1917] : MacCAUGHEY—HAWAIIAN FLORA ~ r09 
The large genus Hibiscus has 6 or 7 native species, all shrubs 
or trees, with large flowers of striking beauty. The blossoms are 
white, pink, red, or yellow, according to species, and form a dis- 
tinctive feature of the rain forest. 
The cosmopolitan genera Malva, Malvastrum, Sida, and A butilon 
are common on the semiarid lowlands. Gossypium, the true cot- 
ton, includes the unique Hawaiian cotton, G. tomenlosum, a spread- 
ing shrub, endemic, densely covered with white tomentum, and 
growing in arid situations along the coasts. 
Solanaceae 
Of the 70 genera of this family, only 3 (Solanum, Nothocestrum, 
and Lycium) comprise elements in our native flora. There are 
many introduced Solanaceae (Physalis, Datura, Nicotiana, etc.), 
some brought in at a very early period and now thoroughly 
established. The genus Solanum has 6 endemic species, one 
arborescent; in addition to these there are a number of weeds 
belonging to this genus. Nothocestrum is an endemic genus of 4 
arborescent species, and is closely related to the Brazilian genus 
Athenaea. Lycium, a genus of 70 species, is represented in our 
flora by a single widely distributed littoral anaes 
ride although there are a number of endemic species. | ‘Some - 
of the more important genera, from the st listribution 
and number of species, are Bromus, Calamagrostis, Cenchrus, 8 
phobia Prank Scag pera Dactylis, ees con as 
stuc so 
