Pandanaceae. 



Mauritius, where the tree is plentiful, the fiber derived from the leaves is used 

 for making sacks for coffee, sugar and grain; the rqots are also fibrous and are 

 used by basket makers as binding material. An oil is obtained by distilling the 

 fragrant bracts of the male flowers and is called Keora in India. 



The natives of Burma make matting sails, by sewing together the leaves of 

 the Hala; the very fragrant male flowers are used as hair decorations. The 

 etheric oil expressed from the flowers is used as a stimulant, and is also applied 

 as a remedy for headaches and rheumatism. The seeds are used in India as 

 spools for twine. 



The wood of the female trees is often used, after the removal of the fibrous 

 pith, as water pipes on the richly-wooded volcanic islands of South Polynesia. 

 The native name in Tahiti is Fara, in Viti or Fiji Balawa and Vadra. 



The Puhala or Lauhala is distributed from the Seychelle Islands to Arabia, 

 all over the South Sea Islands, to Guam and India. It is called Aggag in Guam, 

 Pandan or Sabot an in the Philippines, and Fala or Laufala in Samoa. 



In India, where the tree is cultivated, female trees are a rare occurrence, 

 while male trees are common ; this is just the reverse in the Hawaiian Islands. 



PALMAE 



The lamily Palmae is characteristic of the tropics. It is distributed over the 

 old as well as the new world, and finds its northern boundary in the south of 

 Spain, South Italy and Greece to the southern part of Asia Minor, and from 

 there to the Himalayas, South China and to the most southern part of Japan. 

 In the new world it is distributed from Southern California to Arizona and 

 Mexico. The southern boundary of the Palms of the old world describes a 

 circle through the arid interior of Africa to Madagascar, Australia, the South 

 Island of New Zealand and through the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. In 

 equatorial Africa the family is poorer in species, but becomes richer in the 

 West Indies, Central and South Brazil. 



This order consists of about 1000 species. Of interest, so far as Hawaii is 

 concerned, is the Pacific genus Pritchardia, which is represented in the Ha- 

 waiian Islands by ten species. Cocos nucifera, the Niu of the natives or coconut 

 of the foreigner, is, of course, also present, but is too common to be described 

 or otherwise mentioned. 



The most interesting species are the native Pritchardias or Loulu Palms, all 

 of w r hich are endemic and found only at an elevation of about 2000-3000 feet, in 

 the wet or rain forest zone, though occasionally Pr. Gaudichaudii occurs near 

 the beach and often at 1000 feet elevation. 



PRITCHARDIA Seem, et H. Wendl. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, singly on the branches of the panicle; stamens G, connate 

 at the base into a cup; ovary three-lobed with a single style, the latter tri-sulcate with 

 3 minute stigmas. Drupe dryish, with a single nut or coccus, the pericarp thin fibrous, 

 the endocarp crustaceous. Seeds with uniform albumen, and embryo at the base. Tall 

 trees with terminal, fan-shaped palmatisect leaves, and unarmed petioles. 



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