210 NATURAL HISTORY OF HAWAII. 



tlu' lower forest, wliilc its compMiiioii on the fore hills, the wiliwili,"- seldom 

 reaches ihr tlioiisniul-foot level; hut the hast;ird sandalwood, '■■■ Avhile it reaches 

 Ihc upper liiiiil of vegetation on the highest mountains, may also oeeur well down 

 into this lower zou'.'. thus exliiliitinu' a great vertical range in habitat. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



PLANT LIFE OF THE HIGH MOUNTAINS. 



Passing now from the lowland zone to the lower forest zone, we find it 

 troi)ical in appearance. Though not sharply defined it is by common agree- 

 ment said to begin at al)out one thousand feet elevation and to extend as a belt 

 about the high mountains \\p to al)out three thousand feet. 



Plants op the Lower Forest Zone. 



The range of the kukui ' is almost confined to the limits of tlie h)wer fon^st 

 zone, and since it is the most abundant and conspicuous tree of the region, 

 it is regarded as the characteristic tree of the lower forests. The pale green 

 foliage of this useful tree sets it out in marked contrast with the darker greens, 

 and adds a touch of variety to the Hawaiian forest that delights the eye of the 

 lichohler. Tlie plants of tliis n^gion are lai'gei" and more thrifty than those of the 

 costal plain, and being more numerous the open sylvan eharacter of the zone is 

 Well defined. 



The ki - (now commonly written ti)is at home on the steep valley sides and 

 in the gulches, at the lower edge of the forest zone all over the islands, and, 

 indeed, through all Polynesia, the Malayan Archipelago and China. Specimens 

 fifteen feet in height, with leaves from one to three feet in length and three to 

 six or more inches in width, are not uncommon. The ki belongs to the lily order 

 and the leaves are peculiar in having many parallel nerves diverging from a 

 short mid rib. I'he large saccharine root was made use of in ancient times by 

 the natives in makin^g a eui'ionsly fiavored beer. Later they learned a method 

 from the sailors of distilling a strong, intoxicating drink from the soaked roots. 

 The ki root was leaked 1)\- the Hawaiians in their imus (underground ovens, 

 elsewhere described), and eaten ])y them as a confection; it was their substitute 

 for candy, now so generally eaten by all ])eoples. The ki root prepared in this 

 way is very sweet, much like molasses candy; it is offered for sale in the market 

 ill Honolulu every Saturday. Among other uses, a stalk with the leaves at- 

 tached served as a flag of truce in native warfare, and the juice of the plant 

 was used by the Hawaiian belles to stiffen their hair. The leaves, known as la-i 

 or lauki. served and still serve as wrapping. And, since the coming of domestic 

 animals, the plant has })roved useful as fodder. 



Closely related to the ki or ti, belonging to the same order in fact, is the 

 cin'ions halapepe or cabbage tree,-^ sometimes called a palm lily. Its ehief in- 

 terest lies in the fact tlmt it helps to give the foliage that weii-d character 

 which is expected of troi)ical verdure. The plant is the largest of the order 



"- Erythrina monosperma. "' Mynporum Sandwieense. ' Aleuritcs Moltirc/nia. 



- Cordylirie terrniiifdis. ^ Drarioia aurea. 



