Malvaceae. 
Kekia Rockii Lewton. 
Kokio. 
(Plates 120, 121.) 
KOKIA ROCKII Lewt. in Smithson. Mise. Coll. LX. 5. (IG TS Peay Olde soo, 4;—Rock in 
Report. Haw. Bd. Agric, & For. (1912) pl. 19-20;—Gossypium drynarioides Rock 
in Rep. Haw. Bd. Agr. & For. (1910) 71. pl. 13. 
Br 
shallow lobes, very strongly reticulated and veined below. Leaves glabrous below except 
for a dense patch of rusty hairs 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter at point of attachment of the 
petiole, the pulvinus of which is also hairy; staminal tube 9 to 10 em long curved; seeds 
2 em long by 1 em wide; lint 3 mm long. 
The Kokio or native red cotton (not to be mistaken for the Kokio ula or Pua- 
loalo, red native Hibiscus) is an exceedingly rare tree of 12 to 13 feet in height, 
with a trunk up to one foot in diameter and vested in a thin grayish-brown 
bark, which is covered with lenticels. The trunks of the Hawaii plants are 
straight and not gnarled. It is sparingly branching and woody in its last rami- 
fication. The leaves resemble those of a young Kukui tree, though they have the 
color of a maple leaf with the autumn tints from reddish-yellow to green. 
The tree is of striking beauty when in flower and is worthy of cultivation. 
The writer observed a young tree in Kona, Hawaii, which was literally loaded 
with the bright red blossoms which excel in beauty many a Hibiscus flower. On 
the Island of Hawaii the writer discovered several trees of this species, some of 
which were in excellent condition. It inhabits the dry region of North Kona 
and is seattered all along the Government Road between Huehue and Puuwaa- 
Waa, elevation 2000 feet. There it is associated with the Lama (Maba sand- 
wicensis), Kauila (Colubrina oppositifolia), Halapepe (Dracaena aurea), ete. 
The bark, which contains a rich reddish-brown juice, is used by the natives, 
who dye their fish nets with it. They strip the tree for several feet of its bark, 
Which is macerated, and the juice thus obtained is used as a dye. The wood is 
soft and of a reddish-brown color. 
This particular Kokio is endemie and peculiar to the Island of Hawaii, where 
it is still in its prime and, if properly protected from cattle and man, should not 
become extinct, 
The writer is glad to relate that the owners as well as the lessee of the land on 
Which these few trees are growing, have already fenced these trees, so as to 
protect them from the ravages of cattle. A regulation has also been posted to 
Prevent the natives from stripping the trees of their bark, and thus the writer 
hopes that this interesting species may live many more years. Abundant igo 
has been collected and forwarded to the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 
ashington, D.C. A quantity of seed has also been distributed here in Hono- 
lulu, and people interested in showy flowers have been urged to plant them 
Quite a number are now growing in Honolulu. 
305 
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