127 



HAWAII: Holokaiea giileh, back of Wainiea, elevation 3000 feet, July 9, 

 1909, Rock no. 4767 in lierbarium College of Hawaii. 



Lobelia oahuensis Rock in Torrey Dot. CI. Dull. \'ol. 45:137. 1918. 



(Plate 04.1 



Plant rather stout, s,tem short and thick, solid and not hollow; rosette of 

 leaves very dense and about 1 ni in diameter; leaves densely packed around the 

 apex of the stem, linear-oblong, acuminate at both ends, merging at the base 

 into a winged tleshy petiole about 2.5 cm in length, 50 cm long, 4.5-5 cm wide, 

 thick, coriaceous, dark green, glabrous above and covered with a strongly im- 

 pressed, very close, reticular net work, young leaves densely hirsute underneath, 

 especially along the very prominent pro,iecting midrib and veins, of a dirty grey 

 or fawn color on the older leaves, the margins revolute, denticulate with thick 

 callous teeth; flowers not seen, a single dead terminal flower stalk was seen on 

 one of the plants, which was about 1 m long; inflorescence composed of several 

 hollow, ascending spikes, 1-1.5 m high; spikes hollow gray woolly as is the under- 

 side of the leaves, and densely covered with linear bracts, bracts acuminate at 

 the apex, broadly sessile at the base, 20-25 mm long, about 3 mm wide, irregularly 

 denticulate with reddish, thickened teeth, median nerve prominent, covered on 

 both sides with a grayish pubescence ; flowers unknown, but reported to be pale 

 blue ; flowerbuds green ; calycine teeth about 15 nun long, acuminate, with a 

 prominent median nerve, ovarian portion ovate to obovate, densely covered with 

 grayish-white hair, as are the pedicels, the latter 2 cm when with fruit, and 

 stout, staminal eohunn puberulous, the two lower anthers bearded only; capsule 

 (not mature) densely i)ubeseent with dirty grayish-brown hair, 10-ribbed, obovate- 

 tnrbinate, 10-14 mm long. S-Ul non wide, crowned by the long calycine lobes ; 

 seeds ovate, not margined. 



OAHU : At the ver\- top of the main crest of the island overlooking the cliffs 

 of Waimanalo at an elevation approaching 3000 feet, September 14, 1917, Rock 

 no. 123(> type in the herbarium of the C'ollege of Hawaii; — same locality, May 

 12, 191S, Rock & Tasartez no. 13113 in herbarium College of Hawaii ; — same 

 locality, flowerbuds and fruiting, October 1918, Swezey & Timberlake in her- 

 barium College of Hawaii. 



Several plants were seen growing together, the lower ones of which could not 

 be reached owing to the vertical cliffs on which they grew immediately below the 

 knife-edge crest of the backbone of the island of Oahu. The plant forms a large 

 rosette with the leaves densely packed at the apex in an almost horizontal posi- 

 tion, that is at right angles to the sti^in. It grows in company with Trvinafulo- 

 helia macrosiachjjs (Hook, et Arn.), Dubantia laxa, Mctrosideros rugosa, etc. 



The plant is evidently related to Lobelia Injpolenca Hillebr., from whiclr it 

 ditfers in the thick coriaceous, closely reticulate veins of the leaves, not silvery 

 beneath but hirsute, being covered with fawn-colored or dirty gray hair. 



In Lobelia hypohuca^ which is a branching species, the leaves are few and 

 more or less scattered, thin and chartaceous ; it does not ascend to such high 

 elevations, but remains more at the lower levels from 100(1-1500 feet in very 

 sheltered situations, especially deep ravines. 



The stem, though solid, has very little woody tissue; the central part of the 

 stem is fllled with a fleshy pitii which is stuTounded by a very narrow woody 

 tissue. 



The old rootstock produces small plants or offshoots which probably never 

 reach the flowering stage. 



