INTRODUCED PLANTS AND ANI.MAi.S. 285 



being most abundniit on Kaiuii. Ft is (|iiil(' cotiitiiou tlironj»ho\it I'olynesia, 

 growing witliont care in the native gardens. 



The castor bean phmt.-'' cnltivated in S(n-ei-al i)hi(M's. lias escaped and 

 grows evei-ywliere as a roadside shrub, often fifteen to thirty feet in height, 

 with a trunk twenty or inore inches in diameter. It is a native of western 

 Asia and eastern Africa. The large palmately-lobcd, reddish-green leaves 

 and large terminal flower clusters followed l)y the prickly three-parted l)urrs, 

 which bear the vari-colored seeds, mark this familiar plant, grown in many 

 gardens on account of its distinct ornamental valne. Attempts to izrow the 

 castor bean as a field crop have failed only for Avant of the right kind of hd)or 

 to gather the crop. 



Lotus. 



Another plant of considerable importance, both ornamentally and as a 

 crop, is the Chinese lotns.-" It is a native of China and the East generally, 

 and is grown in Hawaii by the I'hinese farmers in taro an^l rice ponds: often 

 several acres will be seen in a patch. The root tubers, for which it is gi-own, 

 creep in the mud at the bottom. They are dug at irregular intervals and 

 suggest strings of white sausage, as they are seen in the vegetable stalls. 

 While the tuber is a favorite food of the Orientals, especially the Chinese, 

 Europeans and others seldom tkste them, preferring to admire the orna- 

 mental effect of the large orbicular leaves and splendid cream-colon-d. showy 

 flowers that stand high al)ove the water. The seeds are found in an odd- 

 shaped, flat-toi)ped receptacle, and are also esteemed as food by the Oi-ientals. 



Nuts. 



The curious Chinese hoi-ned-init -' is also cultivated in shallow jxnids by 

 the Chinese, who boil the nuts, much as chestnuts are pi-epared by the .lapanese. 



Peanuts,-'^ ground-nuts or goober-nuts, as they are variously called, were 

 once grown to some extent, principally for the oil. The croj) is well adajileil 

 to conditions in Hawaii, as has been jiroved by recent experinuMits. and it is to 

 be regretted that they are only grown foi- the local demand, since, being a 

 member of the great bean family, they store much valuable nitrogen and ari' 

 therefore beneficial to the soil, besides producing a valuable forage for aninuds. 

 In competition with the large California nuts, the island-urown ]n"odnct is 

 much finer flavored and are generally preferred in the local maiUei. 



The peanut is really not a nut, however. It is a riix'iied pod with edible 

 seeds, produced by a plant reseml)ling a pea or bean. When the tiower falls. 

 the flower stem grows rapidly, curving down into the ground. The pea- 

 nut is a native of Brazil, where several closel\-allied species are found. In 

 cultivation a number of important varieties have been produced, sevei-al of 

 which have been experimentally gi-owii iu Hawaii. 



Among the plants grown especially as green i'(Htd for animals is soi-iihinn.-" 



-^ Ririnus co)ininntiK. -'^ .Xclii'iiliiiim .iiirriosinii. -' Tin/ia iintatis. -'' A rarhix hiiiiot/irn. 



-" Aitdropoyon Sory)tum. 



