Malvaceae. 



Hibiscus tiliaceus L. 

 Hau. 



HIBISCUS TILIACEUS Linn. Spec, plant, ed. I. (1753) 694;— Porst. Prodr. (1786) no. 

 261;— DC. Prodr. I. (1824) 454;— Endl. PI. Suds. (1836) 182, no. 1504;— Seem. Fl. 

 Vit. (1865) 18;— Mann in Proc. Am. Acad. VII. (1867) 157, et Fl. Haw. Isl. Proc. 

 Ess. Inst. V. (1867) 140;— Wawra in Flora (1873) 173;— Mrs. Sincl. Indig. Flow. 

 Haw. Isl. (1885) pi. 1;— Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pae. VI. (1890) 121;— 

 Brigham Ka Hana Kapa, Mem. B. P. B. Mus. III. (1911) 132, fig. 82.— Paritium 

 tiliaceum A. St.-Hil. Flora Bras, mer. I. (1827) 256; — Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. 

 (1854) 178;— Nadeaud Enum. Tahit. PI. (1873) no. 429;— Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. 

 (1888) 49. 



Leaves on long petioles, orbicular-cordate, shortly acuminate, entire, pabiiately 7 to 9 

 nerved; stipules large ovate, caducous; involucre campanulate, half the length of the calyx 

 with 10 to 12 acute lobes; lobes of the calyx lanceolate; petals large yellow, usually with 

 a dark center or pure yellow; capsule about 2.5 cm in diameter, opening into 5 valves; 3 

 naked seeds to each cell. 



The Hau is one of the most common trees found on the lowlands and on the 

 beaches on all the islands ; it is a cosmopolitan and occurs in all tropical coun- 

 tries, but is especially plentiful in the South Sea Islands. It is a very useful 

 tree and is much desired on account of its shade, and is therefore trained into 

 lanais or arbors. The wood serves for outriggers of canoes, while the bark fur- 

 nishes a tough and pliable bast for ropes. In Fiji the bark is chiefly used for 

 the women's "liku," a dress consisting of a number of fringes attached to a 

 waist-band. The bark is stripped off, steeped in water to render it soft and to 

 allow the fibers to separate. According to Dr. Hillebrand, a decoction is made 

 of the flowers by the natives as a useful emollient in bronchial and intestinal 

 catarrhs. The Vitian and Tahitian name is Fau, Pago at Guam, Varo or Baro 

 in Madagascar, and Au in Rarotonga. 



Hibiscus Arnottianus Gray. 



Kohia keokeo. 



(Plate 114.) 



HIBISCUS ARNOTTIANUS Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. (1854) 176;— Mann in Proc. Am. Acad. 

 VII. (1867) 157,— et Fl. Haw. Isl. Proc. Ess. Inst. V. (1867) 139;— "Wawra in 

 Flora (1873) 173;— Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1878) 48;— Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. 

 Pac. VL (1890) 121;— Heller in Minnes Bot. Stud. Bull. IX. (1897) 851.— 

 H. Boryamus H. et A. Bot. Beech. (1832) 79. (n. DC.) ;— Endl. Flora Suds. (1836) 

 182, no. 1495.— Hibiscus Fauriei Leveil. Fedde Eepert. X. 6/9. (1911) 120. 



Leaves large of variable size, ovate, bluntly acuminate, entire, 3-nerved, chartaceous, 

 dark green; stipules subulate, caducous; flowers solitary in the axils, white with pinkish 

 veins, or pure white even the pistil, (Molokai, Wailau), pedicels articulate near the end; 

 involucral bracts 5 to 7, triangular to lanceolate, 4 to 6 mm long, calyx 16 to 24 mm, 

 tubular, 5-toothed splitting laterally when with fruit; petals white, obovate-oblong, or 

 lanceolate and free, (very variable), 7.5 to 10 cm or more long; staminal column long ex- 

 serted, 10 to 15 cm long, red or white, sending off filaments of 12 to 16 mm, from its 

 upper half or third; style branches 6 to 8 mm, erect; capsule elongate, as long as thei 

 calyx, chartaceous; seeds 5 mm, reniform. 



In regard to the nomenclature of this species there seems to have been some 

 doubt. Heller and others thought that the white native Hibiscus was without 

 a name, as Gray in his description of H. Arnottianus says : flowers red * * *. 



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