124 



Ka Hem a Kapa. 



seen in Samoa or Fiji. Here the}- generally mark the site of some deserted habita- 

 tion, of which all other traces have disappeared. 



The wood is white, soft and dnrable, and was much used formerl}-, but the part 

 of the tree which most concerns us is neither wood, bark or fruit, but the male blos- 

 som, the pou/i\ which, although useless as a male blossom, since the female never 

 seeded, was used to some extent to mix with the fibre of waoke in the manufadlure of 



FlCrS TINCTORIA. 



a rare kind of kapa to which it gave name. How the native came to use it,'" or what 

 good it did to the other fibre are unknown to me. 



Ficus Linn. Gen. n. ii6S. — Flores mouoici v. rarissime dioici, receptaculo 

 carnoso globoso ovoideo pj-riformi v. rarius oblongo ssepissime androgAno ad os par- 

 vuni c/D-seriatim bracteato inclusi. Fl. J : Perianthiuni 2-6-fidum v. partitum, lobis 

 segmeutisve imbricatis, rarissime ad squamam unicam reductum. Stamina 1-2, v. 

 rarius 3-6, filamentis brevibus rectis; antherse exsertae v. inclusae, ovatse v. oblongte. 

 Ovarii rudimentum o. Fl. $ : Perianthii segmenta quam in mare stepius pauciora 



"II is possible thai, as under the Doctrine of Sigiuiliiiis, it was used as the sigil ol tlic inalo, the waist-cloth 

 of the men. 



