 

 Certain species keep the lobed-leaf-eharacter but all gradations exist till we find 

 the perfect pinnate leaf in C. Crimcsiana which character remains always con- 

 stant. In the branching species, like Cyanca angustifoUa, C. coriacea, C. Hardyi, 

 and C. Faiinei. Inlicd leaves never mal^e their .■i|ipeiirauce at any stage, and thus 



