SAVING THE KOKIO TREE 
Wild Relative of Cultivated Cottons Becomes Nearly Extinct in Hawaii, But is 
Rescued For Plant Breeders—May Be of Value in Hybridiza- 
tion—-Other Species Similarly Threatened 
Rospert A. YOUNG 
O ffice of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, Bureau of Plant 
Industry, Washington, D. C., 
AND THE EDITOR 
HEN Captain Cook discov- 
ered the Sandwich (Ha- 
waiian) Islands in 1778, the 
naturalist, Nelson, who was 
in his party, collected specimens of a 
tree cotton indigenous to the islands, 
and later deposited them in the British ~ 
Museum. From the imperfect speci- 
mens there, Seeman described! the spe- 
cies as Gossypium drynartoides. 
The plant was long lost to sight; many 
years later three trees were found by a 
colonist, but again lost; and when Hille- 
brand, in 1888, described the flora of 
the Hawaiian Islands, he was able to 
cite? only five trees of this species. “It 
is much to be feared,’’ he added, ‘‘that 
this rare and interesting tree is doomed 
to extinction, as it grows in regions 
mostly accessible to cattle.”’ 
The tree mentioned was known to the 
natives as kokio (pronounced ko-kee’-o) ; 
its close relationship to the commercial 
cotton plants is indicated by the fact 
that Seeman placed it in the same genus. 
Reaching a height of 12 to 25 feet, it 
produces large, somewhat  trumpet- 
shaped, brick-red flowers, the petals of 
which are 3 to 4 inches long; and later 
each flower gives rise to a seed boll, 
containing several seeds covered with a 
short, reddish-brown hair. 
In itself, it appears to have no eco- 
nomic importance; but since the rise of 
the science of genetics has given breeders 
such a keen realization of the value of 
the wild relatives of important culti- 
vated plants, it was impossible that 
1 Seeman in Fl, Vit., 1865, p. 22. 
genus should receive this tree. 
2 Flora of the Hawaiian Islands, by William Hillebrand, M.D. 
24 
this wild cotton should escape consider- 
ation, as of possible value in hybridi- 
zation with the low-growing species 
commonly cultivated. But when the 
attempt was made to get this tree- 
cotton, it was found to be almost too 
late. There was grave doubt as to 
whether the tree could be saved 
from absolute extinction. It is the 
purpose of this paper to describe the 
measures by which an exceedingly rare 
plant of great interest has been saved 
from perishing altogether. 
BOTANISTS BECOME INTERESTED 
It was in 1911 that this red cotton of 
Hawaii came to the attention of the 
Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Intro- 
duction of the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, through the receipt 
of four seed bolls from the Superin- 
tendent of Forestry in Honolulu. The 
data in regard to the kokio, at that time 
available to men of science, were 
exceedingly meager, consisting, aside 
from a few specimens, of very short and 
incomplete botanical descriptions. As 
the seed came in as a cotton, it was 
referred to Frederick L. Lewton, curator 
of the division of textiles of the United 
States National Museum, who was 
greatly interested in the cotton genus. 
He at once recognized the value of the 
material and upon his suggestion a 
request for more was sent back to 
Honolulu. Shortly afterward a few 
more seeds were secured through the 
activity of Joseph F. Rock, the botanist 
He notes that he was undecided for some time as to what 
Heidelberg, 1888, p, 51. 
