260 



was the large amount of injury to needle-leaf evergreens and the 



small amount of injury to broad-leaf trees and shrubs. 



University of Washington, 

 Seattle 



THE GENUS EUGENIA IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS 



By Vaughan MacCaughey 



One of the large and representative myrtaceous genera that is 

 represented in the Hawaiian flora by both indigenous and exotic 

 species is the interesting genus Eugenia. Several arborescent 

 species are abundant in the rain forests and upper valley floors 

 of all the islands; a number of horticulturally important forms 

 are common in Hawaii's many tropical gardens and estates. 

 Inasmuch as there is nowhere in the literature a comprehensive 

 statement of the Hawaiian Eugenias, it is the purpose of this 

 paper to bring together the salient data concerning this group 

 of valuable plants. 



The genus Eugenia was named by Linnaeus in honor of Prince 

 Eugene of Savoy. It comprises some 760 species, and is the 

 largest genus of the family Myrtaceae. Like several other large 

 genera of this family, it has two main centers of evolution, namely 

 tropical Asia and tropical South America. There are a few 

 species in Africa, and also in Australia; the latter region is also an 

 evolution-center for important myrtaceous genera. Most of the 

 Eugenias are trees or shrubs, and many are valued for their fruit, 

 wood, or ornamental foliage. 



The leaves are opposite, usually entire, and finely penni- 

 nerved. They are often glandular-punctate and fragrant. The 

 flowers are in trichotomous terminal and lateral or axillary cymes 

 or corymbs; in some instances they are single or few (on short 

 spurs or buds), in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are white 

 or creamy; the conspicuous part of the flower, however, is the 

 long, numerous stamens, which are white or scarlet. The ar- 

 rangement is tetramerous; calyx- tube globose to elongate, 4- or 

 rarely 5-lobed, or produced above the ovary with 4 (rarely 5), 



