Sapindaceae. 
7;—Sinelair Indig. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1885) pl. 39;—Hbd. Fl, Haw. Isl. (1888) 87;— 
pi Cast. Ill. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pae. VI. (1890) 144, et Fl. Polyn. Frane. (1893) 36;— 
eos in Engl. et Prantl Pflzfam. III. 5, (1895) 357;—Heller Pl. Haw. Isl. (1897) 
Branches angular, stiff, glabrous, glutinous at the ends; leaves lanceolate, oblanceolate 
or obovate, acuminate, or obtuse, entire, chartaceous mca terminal and axillary 2.5 
men 
to 5 em long; male flowers: sepals 4, glabrous, 2 mm s 7 to 9; ovary rudimentary; 
female flowers: sepals 4, stamens wanting; ovary ae stipitate, viscid, glabrous, 2 to 3 
celled, each cell with 2 ‘ovules; style several vara . long as the ovary with two linear 
lobes ‘glued together; capsule bright yellow, red or brown, membraneous, flat, ae eeny 
faintly ee along the middle, 2 to 3 winged a es 4 to 6 mm broad; seeds 4 mm 
ovate, flattened. 
The Aalii or Aalii Kumakua is a small tree, reaching a height of 15 to 25 feet 
or more; the branches are angular, stiff, and glutinous at the ends. It develops 
a rather short trunk of only a few feet in height with a diameter of 5 to 10 
inches. The bark is thick, longitudinally and very closely wrinkled or corru- 
vated, and of a reddish-brown color. Plants may be found only a foot high and 
bearing profusely, while sometimes trees can be observed up to 30 feet in height. 
The male and female flowers are borne on different trees, but female trees are 
met with much oftener than male trees. The Aalii varies tremendously in 
habit and stature. The two-winged, papery capsules are of a bright red, or 
pale yellow, and very conspicuous on that account. It has been said that 
owing to the viscousness of the very light capsules, they easily adhere to the 
plumage of birds, to which agents the plant owes its world-wide distribution ; 
the capsules of the Hawaiian Dodonaea are only viscous when young, and are 
perfectly glabrous and papery when mature. 
The wood of the Aalii is of a golden-brown color, with black heartwood, and 
is extremely hard. Its density and heaviness would make it a very desirable 
wood for eabinet work and many other purposes. In New Zealand it has been 
employed as a substitute for brass for machine bearings, with good results. 
The Aalii is common on all the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago, and is 
gregarious at elevations of 1000 to 4000 feet. On Oahu it can be found on the 
main range, as well as on the Waianae mountains, but is especially common in 
Palolo valley at an elevation of 1000 feet. As already mentioned, it is a cosmo- 
politan, and occurs in all tropical countries from Australia to New Zealand, 
Chatham Islands, Tahiti, Viti, and Samoan Islands, to Africa, America, and 
Asia. In Hawaii it has a variety named by Hillebrand 3. var. spathulata. J’ 
is a stunted shrub and occurs on the higher elevations, especially on Hawaii. It 
forms almost 50 per cent of the vegetation at the summit slope of Mt. Hualalai 
(8270 feet 
Undoubtedly the wood was employed by the natives for various purposes, 
n. The leaves were used 
but no information can be obtained from this generation. 
as medicine. 
It is known to the Samoans as Togovao, 
a remedy for rheumatism and other inflammations. 
who employ its leaves for baths as 
In the Viti Islands it is 
279 
