Guttiferae-Flaeourtiaeeae. 



Nauru (Micronesia) it is employed for skin diseases. In Fiji the tree is known 

 as Dial. Seeman in his Flora of Fiji writes: "The most valuable oil pro- 

 duced in Fiji is that extracted from the seeds of this tree. The natives use it 

 for greasing their bodies and polishing their arms." 



The Hawaiians used the wood for calabashes or poi bowls. In India the tree 

 is known as Alexandrian Laurel and its wood is used for cabinet work, ma- 

 chinery, railway sleepers and mast spars. The wood is moderately hard, close 

 grained and of a reddish brown color. The resin exuding from the bark is 

 useful in indolent ulcers. 



FLACOURTIACEAE 



This family, consisting of 70 genera and more than 500 species, is exclu- 

 sively tropical. Not a single species is found either in Europe or North America. 

 They are distributed from India to Australia, Africa and the Pacific islands. 

 Nearly all Flacourtiaceae inhabit the lowlands or lower forest zone. 



The family is represented in the Hawaiian Islands by two species belonging 

 to the genus Xylosma. 



XYLOSMA Forst. 



Flowers dioecious, rarely polygamous. Calyx lobes 4 to 5, somewhat united at the 

 base, imbricate, usually ciliate. Petals none. Stamens numerous, surrounded by an an- 

 nular discus, the latter often consisting of several glands; filaments free, filiform, long; 

 anthers round or elliptical, 2-celled, extrorse, versatile. Ovary wanting in the male flow- 

 ers, surrounded by a discus or rarely by staminodia, 1-celled, free, with 2 to 3 placentas, 

 each with 2 or (4 to 6) ascending, epitropous ovules. Style short, occasionally entirely 

 missing. Stigma peltately lobed. Fruit a 2 to 8 seeded berry with little fruit flesh. Seeds 

 obovoid with rich albumen, embryo large, with broad cotyledons.— Small trees or shrubs, 

 often with axillary thorns, but unarmed in the Hawaiian species. Leaves alternate, 

 shortly petioled, entire ,6t dentate-crenate, coriaceous without stipules. Flowers small, 

 in short axillary racemes with small bracts. 



A genus of 45 species, distributed over all tropical countries, with the excep- 

 tion of Africa. Thirty-two species alone are found in America, while only four 

 are known from Polynesia, including the two Hawaiian species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Leaves entire; stigma sessile, generally 3 X. Hawaiiense 



Leaves crenate or sinuate; stigmas raised on a, style, generally 2 X. Hillfcbrandii 



Xylosma Hawaiiense Seem. 

 Maua. 



XYLOSMA HAWAIIENSE Seem. Flora Vit. (1865) 7;— Mann Proc. Am. Acad. VIL 

 (1867) 150, et Fl. Haw. Isl. Proc. Ess. Inst. V. (1867) 122; — Wawra in Flora 

 (1873) 171;— Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 20;— Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pac. 

 VI. (1890) 109. — Myroxylon Hawaiiense (Seem.) O. Ktze. Eev. Gen. PI. (1891) 

 44; — Warburg in Engl, et Prantl III. 6a. (1893) 41;— Heller PI. Haw. Isl. 

 Minnes. Bot. Stud. Bull. IX. (1897) 856. 



Leaves distichous on petioles of 12 mm, ovate or rounded 7.5 to 10 cm long, 6 to 7.5 

 cm wide, shortly acuminate, entire, thick, coriaceous, glabrous; flowers small greenish or 



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