MacCauGHEy: GuAvAS oF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 515 
no agricultural value, the guava, like its close associate the 
lantana, is a beneficial plant. It improves the soil, both in phys- 
ical character and in nutritive content; it checks erosion; and 
gradually ameliorates otherwise barren and: unattractive areas. 
The guava is a successful and valuable pioneer, although difficult 
to eradicate when the land is needed for other purposes. The 
great areas of guava scrub that are distinctive of so many of 
Hawaii’s lowland regions have a commercial value as bee-pasture. 
The flowers are fragrant and highly nectiferous, and yield an 
excellent grade of honey. The wild guava has high rank among 
the honey-plants of Hawaii. ; 
In addition to the wild forms of guava, which are so common 
throughout the lowlands, there are a number of choicer varieties 
occurring only in cultivation. These are restricted to the larger 
estates, tropical gardens, and older plantations, where the less com- 
mon tropical economic plants receive special consideration. The 
Hillebrand gardens, the Moanalua estate, the Jaeger gardens, 
Ainhau, and gardens in the older settlements at Waimea, Lahaina, 
Kohala, and Hilo, are examples of situations where these less 
generally known forms are to be found. 
The genus Psidium is myrtaceous, and nearly related to Myrtus, 
Eugenia, and Punica. The generic name is from the Greek psidion, 
meaning pomegranate, a fanciful reference to the fruit. Guava 
is from the native Guiana name, guayaba. The genus com- 
prises low-growing trees or shrubs, characterized by leaves 
which are opposite, petiolate, glabrous, pubescent or tomentose, 
and pinnately veined.. The flowers are solitary or few (one to 
three, rarely many), on axillary or lateral peduncles; they are 
usually rather large and whitish. The calyx-tube is urceolate or 
pyriform, adnate at the base; lobes four or five, persistent; upper 
free portion entire and sometimes closed over the flower in the 
bud, and later coming off entire or splitting irregularly into two 
to five lobes. The petals are four or five, free and spreading. 
The stamens are numerous, disposed in many series and inserted 
upon the disk; filaments filiform; anthers oblong or linear, 
basifixed, and longitudinally dehiscent. The ovary has two to 
seven, commonly four, locules, with many ovules in each locule, 
inserted on bifid, axile placentas. The style is slender, the stigma 
