¥O2 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AUGUST 
situations throughout the lowlands, forming pure stands and 
smothering other vegetation. 
The large and highly diversified propiend order of the aroids 
has no place in the Hawaiian flora, except 2 naturalized species, 
Colocasia and Alocasia, introduced by the ancient Hawaiians. 
Colocasia antiquorum, the kalo or taro, was the staple food of the 
primitive Hawaiians. The plant was raised both in irrigated fields 
(loi) and on the uplands (Kula). Alocasia macrorrhiza, the ape or 
giant taro, was raised in clearings in the lower forest, and used 
chiefly in time of famine. Ornamental aroids of many genera are 
now abundant in Honolulu gardens, but these are strictly exotic, and 
none of these are naturalized. 
Another group that one naturally associates with a tropical 
background is the Begoniaceae, and yet of the 400 species, only 
one is native to the Hawaiian Archipelago. Our lone species is 
endemic, and is so distinct from its relatives that it has been 
placed in a monotypic genus, Hillebrandia. It is a beautiful plant 
with ornamental foliage and fine showy clusters of pink flowers, 
but is limited to such isolated and difficult regions ret few people, 
either natives or whites, have seen it. 
Lobelias 
Gagne the crowning pinky of our flora are the arbo- 
rescent lobelias. These constitute one of the unique elements of 
the Hawaiian forest flora, and aggregate some too species, dis- 
tributed among 6 genera, 5 of which are endemic. As RocK” 
succinctly states, ‘nowhere in the world does this tribe reach such : 
a wonderful Heres in such a comparatively small area.’ 
t families a 
ThA Ge eh. 
oS : comapeiang the Hawaiian land Siva ‘Many of the | species show 
aliz zation. The extraordinary Mae of variation 
S tionary impetus of ‘this ae oe Sake 3 
the a —— lobelias ecenonss on | the continent, = of our: — 
