FLORA OF THE GROUP. 213 



cabinet woods. Combining as it does a rich rod wood, with a beautiful grain 

 that is susceptible of a high polish, it is much used in tlic iiuinufacture of furni- 

 ture and as an inside finishing wood in public buildings. The bark is also of 

 use in tanning leather. 



Botanically the koa belongs to the genus Acacia of whicli fully half of the 

 known species are Australian, while the rest are scattered widely over the world, 

 many having been introduced into Hawaii. 



Examples of the native Hibiscus occur, but they are rather rare j^lants. 

 Four species are known ; the flowers are all single and are pink," white,^ j^ellow* 

 and red^ respectively. One with ovate leaves and white flowers, often growing 

 twenty -five feet tall, is found in the mountains back of Honolulu and occasion- 

 ally on the other islands. All of the native species have been held in cultivation 

 as garden shrubs and much has already been done along the line of producing 

 new varieties by cross polinization. A closely allied genus, Hibiscadclphus, has 

 been recently established to include three rare species found on ilaui and 

 Hawaii. 



The native Smilax^*^ is by no means the tender hot-house plant one might 

 be led to expect. On the contrary, it is a robust climber with stems a third 

 to a half inch in diameter and fifty feet in length that trail across the forest 

 path. The leaves are three to five inches long and broadly ovate, having a 

 width in proportion. They are easily recognized as they are dark glossy green 

 and have five to seven parallel nerves running lengthwise of the leaf. The 

 natives know this striking vine by various names — uhi. ulchihi and pioi bciug 

 among them. It is said that they formally ate the tuberous roots in times of 

 scarcity. 



Another attractive vine of the lower forest zone is the hoi or yam.'^ The 

 scattering large, broad, heart-shaped leaves are five to seven inches long and 

 have from seven to eleven nerves converging towards the tip. It is a plant of 

 wide distribution, extending its range as far as Africa. To the botanist it is of 

 peculiar interest because of the large potato-like bulbs, called alaala by the na- 

 tives, that grow here and there at the base of the leaves. The large, irregular, 

 fleshy roots of the yam were much used as food l\v the natives, aiul formci'ly 

 were cultivated to supply ships calling at Hawaii before the common potnttt was 

 introduced. 



The native ginger^- is a conspicuous and to a certain extent characteristic 

 plant of this zone. Growing one or two feet high Avith leaves six or eight indies 

 long, and bearing a pretty pale yellow flower on a curious cone-like iiitlorc^sciMice, 



^ Hibiscus Toungianus. '' Hibiscus Arnottianus. ^Hibiscus Brackenridgei. ^ Hihiscus l\<,l,i 



^" <S'?Jii7ax Sandwicensis. ii Dioscorea sativa. ^-Zingiber Zerumbet. 



(Description of Plate Continued from Opposite Page.) 



formis). 6. Plantain (Plantar/o major). 7. Flpa]);uio or Horse-weed [Tlioho] (Erigeron 

 Canadensis). 8. (Solanum triflorum). 9. Indijjo | Iiiikoa] (Indigofera Anil). 10. Wild 

 Ipecac [Nuumele] (Asclepias Cura.s.savica) . 11. (Carer Oahueiusis). 12. Painter's Brush 

 {Com'posite Family). 13. Kaluha (Kyllingia oitiisifolia). 14. Lobelia (HoUandia calycina) 

 young. 15. Popolo (Solatnan arulrali.ssiminu). (No inimhrr) = Ljithrum niarifinnini. 



