JMyrtaceae. 



Eavika vulavula, while the red is called Kavika damudamu by the Pijians. In 

 Samoa the tree is called noniofi afi'a or nomula for the red variety, while the 

 white variety is known as nonuui. The bark of the trees is used as an astringent, 

 while the flowers and leaves are used for lung troubles. 



The trunks of the trees were hewn into posts and rafters for houses, also used 

 in making the enclosures about temples. Prom it were also made the sticks to 

 couple together the double canoes. 



SYZYGIUM Gaertn. 



Staminal discus wanting. Sepals usually short and broad or entirely missing. Petals 

 usually united and falling off together at the opening of the flowers. — Otherwise as in 

 Jambosa. 



The genus Syzygium consists of more than 140 species, of which only two or 

 three are found in tropical Africa. The majority of the species of this genus 

 occur in the East Indian-Malayan archipelago or region, while four are found 

 in Australia, of which two are endemic. The Hawaiian Islands possess a single 

 endemic species which is known by the natives as Ohia ha or Paihi. 



Syzygium sandwicense (Gray) Ndz. 



Ohia ha or Paihi on Maui. 



(Plate 126.) 



SYZYGIUM SANDWICENSE (Gray) Ndz. in Engl, et Prantl Pflzfam. III. 7. (1893) 85.— 

 Eugenia sandwicensis Gray Bot. U. S. E. E. (1854) 519; — Mann Proe. Am. Acad. 

 VII. (1867) 166, et PI. Haw. Isl. (1867) 246;— Wawra in Flora (1873) 171;— 

 Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 129.— Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pac. VI. (1890) 170;— 

 Heller in Minnes. Bot. Stud. Bull. IX. (1897) 862. 



Sometimes a tree of 20 m; branches angular, sharply margined; leaves obovate or 

 obovate-oblong, rounded and usually emarginate at the apex, glabrous, dark green or 

 yellowish brown with red veins, subcoriaceous, 4-10 em long, 3-5 cm wide, on petioles of 

 about 12 mm, the marginal nerve continuous; cymes single or compound in the axils of the 

 upper leaves, the common peduncle angular and elongate, 2.5-3.5 cm, the pedicels only 

 about 3 mm, articulate and bibracteolate below the calyx; bractlets small triangular; calyx 

 turbinate, 3-4 mm long, 4-lobed, imbricate, early deciduous; petals obovate, often emarginate, 

 pinkish, about 2 mm, generally discreet, but someti-mes united and falling off together; 

 stamens 20-30, shorter than the petals; style short; ovary 2-celled, with ID" or more ovules 

 in each cell; berry turbinate or globose, flat at the top, 8-10 mm in diameter, red; seeds 

 1 or 2, with a pale thin testa, the thick cotyledons not consolidated. 



The Ohia ha, or Paihi as it is called on Maui, occurs on all the islands of the 

 group and becomes often a tree 60 feet or more in height, with a diameter of 

 trunk of one to one and a half feet. 



The bark is reddish brown and smooth and it can therefore be distinguished 

 easily from the Ohia lehua (Metrosideros), which has rough scaly bark. The 

 wood of the Ohia ha is hard and durable and is of a reddish color. It inhabits 

 the forests of lower .elevations, but can often be found also up to 4000 feet, as, 

 for example, on Kauai in the forests of Kaholuamano and Halemanu. It 

 reaches its best development in the dense rain forest, while on open, exposed 

 ridges it becomes stunted and is inclined to be shrubby. During the late summer 



323 



