Apocynaeeae-Borraginaceae. 



anthers; stigma included, clavate; drupes dry, yellow when mature, ellipsoid or ovoid- 

 elongate; seeds 1 on each side of the placenta and peltately attached to it; testa thin, 

 chartaeeous; albumen hard and fleshy; embryo axillary; radicle superior, as long as the 

 cotyledons. 



The Holei is a small milky tree, or sometimes shrub reaching a height of 10 to 

 25 feet, having long drooping branches. The trunk usually divides a few feet 

 above the ground or has a single bole of eight inches in diameter vested in a 

 brownish smooth bark. It is conspicuous in the forest by its oblong dark green 

 leaves, which are arranged in whorls, and by its large light yellow to orange 

 colored double fruits, which are suspended on long terminal or axillary pedun- 

 cles. The flowers are yellowish and verj^ fragrant. 



The Holei, which has become rather scarce, inhabits the dry districts on the 

 leeward side of the islands, and is only abundant on the Island of Maui, at an 

 elevation of 2500 feet, back of Makawao, slopes of Haleakala, and on the lava 

 fields of Auahi. On Hawaii several trees can be found in Puaulu, on the land 

 of Keauhou, three miles from the Volcano of Kilauea, at an elevation of 4000 

 feet, as well as on the lava fields of Puuwaawaa, slopes of Hualalai. 



The Holei is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The natives knew how to 

 extract a yellow dye from the bark and roots, wherewith to stain their tapa or 

 paper clothing. The wood of the Holei is hard, fine grained and of a dark yel- 

 lowish brown color. 



Hillebrand's var. ^., which he describes as: 



"Leaves opposite 7-9 in. x 2%-3 in., on petioles of 1-1^2 in-i coriaceous, with 

 prominent nerves. Cymes densely flowered," has been raised to specific rank 

 by K. Schumann under the name : 



Ochrosia compta K. Schum. 

 Holei. 



OCHROSIA COMPTA K. Schum. in Engl, et Prantl Pflzfam. IV. 2. (1895) 156.— O. sandwi- 

 censis var. /3. Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 297. 

 Leaves coriaceous, flowers in contracted dense inflorescences. 



This is all the description given by Schumann in Engler & Prantl Natiirliche 

 Pflanzenfamilien. The writer has never met with this plant, but desires to 

 express the opinion that it is a rather doubtful species and perhaps only a form 

 of Ochrosia sandwicensis. Especially when Schumann himself thinks 0. sand- 

 wicensis to be only a form of 0. oppositifolia, a species occurring in Madagascar, 

 Mauritius, Java and Singapore. 



BORRAGINACEAE. 



The family Borraginaceae is distributed over the temperate and tropical re- 

 gions of both worlds. The main center of distribution lies in the Mediterranean 

 region. Pacific North America, especially California, is the second main center 



414 



