68 Proteaceae. 
The Silk} - Oak, which is a large tree, in fact the largest in the 
genus, may be seen planted along roadsides, as on Young Street behind 
the quarters of the Board of Agriculture, and along various other 
streets in Honolulu. It often, reaches a height of eighty to one hun- 
dred feet, and is quite robust, whence its specific name. The generic 
name refers to the Right Hon. C. F. Greville, a patron of botany in 
the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. 
The leaves are pinnate, graceful and fern-like, six to eight inches 
long and silky underneath ; the tree bears a profusion of orange- 
yellow flowers on racemes which are solitary or several on short 
leafless branches. The follicle (a fruit of one carpel) is somewhat 
leather}', opens in two valves and encloses a winged seed which is 
extremely light, and as the trees are usually quite lofty it is diffi- 
cult to collect the seeds, which are blown about by the wind as 
soon as the follicles open. 
The timber of the Silky Oak is light in color but has handsome 
oak-like markings. It has been employed for wine casks, but seems 
to be too porous to hold spirits. It was formerly used in Australia 
for milk buckets and other dairy utensils, and has now come into 
use again for butter boxes. 
The trunk gives off an exudation of both gum and resin which 
is of a peculiar yellow color and has a very disagreeable odor. 
The Silky Oak is a native of Queensland, where it occurs in the 
brush forest, but not many miles from the coast. It is quite droueht- 
resistant, and has on that account been cultivated and planted ex- 
tensively in many tropical countries. Its tenacious vitality, quick 
growth, hardiness and value of timber make it a desirable tree. In 
this Territory it flourishes from sea-level to four thousand feet ele- 
vation on Haleakala, Maui, and is not at all particular in regard to 
climate. Owing to its being deciduous or rather semi-deciduous it 
is not well suited for street planting, and as its appearance is not 
altogether graceful it should not be used for avenues, but should be 
planted where wind-break is required or for other utilitarian rather 
than ornamental purposes. 
Grevillea Banksii R. Br., which is a tall shrub or slender tree 
fifteen to twenty feet in height, has red flowers, is much smaller 
than the Grevrllea robusta, and indeed worth}- of cultivation. It is 
indigenous to Queensland. 
