Hawaiian Hibiscus— Roe 
21 
tion at his home on Kauai. I investigated the 
grounds of his estate in 1957, desiring to locate 
this and other native Hibiscus that have been 
recorded as planted there by him, but none of 
them remain. 
This species is in cultivation on Kauai, as I 
recognized it on several occasions, collecting it 
in Eleele. The Eleele plants were recorded as 
having been brought from Awaawa Puhi Trail, 
Na Pali Kona Reserve (Waimea) . 
Irwin Lane, University of Hawaii, located the 
species in 1957 at Hanakapiai. 
I have the plant in cultivation on Alexander 
Street, Honolulu. It is also growing at Foster 
Botanical Gardens in Honolulu. Both plants are 
from cuttings made by St. John on the Napali 
coast, Kauai. 
9. Hibiscus kahilii C. N. Forbes 
Fig. 14 
Hibiscus kahilii C. N. Forbes. New Hawai- 
ian Plants, Bishop Mus. Occ. Pap. 5(1): 
4. 1912. 
description: Tree growing to 8 m. Petiole 
3-8 mm. long, scabrous on both sides of blade 
and petiole. Leaves 5-7 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, 
ovate-elliptic, margin serrate on the upper half, 
lower portion entire. Peduncles 1.5 cm. long, 
flowers axillary. Calyx 2. 5-3.0 cm. long, 1-1.5 
cm. width at throat, cleft 2-3 mm. from top, 
pubescent. Petals 6.0-6. 5 cm. long, 1.0 cm. wide, 
bright red, pubescent on outer side only, oblong- 
spatulate. Staminal column 5 cm. long. Styles 
8-10 mm. long. Capsule unknown. 
HOLOTYPE: Near Wahiawa Swamp, foot of 
Mt. Kahili, Wahiawa Mountains, Aug., 1909- 
C. N. Forbes 239. K. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Kauai: Wahiawa 
Mountains, Lydgate. May 1909, Rock 40 ( 2701 ). 
Northwest facing slope, ridge 34 mile north of 
Laakahi, Koloa, 900 ft. altitude, moist gulch, 
December 24, 1947, St. John 23023. 
Oahu: In cultivation on Palolo Street, brought 
there from Kauai, Oct. 25, 1956, Roe 201. 
This species was described by Charles N. 
Forbes in 1911. It is closely related to H. Kokio 
Hillebrand, from which it differs by its pubes- 
cent calyx, smaller leaf, shorter petioles, shorter 
peduncle, longer yet narrower petals, shallower 
cleft, and longer style extension. 
This species is poorly known. Forbes claimed 
it was first collected by Lydgate several years 
before he made his type collection in August, 
1909. Rock ( 1913^) cited Forbes’ species but 
did not give it lengthy treatment. Rock recently 
tried to find H. kahilii again on Kauai but was 
unsuccessful. In a letter dated August 15, 1958, 
from Albert Duvel, Kauai forester, we find H. 
kahilii still difficult to obtain. Duvel wrote, "I 
am not able to locate a place or specimen of 
H. kahilii The last record of it in its native 
environment was in 1947, when St. John (no. 
23,023) collected the species on a ridge .75 mi. 
north of Laaukahi, Koloa, Kauai. It was in a 
moist gulch at 900 ft. altitude. This species has 
been found in cultivation in Honolulu. 
In the herbarium at the Bishop Museum there 
are several specimens of a plant closely allied to 
Hibiscus kahilii. These were collected by Forbes 
(643-K) on October 22, 1916, in the Hii Moun- 
tains, Kauai. This population is undoubtedly a 
variety of H. kahilii, as it resembles it in most 
characters. The stem surface of these specimens 
is distinct, and the leaves are larger and by far 
more pubescent. I am unable to completely 
describe this variety at present, as sufficient 
material is not at hand. It has not been reported 
since 1916. 
Fig. 14. Distribution of H. kahilii and H. Saint- 
johnianus: 
Solid circles, H. kahilii 
Solid triangles, H. Saintjohnianus 
