Myrtaceae. 
Kea, on the island of Hawaii, and it is there that the trees reach their biggest 
size. 
On Hawaii the Ohia lehua is usually associated with the tree ferns, the 
Hapu and Hapu Iii (which see). In such forests, the seeds of the Ohia trees 
fall on the moist woolly trunks of the tree ferns; there they germinate. At 
first the young tree finds enough nourishment in the humus, dead leaves, ete., 
which collect in the axils of dead fern leaves all along the tall fern trunks, 
but finally it sends its roots down along the fern trunks into the ground. As 
the tree grows larger and taller, the fern becomes enclosed between the stilt-like 
roots of the Ohia tree, until finally the fern dies and decays, leaving the stilt roots 
standing some 15-20 feet above the ground, after which the real trunk of the tree 
commences. Such stilt-like Ohia trees are very common in the Hawaiian forest, 
but mainly on Hawaii. The accompanying illustration shows an Ohia tree with 
stilt-roots between which remnants of a decayed tree-fern trunk are still visible. 
The wood of the Ohia lehua is of a dark reddish color, durable, hard and equal 
in strength to the Oak. It was employed by the natives for the carving of their 
idols, spears, mallets, ete., but is used now for paving-blocks, flooring, and 
interior house finishings. Mills have been erected on Hawaii at Pahoa where 
lumber is turned out at a profit. Several railroads, especially the Santa Fé rail- 
road of the mainland, have ordered large shipments of Ohia ties. 
The flowers of the Ohia lehua are of a bright red, pale yellow to orange yel- 
low and pink-salmon, while some are even white. They are the source of food 
for some of the native birds, as the Tiwi and Olokele, both of which possess a 
bright red plumage, matching the scarlet Lehua blossom while flitting from 
fiower to flower for their honey. 
The name Lehua is an interesting one. Lehua in everyday language means 
‘‘hair.’’ It was undoubtedly applied to the tree in question on account of the 
numerous long red stamens resembling fine hair, which makes the Ohia lehua 
flower attractive. 
The tree in its various forms is not peculiar to Hawaii, but is well distributed 
over Polynesia and New Zealand, where the tree is known as Kata and Pohutu- 
kawa. It has the most numerous varieties, however, in the Hawaiian Islands. 
A number of species have been described from other islands of the Pacific, 
which later turned out to be identical with the Ohia lehua. 
Metrosideros tremuloides (Heller) Rock. 
Lehua ahihi. 
(Plate 133.) 
-METROSIDEROS TREMULOIDES iene. — comb. nov.—Nania tremuloides Heller 
in Mine Bot. Stud. Bull. TX. es 7) 866.—Metroside: ros polymorpha Gaud. var. 7 
Hbd. Flora Haw. Isl. (1888) 
A small tree, with slender trunk pee smooth grayish bark, ia throughout, pire 
the a MENS branches slender, loosely spreading; leaves narrowly lanceolate, acute 
or acuminate at ‘poth ends, bright green, shining above, paler cadeennell, coriaceous, on 
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