FLORA OF HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HITCHCOCK. 457 



In the regions where they grow, two monocotyledenous trees 

 of peculiar habit, the halapepe and puhala, attract attention. 

 The halapepe {DracaeTm aurea) belongs to the lily family and 

 is allied to our yuccas. The narrow lilylike leaves are clustered 

 at the ends of the branches, where are produced also the flow- 

 ers and fruit, the latter a cluster of bright red berries about 

 the. size of marbles. The halapepe is a xerophyte, being found 

 in the dry districts especially on aa lava. The leaves are relished by 

 cattle. The puhala (Pandanus odorafissirmis) belongs to the genus 

 of screw pines. It is a scraggly tree with long narrow coriaceous 

 prickly-margined leaves clustered at the ends of the branches in the 

 spiral or corkscrew arrangement, numerous stilt roots at the base, 

 and aerial roots from the branches. The large red or orange-colored 

 compound f uit resembles a pineapple. There is a fine forest of these 

 trees near Hilo. Belonging to the same family is a tall wood}' 

 climber {Freycinetia m^Twtti) which is common in the lower woods. 



If one ventures on to the upper slopes of the mountains of Hawaii 

 he is. sure to come in contact with the mamani {Sojdiora chryso- 

 phylla) a member of the family Leguminosae. It grows on several 

 of the islands but is particularly noticeable toward the upper limit 

 of tree growth on the mountains, where it forms small round-topped 

 trees, with silvery-brown pinnate leaves like those of our black locust, 

 drooping racemes of golden-yellow, pea-shaped flowers, and long 

 pods constricted between the seeds. 



The wiliwili tree will attract attention in the autumn at the lower 

 levels on the dry side of the islands. At this season it is devoid of 

 leaves and is conspicuous among evergreen vegetation. The seeds are 

 a bright scarlet and are used for ornament. The wood is said to be 

 the lightest of any kind growing on the islands, and is used for out- 

 riggers upon canoes. 



The mountain apple {Jambosa Tnalaccensis) is of interest because 

 of its edible fruits. These are spheroidal, 2 or 3 inches in diameter, 

 white or red, thin-skinned, very watery, but pleasant-flavored, and 

 contain usually one large seed. The mountain apple is found in 

 lowland valleys. 



There are several species of trees of the mallow family that are 

 vvorthy of remark because they are on the verge of extinction and 

 illustrate the harm done to vegetation by the grazing industry. One 

 is the kokio or native red cotton {Kokia rockii) described recently 

 by Lewton.^ This is a small tree with magnificent hibiscus-shaped 

 red flowers about 4 inches long. It is endemic on the island of 

 Hawaii and is confined to the dry region on the western side of the 

 island, where it is scattered here and there on the rough lava of 



1 Smiths. Misc. Coll. 60:5. 1912. 



