Rhamnaceae-Elaeocarpaceae. 
It inhabits the dry regions on the leeward slopes of all the islands, but is no- 
where common except on Kauai and at Auahi, district of Kahikinui, on Maui, 
where it is gregarious on the aa lava fields. It is in this latter place that the 
writer met with trees whose trunks were more than 2 feet in diameter. 
On the islands of Molokai and Lanai it is very scarce indeed and found only 
on exposed ridges as straggling shrubs. On Maui, on the southern slopes of 
Haleakala at an elevation of 2600 to 3000 feet, it is a beautiful tree with a 
straight trunk. The name Kawila is unknown on the Island of Maui, for this 
species; it is always referred to as the O’a, while the name Kauila is applied to 
Colubrina oppositifolia, from Hawaii. 
n Oahu it can be found on Mt. Kaala on dry exposed ridges, while on Ha- 
waii it is not uncommon in Kau and North and South Kona; but never in com- 
pany with Colubrina oppositifolia, which inhabits the more ancient lava flows. 
The wood, which is of a beautiful reddish color with black streaks, is very 
durable, close and hard grained and exceedingly heavy. It was employed by 
the natives for their spears as well as for tapa beaters or mallets and other tools. 
The Kauila or O’a is indigenous to Hawaii, but not endemic, as it is also 
found in most of the Polynesian islands of the South Seas, Australia and Borneo. 
It is known as Doi in Fiji and as Joi in Tahiti, while the Samoan name of the 
species is also Toi. 
The Samoans use the leaves for medicinal purposes. They are also often 
ground between stones, and are used in washing out the lime from the hair. 
In Australia the tree is known as Mountain Ash, Red Ash, Leather Jacket, 
and Cooper’s Wood. The aboriginals of Australia have also several names for 
it; among them are Mee-a-mee, Culgeraculgera, and Murrrung in the Ilaawara 
district of New South Wales. 
ELAEOCARPACEAE. 
The family Elaeocarpaceae is rather small, consisting of only seven genera, 
With somewhat more than 120 species. It is distributed over the tropics of the 
old and new world, and reaches its most northern point in Japan, where two 
species, belonging to the genus Elaeocarpus, are to be found. 
The genus Elaeocarpus, represented in these islands by one species, is the 
largest in the family, with more than 60 species. The distribution of the family 
ranges from the West Indies to the latitude of the Island of Chiloe, and from 
Japan to New Zealand. 
ELAEOCARPUS L. 
Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Sepals 5. Petals 5, usually bifid at the apex, at the 
e in the 5 lobed. e 
Stamens numerous, 
base flat, free, valvat he b e 
2 ? ud. Androgynophor mostly 
anthers linear, often ciliate, with two adnate cells opening at — sania — oe tak 
Saba i y ch cell. Sto rui , 
vary 2 to 9 led with several ovules in ea es an eal 
i y | 
: . vary 
8 to 5 celied, 1 to 5 seeded stone, usually very har and rug “1 
alternate leaves, which are either entire or serrate. Flowers in simple axil 
flowered racemes. 
Ss 
ary, often many 
287 
