LIL1ACEAE. 



The family Liliaceae consists of about 2450 species, and is distributed all over 

 the tropics of both the old and new world and also in the temperate zone. 



Hawaii is extremely poor in Liliaceae, as only 5 genera with 8 species can be 

 found. Of interest here is the arborescent genus Dracaena, which is represented 

 in these islands by a single species. 



DRACAENA Vandelli. 



Perianth whitish or golden. Ovules ascending, single in each cell of the ovary. 

 Stigma entire, or scarcely divided, style filiform. Berry 3 to 1 seeded, with large globose 

 seeds which are entire, whitish or black to brown. Trees or shrubs without stolons. 

 Leaves linear lanceolate. Inflorescence a terminal foliaceous panicle. 



The genus Dracaena consists of about 50 species, distributed over the warmer 

 regions of the old world. Only one species, Dracaena aurea (Halapepe} is found 

 in these islands, outside of which it has not been recorded. In fact, Dracaena 

 aurea is the only representative of this genus in Polynesia. 



Dracaena aurea H. Mann. 



(Plates 34, 35, 36.) 



Halapepe. 



DRACAENA AUREA H. Mann Proc. Am. Acad. VII (1867) 207; Wawra in Flora (1875) 



244; Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 443; Del. Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pac. VII (1892) 



318; Heller PI. Haw. Isl. (1897) 806. Draco aurea O. Ktze. Eev. Gen. PL II (1891) 

 710. 



Leaves sessile, linear ensiform, with entire margins, acuminate at the apex, broad 

 at the base, without midrib; panicles terminal, recurved, pendulous, about 6 dm long, 

 foliose bracteate, flowers single or 2 or 3 together on slender pedicels; perianth tubular, 

 golden yellow, divided to one-third into linear-lanceolate erect lobes; stamens inserted at 

 the base of the lobes and of the same length as the latter; style shortly exserted; berry 

 bright red globose, brownish when dry, 8 to 16 mm in diameter; seed generally single, 

 globose. 



The Halapepe reaches a height of 25 to 35 feet or even more in certain locali- 

 ties, and has a straight trunk of 1 to 3 feet in diameter,and is freely branching. 

 The branches, Avhich are densely ridged with leaf -scars, are erect and stiff, bear- 

 ing at their ends a whorl of long linear sword-shaped leaves. 



The Halapepe is a xerophyte; that is, a dry district loving tree or plant. It 

 is especially common on the aa (rough) lava fields on all the islands of the 

 group, and is usually to be found at an elevation of from 1000 to 2000 feet. 

 The golden yellow flowers, which are arranged in long drooping terminal pani- 

 cles, appear in the early spring in the drier localities, while it often flowers 

 during the summer months in districts with more rainfall. 



The Halapepe is very common in North and South Kona, Hawaii, as well as 

 in Kan, in the district Hilea. On the Kula slopes of Maui there once existed a 

 forest of this tree, the remnants of which can still be seen. While the tree is 

 very common on the other islands, it is rather scarce on Oahu, and not quite as 

 plentiful on Molokai as on Kauai, where it forms almost pure stands at the 

 bottom of the cliffs below Kaholuamano, near Waimea. 



109 



