PASSIFLORAS IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 365 



carjjcc — sometimes attains a weight of seven or eight pounds. 

 The plants are readily propagated either by seeds or by cuttings 

 from the young wood. 



For comprehensive accounts of the genus and family, see M. T. 

 Masters, " Contributions to the Natural History of the Passi- 

 floraceae" (Trans. Linn. Soc. London, xxvii, 593-645 (1871); and 

 H. Harms, " Passifloracese," in Engler and Prantl, Naturlich. 

 Pflanzenfam. iii, 6a, 69-91. 



A species distributed here and there throughout the lowlands 

 and lower forests of all the islands is P. laurifolia L. (P. tinifolia 

 Juss.). This is called the Yellow Water-Lemon, sometimes the 

 Jamaica Honeysuckle. It is the most common species in the 

 Honolulu markets, where it and the Purple Water-Lemon are 

 offered for sale throughout the spring and summer. The Yellow 

 Water-Lemon is native in tropical x^merica, but it has been long 

 in the Hawaiian Islands, and in some parts — e. g. Hilo and 

 Hamakua, on Hawaii — is very common in the wild state. The 

 plant is glabrous ; the stems terete. The leaves are oval to oval- 

 oblong, thick, entire, and acuminate ; the petiole has two glands 

 near its summit. The leaves are bitter, and are used medicinally 

 as an astringent. The flowers are about 2-} inches in diameter, 

 white with red or purplish spots or blotches. In the symbolism 

 of the Passion, these were supposed to be blood spots. The 

 corona exceeds or equals the petals ; the filaments are in three 

 series, violet with white bands. The fruit is oval or slightly 

 oblong, two inches in diameter and about three inches long ; 

 smooth and symmetrical. When ripe it is rich yellow spotted 

 with white. The shell or rind is medium-hard, crisp and brittle. 

 The pulp, composed cf the arils, is whitish yellow, fragrant and 

 edible, with many flat black seeds. 



A second very common species, often appearing in the markets, 

 is the Purple-Fruited Water-Lemon, P. edulis Sims. This is a 

 native of Brazil, but is now naturalized in many tropical and 

 subtropical countries. It was introduced into the Hawaiian 

 Islands, many years ago, at Lili-koi, on the island of Maui, so that 

 the native name for this species is ''Lili-koi." It is a vigorous 

 woody vine, climbing to a height of twenty or thirty feet. The 

 leaves are large, three-lobed, and serrate. The flowers are white, 

 shaded with purple. The corona is nearly as long as the envelopes, 

 white for the upper half and purple at the base. The fruit is oval 

 or oblong, sometimes almost globular, and the same size as that 

 of the Yellow Water-Lemon. The shell is thin and crisp ; the 

 juicy pulp is very fragrant, orange-colored, and with a pleasant 

 flavour. This and the preceding species are easily raised from 

 seeds, which germinate quickly, and grow vigorously as seedlings. 



A third species with inedible fruit, often used for covering 

 trellises, arbours, unsightly fences, etc., is P.fmtida L. (P. hirsuta 

 and P. hircina Hort.), sometimes called West Indian Love-in-a- 

 Mist. It is a high-climbing perennial vine, slender and much- 

 branching. Its home is tropical America, but it is now thoroughly 

 naturalized in the Hawaiian lowlands. The leaves are ovate or 



