areas to the exclusion of everything else. A striking plant of the lowland zone 

 is the Mexican Poppy, Argemone Mexicana, the Puakala of the natives. On the 

 lava fields which have reached the shore, especially on the island of Hawaii in 

 South Kona, native trees belonging to the lower forest zone have descended to 

 the lowlands and can be found within a few yards from the sea. The most 

 common is Beynoldsia sandivicensis. Even the Metrosideros polymorpha (Ohia 

 lehua) the writer found growing practically at sea level, together with Plectronia 

 odorata, which was covered with the lauraceous leafless parasite, Cassytha fili- 

 formis. What has just been said of the Ohia lehua is also true of Myoporum 

 sandwicense (Naio), which can be found near the sea on the west end of Oahu 

 near Kaena Point, only a foot in height. 



THE LOWEE FOREST REGION. 



This region is perhaps the most interesting one as far as tree growth is con- 

 cerned. It ranges from about 1000 feet to 2000 feet elevation, and is exceed- 

 ingly tropical on the windward side, with a more or less uniform vegetation, 

 though, of course, varying according to locality. 



Nothing can be more different in aspect than the lower forest region of the 

 lee sides of some of the islands as compared to that of the windward side. How- 

 ever, there are exceptions, as no two islands are alike in formation, and vary 

 also greatly in age. The vegetation on some of the lava flows of more recent 

 origin differs from that of the lava flows of greater age. On some of the islands, 

 as on Oahu and Kauai, and perhaps Molokai, in certain localities on the leeward 

 side, the vegetation differs very little from that of the windward side; but, 

 nevertheless, each island, with the exception of Kahoolawe, and also Niihau, has 

 its peculiar leeward lower forest flora, which is in all cases richer in species as 

 far as tree growth is concerned than the rain forest. 



The island of Hawaii Avill need a special chapter, as it is the largest of the 

 group and has the most widely ranging regions of all ; differing in climatic con- 

 ditions, rainfall, soil formations, lava flows of all ages, winds, etc., all of which 

 have contributed or are the cause of these marked types of forest or plant cover- 

 ings belonging to the lower forest region. 



The island of Maui, which is the next largest, has also a very striking forest 

 flora that belongs to the region discussed in this chapter. For convenience sake, 

 this lower forest region is here divided into two subsections: (a), the windward, 

 and (b), the leeward forest flora. The island of Hawaii is discussed separately. 



The most striking of all trees belonging to this region is the Aleurites moluc- 

 cana or Kukui. It can be recognized at once from a distance on account of its 

 pale foliage, which gives this lower forest region a distinguishing character. (See 

 plate IV.) It either forms large groves to the exclusion of everything else or 

 is found in company with Jambosa malaccensis (Ohia ai) and other trees which 

 will be taken into consideration as a whole. Immediately above the lowland re- 

 gion a few straggling Kukui trees may be observed. They grow on the leeward 



