Myrtaceae. 



months the trees are often loaded with the bright red berries, which are edible, 

 though somewhat insipid. The inflorescence is often monstrously deformed, 

 similarly to that of the Kalia tree (Elaeocarpus bifidus), the work of a species 

 of Acari. 



The wood was used as fuel and also in house-making, while the bark was 

 employed in staining tapa a black color. 



METROSIDEROS Banks. 



Flowers perigynous. Receptaculum funnel-shaped or campanulate. Calyx-lobes 

 deltoid or obtuse, 5. Petals 5, rounded. Stamens numerous, usually in a row; filaments 

 free, long; anthers elongate, dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary united at the base with the 

 receptaculum, 3-celled. Style very long; stigma simple. Seeds many, covering the whole 

 placenta, only partially fertile; testa thin; embryo straight; cotyledons flat or folded, 

 longer than the radicle. Trees or shrubs, rarely climbers (in New Zealand). Leaves op- 

 posite. Flowers in terminal or axillary cymes. 



The genus Metrosideros consists of over 20 species, of which only one occurs 

 in the Cape Colony, one in the Sunda Islands, and the remainder are distributed 

 over Australia and Polynesia. The Hawaiian Islands possess five species, of 

 which one is cosmopolitan (M. polymorpha) and occurs here in numerous va- 

 rieties, while the others are peculiar to the Hawaiian Islands. 



This genus furnishes the bulk of the Hawaiian forests; next in number is 

 the Acacia Koa. 



For the numerous varieties of the OJtia lehiia the natives of the olden days 

 had many names, as, for example, Lehua mamo, an orange yellow flowering Me- 

 trosideros polymorpha; Lehua humakua, w 7 ith sessile cordate leaves; Lehua 

 laulii, with very small leaves; Lehua puakea, with white flowers, and others. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Leaves on short petioles. 



Leaves suborbicular, cordate ovate or oblong; capsule almost free. ... M. polymorpha 



Leaves linear or elliptical, acute at both ends M. tremuloides 



Leaves rugose and impressed above; capsule adnate to near the apex M. rugosa 



Leaves on long petioles of 2 to 5 cm. 



Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong; capsule hidden in the calyx tube M. macropus 



Leaves acuminate-caudate, capsule projecting beyond the calyx-tube M. tremuloides 



var. Waialealae 



Metrosideros polymorpha Gaud. 



Ohia lehua or Lehua. 

 (Plates 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132.) 



METROSIDEROS POLYMORPHA Gaud. Bot. Voy. Uranie (1826-1830) 482. pi. 108 et 

 109; DC. Prodr. III. (1828) 225; H. et A. Bot. Beech. Voy. (1832) 82; Endl. PI. 

 Suds. (1836) 181. no. 1452; A. Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. (1854) 562; Seem. PI. Vit. 

 (1866) 83; Mann in Proc. Am. Acad. VII. (1867) 166, et PL Haw. Isl. Proc. 

 Ess. Inst. V. (1867) 243; Wawra in Flora (1873) 171; Mrs. Sin- 

 clair Indig. Flow. Haw. Isl. (1885) pi. 2; Hbd. Fl. Haw. Tsl. (1888) 

 125. Metrosideros collina Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. (1854) 558. pi. 68; Nadeaud 

 Enum. Tahit. PI. (1873) no. 484; Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pac. VI. (1890) 167, 

 et Fl. Polyn. Franc. (1893) 64; Ndz. in Engl. et Prantl III. 7. (1893) 87. 

 M. lutea Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. (1854) 560 pi. 69. B. M. villosa Smith in Trans. 



325 



