Celastraceae-Sapindaceae. 
eaducous; flowers small, Teed gamo-dioecious, greenish, pedicellate, numerous in 
pound panicles from the Is of the leaves, peduncle puberul ent or tomentose, branching 
divaricately; sepals 5 fsa nating a4 pee 4 ier ce Ov ae acute; stamens 5, 
alternate with the petals; a nthers led; oid, the flowers abortive 
and sterile; ovules 2 in each per fruit, ‘hright a zlohose slightly dupromay: about 6 mm 
when mature; seeds marked with minute transverse 
A tall shrub or tree 10 to 18 feet or more in height, nearly glabrous. The 
branches are short and stiff, but when growing at higher elevation become long 
and more or less drooping. 
During the month of October and November, when the tree is in full fruit, it 
is not unattractive. The bright red berries gracefully droop on densely clustered 
panicles from every branch. The Olomea inhabits both the dry and the wet 
forests on all the islands, ranging from 1000 feet to 6000 feet elevation. 
It is most common on Maui, in Koolau, the northern gap or outlet of Haleakala 
crater, where the tree forms a forest to the exclusion of nearly everything else 
at an elevation of 6000 feet. The undergrowth in this Olomea jungle consists of 
the native Begonia, Akaakaawa, which stands 10 feet high. It is not uncommon 
near Kilauea Voleano, Hawaii, in the dry forest 4000 feet above sea level, while 
it is a common feature especially in the rain forests on all the islands. 
The wood of the Olomea is of medium strength, of a golden brown color with 
reddish tint, and was used by the natives for producing fire by friction. Two 
Sticks called Awnaki were used, the upper of Olomea wood and the lower of the 
much softer Hau. In the Hawaiian mythology their origin is explained thus: 
During the first appearance of the sun which caused the separation of the 
heavens, Lailai (goddess) is taken up to him ornamented with the dress of the 
dawn, while he encloses the fire on earth in the rubbing sticks called Aunaki. 
SAPINDACEAE. 
The family Sapindaceae, which is almost purely tropical, consists of not less 
than 118 genera with over one thousand species, nearly one-third of which (be- 
longing to five genera of the tribe Paullinieae) are climbing or twining plants 
peculiar to America. The only exception is Cardiospermum, which is found in 
all tropical countries, besides one other climbing species, Paullinia p svn 
occurring in Africa. The remaining genera, consisting either of shrubs or trees, 
are distributed over Asia, Africa, Australia, and Oceanea. 
n the Hawaiian Islands only four genera are represented, three of which 
have arborescent species. 
KEY TO THE GENERA. 
Petals present: 
indus 
epals and petals 5; fruit 1-3 cocei, leaves simple or abruptly pinnate. - a8 
Petals wantin ng: Al 
Sepals 5; fruit of one or two ebeths. cvs sess see rer erate Dodonaea 
ee a ae a oe Yee tbe 
Sepals 2-5; fruit a winged peste 
