28 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, January 1961 
scarcely palmately veined with 3 strong nerves 
and 2 less prominent nerves branching from 
base of blade. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves. 
Involucre with 5—7 linear-lanceolate bracts 0.7— 
1.0 cm. long. Calyx tubular, 2-3 cm. long, 0.8- 
1.0 cm. wide, 3 acute lobes, cleft 5 mm. from 
apex, glabrous to slightly pilose. Corolla white 
often with a slight pink tinge. Petals 7-12 cm. 
long, 2-3 cm. wide. Staminal column long 
exerted, 10-15 cm. long, red, free filament tips 
1.0— 1.8 cm. long, from upper half of column. 
Style branches erect, 5-8 mm. long. Capsule 
chartaceous, 2-3 cm. long. Seeds reniform, 4- 
5 mm. tomentose, dark brown. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Oahu: North slope 
of Mt. Tantalus (tree 6 m. tall; 45 cm. DBH), 
June 15, 1930, Christopherson 1373. Beside 
stream in open forest, Wailupe, Kului, June 23, 
1937, F. E. Egler No. 37-68. Konahuanui, Jan. 
6, 1909, C. N. Forbes 1000.0. East side of Nuu- 
anu Valley, Oct. 1910, C. N. Forbes 1601.0. 
Waialae Valley, October 15, 1914, C. N. Forbes 
1948.0; also May 4, 1914, Forbes 2496.0; and 
January 1919, Forbes 2522.0. Manoa Cliff Trail, 
April 11, 1920, Gerber D. Wesley 372. "Hau- 
hele” Hillebrand. Niu, Hillebrand and Lydgate. 
Tantalus Ridge, September 5, 1909, H. L . Lyon. 
"Oahu” H. Mann and W. T . Brigham 530 (2 
sheets). Mt. Tantalus, July 8, 1922, C. Skotts- 
berg 84. North end at junction of Manoa Cliff 
and Pauoa Trails, 1300 feet, Tantalus, Manoa 
(tree 8 m. x 2 dm.), April 17, 1957, St. John 
26053. 
There has been so much confusion and con- 
troversy regarding Gray’s H. Arnottianus that 
a presentation of its history is necessary. His 
original description (1838) of H. Arnottianus 
reads: 
H. fructicosus, glaberrimus; foliis ovatis sen 
ovalibus subcoriaceis integerrimis (nunc sub- 
dentates) basi tri-nervatis; floribus solitariis 
pedunculatis; involucelli phyllis 5-7 parvis de- 
ciduis; petalis (rubis) oblongis basi attenuatis 
atque in tubum gracilem calyce cylindrico long- 
iorem coalitis; columna staminea proelonga spit- 
hamoea; capsula polysperma. 
Hibiscus Arnottianus, Gray in herb. Hook 
anno 1837 
H. Boryanus, Hook & Arn Bot. Beech. Voy. 
non DC 
Hab. Sandwich Islands; on the Kaala Moun- 
tains behind Honolulu, Oahu; where it was 
gathered by Macrae, Lay & Collie, Diell, 
Barclay, etc. (Byron’s Bay, Hawaii; Macrae, 
Diell.) 
This description includes a red-flowered hi- 
biscus having the long staminal column char- 
acteristic of the white-flowered Oahu plant. 
There are at least two distinct species included 
in Gray’s description of H. Arnottianus. 
Hillebrand described as new the small red- 
flowered hibiscus, calling it H. Kokio Hbd. He 
stated his belief that the red-flowered hibiscus 
from Byron’s Bay, referred to by Hooker and 
Arnott under H. Boryanus and considered by 
Gray as the H. Arnottianus from "Byron’s Bay, 
Hawaii, Macrae,” belonged to the taxon H. 
Kokio. 
Hillebrand applied the name H. Arnottianus 
to the plant collected during Beechey’s voyage 
and distinguished it from his newly described 
H. Kokio. It is presumed that Hillebrand studied 
the types. 
Heller in 1897 studied both plants in ques- 
tion and concluded that Gray’s type for H. Ar- 
nottianus was probably collected by Diell at 
Byron’s Bay and that it had red flowers. Heller 
at that time was in a position to designate the 
type but did not do so. Gray mentioned first 
"the Kaala mountains behind Honolulu” and 
secondly, in brackets, "Byron’s Bay, Hawaii, 
Macrae, Diell.” Heller felt that the white- 
FlG. 22. Hibiscus Arnottianus Gray. 
