Borraginaceae. 
with numerous endemic species. Of most of the species of Cordia, Brazil as well 
as the rest of tropical South America possesses by far the majority. 
In Hawaii 3 genera are represented, of which only the genus Cordia has a 
single cosmopolitan species which attains the size of a tree. 
CORDIA Linn. 
eed 
thick or more often very broad thin and fan-shaped folded cotyledons, and short superior 
radicle—Trees or shrubs with alternate, often almost opposite, petiolate, entire or serra sin 
leaves. — usually white or dark orange yellow, arranged in expande ed or co 
tracted cym 
The genus Cordia consists of about 230 species distributed in the warmer 
regions of both hemispheres, especially in tropical America. In the Hawaiian 
Islands only the cosmopolitan Cordia subcordata Lam. (Kou) is represented. 
Cordia subcordata Lam. 
Kou. 
CORDIA SUBCORDATA Lam, Ill. I. (1791) no, 1899;—Cham. in Linnaea IV (1829) 474;— 
Endl. Fl. Suds. (1836) no. 1212;—DC. Prodr. TX. (1845) 477;—Pancher in Cuzent 
4;—H, Mann Proe, Am. Acad. 
‘ a i t. 
(1867) 194;—Nadeaud Enum. Pl. Tahit. (187 73} no. 375;—Wawra in Flora 
Haw. Isl. 
Seem .) En e. no. 1 208;—C, orientalis Roem. et Schult. Syst. Iv (181 9) 
449;—Guill. ee Tait. (1836- -1837) n. 239. 
Leaves ovate or subcordate 12.5 to 15 em long, 8 em wide, on petioles of 2.5 
0 3 em or mo ore, acuminate, entire or BoE. - eaeidiog excepting slight tomentose patches 
or streaks in the axils of the principal veins; flowe rt t ries gee al or lateral subrace- 
mose panicles; calyx coriaceous, sph sea nist sstegularty 3 to 5 toothed; corolla — 
Colored, its tube little longer than the ¢al yx, with genre fa ay soar limb, 5 t 
lobed; dr Tupe ovate, submucronate, wncinad within the ¢ 
The Kou, which is indigenous in the Hawaiian oe though presumably 
brought here by the Hawaiians centuries ago, can only be found along the sea- 
Shore here and there. Nowadays it is exceedingly scarce, but in times gone by it 
Was rather plentiful, and much planted by the Hawaiians near their dwellings 
or grass huts. The wood of the Kou was much sought for, on account of its 
beautiful grain, for calabashes or poi bowls, spittoons, ete. It is a tree 30 to 
50 feet in height and had trunks of sometimes three feet in diameter. 
Today trees are never larger than 15 to 20 feet, with trunks only a few 
inches in diameter. The writer observed it growing wild on the Island of 
Hanai, along the beach near Manele, and also on Maui near the lava fields beyond 
Makena, together with the Algaroba (Prosopis juliflora), which has taken pos- 
Session of the country there, being on the leeside of Mt. Haleakala. 
415 
