Sapindaceae. 



447;— Sinclair Indig. PI. Haw. Isl. (1885) pi. 39;— Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 87;— 

 Del Cast. HI. PI. Ins. Mar. Pac. VI. (1890) 144, et PI. Polyn. Pranc. (1893) 36;— 

 Eadlk. in Engl, et Prantl Pflzfam. III. 5. (1895) 357;— Heller PI. Haw. Isl. (1897) 

 849. 



Branches angular, stiff, glabrous, glutinous at the ends; leaves lanceolate, oblanceolate 

 or obovate, acuminate, or obtuse, entire, chartaeeous panicles terminal and axillary 2.5 

 to 5 cm long; male flowers: sepals 4, glabrous, 2 mm; stamens 7 to 9; ovary rudimentary; 

 female flowers: sepals 4, stamens wanting; ovary shortly stipitate, viscid, glabrous, 2 to 3 

 celled, each cell with 2 ovules; style several times as long as the ovary with two linear 

 lobes glued together; capsule bright yellow, red or brown, membraneous, flat, orbicular, 

 faintly ridged along the middle, 2 to 3 winged the latter 4 to 6 mm broad; seeds 4 mm, 

 ovate, flattened. 



The Aalii or Aalii Kumakua is a small tree, reaching a height of 15 to 25 feet 

 or more; the branches are angular, stiff, and glutinous at the ends. It develops 

 a rather short trunk of only a few feet in height with a diameter of 5 to 10 

 inches. The bark is thick, longitudinally and very closely wrinkled or corru- 

 gated, and of a reddish-brown color. Plants may be found only a foot high and 

 bearing profusely, while sometimes trees can be observed up to 30 feet in height. 

 The male and female flowers are borne on different trees, but female trees are 

 met with much oftener than male trees. The Aalii varies tremendously in 

 habit and stature. The two-winged, papery capsules are of a bright red, or 

 pale yellow, and very conspicuous on that account. It has been said that 

 owing to the viscousness of the very light capsules, they easily adhere to the 

 plumage of birds, to which agents the plant owes its world-wide distribution; 

 the capsules of the Hawaiian Dodonaea are only viscous when young, and are 

 perfectly glabrous and papery when mature. 



The wood of the Aalii is of a golden-brown color, with black heartwood, and 

 is extremely hard. Its density and heaviness would make it a very desirable 

 wood for cabinet work and many other purposes. In New Zealand it has been 

 employed as a substitute for brass for machine bearings, with good results. 



The Aalii is common on all the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago, and is 

 gregarious at elevations of 1000 to 4000 feet. On Oahu it can be found on the 

 main range, as well as on the Waianae mountains, but is especially common in 

 Palolo valley at an elevation of 1000 feet. As already mentioned, it is a cosmo- 

 politan, and occurs in all tropical countries from Australia to New Zealand, 

 Chatham Islands, Tahiti, Viti, and Samoan Islands, to Africa, America, and 

 Asia. In Hawaii it has a variety named by Hillebrand j3. var. spathulata. T' 

 is a stunted shrub and occurs on the higher elevations, especially on Hawaii. It 

 forms almost 50 per cent of the vegetation at the summit slope of Mt. Hualalai 

 (8270 feet). 



Undoubtedly the wood was employed by the natives for various purposes, 

 but no information can be obtained from this generation. The leaves were used 

 as medicine. 



It is known to the Samoans as Togovao, who employ its leaves for baths as 

 a remedy for rheumatism and other inflammations. In the Viti Islands it is 



279 



