i 
skirt as the principal article of attire, the dancer 
executes rhythmic motions of body and limbs to 
the accompaniment of the rattle of gourds and the 
tapping of small drums, or the music of stringed 
instruments. 
FLOWERS, FRUITS AND TREES 
One of the most remarkable of the flowers of 
Hawaii is the hibiscus, of which there are hundreds 
of varieties. It is seen everywhere in Honolulu, 
in neat bordering hedges or in wild luxuriance; 
in individual beauty or in astonishing profusion 
of assortment. Every now and then some enthusi¬ 
ast announces the production of a new variety. 
Prizes are offered and competition is keen among 
the fanciers. 
The night-blooming cereus, a flower from eight 
to twelve inches in length, with a large, deep, 
white calyx, shading to a rich yellow within the 
heart, usually makes its appearance during July, 
August and September. It is not abundant in 
the Islands, and wherever its goblet-like blossoms 
appear, opening after sunset, there gathers a host 
of admirers to enjoy the spectacle. In the moon¬ 
light the effect is especially beautiful. In Hono¬ 
lulu the principal display adorns the low stone 
wall of Punahou School grounds. 
Hawaii is as cosmopolitan in her plant life as 
in her population. Many countries and all conti¬ 
nents have contributed to the flora of her mid-sea 
gardens. Side by side the rose and the ylang- 
ylang bloom and old familiar homeland flowers, 
mingling their perfume with the scent of strange 
and marvelous blossoms in the multitudinous 
florist shops, welcome with friendly fragrance the 
stranger from overseas. 
Among the few fruits growing in Hawaii in 
the early days Avere the bread-fruit, coconut, 
banana, Malay Jambo (ohia) or mountain apple, 
ohelo berry, Cape gooseberry (poha), and a sort 
of raspberry. Many other kinds have since been 
introduced. The wood of the ohia is used for furni¬ 
ture, flooring, paving, railroad ties and posts. 
Several varieties of mango trees thrive through¬ 
out the Islands. Papaia trees are plentiful. 
Commercially, the pineapple is the principal fruit 
of HaAvaii, with bananas a very distant second 
(see page 15). Alligator pears, oranges, figs, 
rose apples, limes, China oranges, grapes, sonr- 
sop, strawberries and watermelons are among 
island-grown fruits. Guava jelly, poha jam and 
mango chutney are the chief home-made pre¬ 
serves. 
King Kalakaua, nearly forty years ago, was 
the first in Hawaii to devote systematic atten¬ 
tion to forestry and the propagation of useful 
trees and plants for public distribution. At one 
time sandal-wood was abundant. The Canton 
trade in this precious timber was at its height 
between 1810 and 1825, and while it lasted it 
meant Avealth for the kings and chiefs who took 
no thought for the future supply. In this day a 
sandal-wood tree is something of a curiosity on 
an island of Hawaii. 
Among the trees are the banyan, kukui, koa, 
lehua, lauhala, monkey-pod, eucalyptus, mulberry, 
and kiawe or algaroba. 
Father Baclielot is credited Avith the intro¬ 
duction of the algaroba, in 1837. A section of 
the trunk of the first Bachelot algaroba may still 
be seen in the grounds of the Catholic Mission 
which fronts on Fort street, near Beretania, in 
Honolulu. 
The kernel of the nut of the kukui Avas used 
by the Hawaiians of old to furnish the oil for 
their crude lamps. 
The wood of the koa (Hawaiian mahogany) is 
to be seen in thousands of homes in furniture and 
interior finishings. Koa calabashes, some of 
them very beautiful, are often royal heirlooms. 
Tourists prize these distinctive souvenirs of the 
HaAvaiian Islands and their manufacture is a 
considerable business. 
Of palms there are many varieties, from a 
number of which the Hawaiians Aveave fine hats 
and mats. The poinciana regia (see color plate 
on page 12) and the golden shoAver are tAvo of 
the most decorative trees of a land of delightful 
foliage. Hawaii’s toAvns are rich in flower trees, 
colorful vines, lavishly embowered lanais (ve¬ 
randas), and luxuriant gardens. 
