Elaeocarpaeeae-Malvaceae. 



The bast of the Kalia was made into cordage, while its slender branches were 

 employed for "ahoa" or thatching rods for house building, the larger branches 

 being selected for rafters. 



MALVACEAE. 



The family Malvaceae is distributed all over the world with exception of the 

 frigid zones. The most northern species is Malva rotundifolia L., which can be 

 found in Sweden and Russia. The farther we advance towards the tropics the 

 richer in species becomes this very useful family. The members of this family 

 inhabit usually the lower regions, but in the South American Andes they can 

 be found at considerable elevation. A few genera have a very restricted dis- 

 tribution, as, for example, Hibiscadelphus, which is peculiar to Hawaii, while 

 the genus Hoberia is only found in New Zealand. On the other hand, we find 

 genera as Hibiscus, Abutilon, Sida and others distributed over both hemispheres. 

 In the Hawaiian Islands we have several genera, of which two are endemic 

 (Kokia and Hibiscadelphus), and also Hibiscus and Thespesia, all of which 

 have arborescent species. 



KEY TO THE GENEEA. 



Style branches long as many as divisions in the ovary. 



Calyx persistent with fruit Hibiscus 



Calyx deciduous before maturity of fruit Hibiscadelphus 



Style branches simple, club-shaped or divided into short erect clavate branches. 



Bracteoles small or narrow Thespesia 



Bracteoles large ovate, sinuate or slightly lobed Kokia 



HIBISCUS L. 



Involucre none or consisting of 3 to many bracts. Staminal column antheriferous 

 below the truncate or 5 toothed apex. Ovary 5-celled, with several ascending ovules in 

 each cell. Style-branches short, 5, somewhat thickened towards the apex. Capsule 

 loculicidal; endocarp always smooth and glabrous, rarely detached. — Trees, shrubs, or 

 herbs, the trees usually clothed with a stellate pubescence. Leaves lobed or entire. 

 Flowers usually large, and of a conspicuous color, mostly single, axillary. The calyx 

 remains with the fruit. 



The genus Hibiscus is exceedingly large, consisting of not less than 180 

 species, which occur nearly all in the tropics with the exception of two found in 

 Europe. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Flowers yellow. 



Leaves cordate, acuminate H. tiliaceus 



Flowers white. 



Leaves entire, ovate, bluntly acuminate H. Arnottianus 



Leaves crenate, suborbicular, tomentose H. Waimeae 



Flowers red. 



Leaves crenate, acuminate, style branches horizontal H. Kokio 



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