340 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XIII, October, 1959 
but it can be inferred from reports in the lit- 
erature that the exclusion or accumulation of 
aluminum is closely related to the phosphorus 
metabolism of a particular species, and that 
presumably the phosphorus balance in the 
plant can be maintained either by restricting 
the intake of aluminum which precipitates 
phosphorus, or by precipitating aluminum in 
the leaf or other tissue in a form that will not 
interfere with the phosphorus metabolism. 
SUMMARY 
The aluminum content of selected Ha- 
waiian plants was determined using the "alu- 
minon” method. The plants were obtained 
largely from highly leached latosol soils of 
low pH known to have a high aluminum 
content. Aluminum content of some species 
classed as accumulators of aluminum agree 
closely with literature sources. High levels of 
aluminum are reported for the first time from 
some common grasses {Sporobolns capensis and 
Paspaliim orhiculare) and from an orchid 
{Spathoglottis plicata). Thirteen of 23 species 
qualified as accumulators (>1000 p.p.m.) 
and others had unusually low aluminum lev- 
els. A classification scheme to include 
"aluminum-excluders” is proposed and the 
relationship to phosphorus metabolism is 
discussed, including the possible influence of 
plant aluminum on phosphorus levels of 
grazing herbivores. 
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