In handling this flower care should be taken not to let the cut stalk touch clothing, as the juice leaves a permanent stain.
SPATHIPHYLLUM
Spathiphyllum species
A blossom like a small, white Anthurium, but more fragile and with a large, rough spadix, is the Spathiphyllum. The leaves of this plant grow about two feet high and are long, pointed, blade-like and a very rich, dark green. The plant is much used as a low-growing cover in shady tropical gardens, and in pots. Unfortunately the exquisite white flowers do not last long when cut, a day being about all that can be expected.
The species commonly grown around Honolulu is called Spathiphyllum clevelandii, but this is a horticultural name and does not appear in botanical literature. The local species has not yet been satisfactorily determined. The plant is a member of the Arum family and a native of tropical America. (Plate XV)
DIEFFENBACHIA
Dieffenbachia seguine Schott
Frequently seen in collections of tropical plants, on porches or in greenhouses, and sometimes growing in the ground, are the large, green and white leaves of the Dieffenbachias. The species was named for J. F. Dieffenbach, a German botanist of the last century. There are a number of varieties, which differ as to the shape of the leaf blade and the pattern of white on them. One of these is shown on the plate, the one most frequently grown in Honolulu. The flowers are small and seldom seen. They are made up of the spathe and spadix characteristic of the Arum family.
The plant grows as a thick stalk which often lies on the ground for a distance before lifting its head of leaves. The leaf stems clasp this stalk and rings are left when they fall off. The Dieffenbachias are natives of central and South America. (Plate XVI)
GREEN TI
Cordyline terminalis Kunth
A plant which grows wild and very abundantly in the lower, wet forests of Hawaii is called Ti by the Hawaiians, (pronounced tea). It is primarily a leaf plant, the leaf blades being two or three feet long and very glossy, thick, and strong in texture. They do not wilt easily and so are useful for many things. Shredded to the midrib and strung together, they form the green skirt of the modern hula dancer. At native feasts they are used to cover the table instead of a cloth and sections of the leaves serve as plates. In some meat markets, sections of Ti leaf are used instead of waxed paper to wrap up meat, while leis wrapped in a bundle of leaves remain fresh for a long time. For culinary purposes, pieces of fish and pork, along with young leaves of the taro which taste like spinach, are wrapped in Ti leaves and steamed. The resulting dish is called a lau-lau. The Ti leaf imparts a characteristic flavor to the food it enwraps.
The Ti plant grows as a tall stalk, often woody at the base, which may be twelve feet high. The leaves appear in a tuft at the top of the stalk. From among these leaves in winter and spring comes the flower cluster. The blossoms are very small and tubular, really minute lilies, a creamy white in color, with sepals that are mauve or pinkish, so that the effect is a mass of purplish or pinkish grey and cream. The flower cluster is much branched and very graceful, being attractive even when dried. The flowers on the plant sometimes develop seed. The plant is much used in gardens for hedges and for background plantings. (Plate XVI)
A section of the old woody stem, several inches in diameter and several inches long, if placed in a shallow bowl of water will develop new shoots and become an attractive house plant.
The Ti grows on the South Sea islands, in India and Southern China. It is a member of the lily family. It enters many Polynesian myths and stories, for it was widely used by the ancient islanders as well as by their modern descendents. The thick root stock was used by early white men in Hawaii to make okolehao, the starchy root being boiled, fermented and distilled.
RED TI
Cordyline terminalis
The Ti plant varies greatly, many forms having colored foliage, and variously shaped leaves. The colors are mostly tones of red and whitish green, the hues ranging from dark maroon to bright pink while there are some with bronze and golden tones. Usually the coloring appears as irregular strips along the line of the veins. Such red foliage plants usually have cerise flowers and red berries. (Plate XVI)
POTHOS. TARO VINE. PHILODENDRON
Scindapsus aureus Linden
(Pothos aureus Linden)
The huge green and gold leaved creepers which envelop so many coconut and other trees are called Taro Vine or Pothos by the local people while they are often called Philodendron by newcomers. The real Philodendron and Pothos are closely related and once were botanically mixed. Probably the name Taro Vine was applied because the large leaves suggest those of the Taro, which is also a relative. Pothos clings to its support with strong, woody roots which, however, do not draw nourishment from the host plant, since it is not a parasite. In the sun, under normal conditions the leaves are marked with gold, but when the vine grows in the dark they remain green and small, seeming almost a different plant. In this form it is often grown in water indoors.
It is a member of the Arum family and a native of the Solomon islands. (Plate XVI)
CALADIUM. VARIEGATED-LEAVED A’PES
Caladium bicolor Ventonat
Shady tropical gardens often make use of the colored Caladiums to give color and they are also frequently seen growing in pots. The heart-shaped leaves of these plants are marked with red and light green in almost endless variations and designs, so that they become a specialist’s hobby. Some are blotched with red and white; others have designs that are as fine as lace. The plants grow from tubers, several leaves pushing up on long slender stems. During part of the year these leaves die back and the plant rests. Caladiums are members of the Arum family and natives of tropical South America. (Plate XVI)
MONSTERA VINE
Monstera deliciosa Liebmann
Large curious leaves with many natural holes in them, characterize the Monstera vine which is often seen in Honolulu. On mature plants the leaves are very large, thick, green and glossy. They tend to a pinnate form, and holes in the leaves continue the openings between the veins. The plant grows slowly, clinging by aerial roots to a support. Some of these roots hang down string-like, toward the ground.
Under favorable conditions the plant bears large, pinkish flowers, in general form like those of the A’pe illustrated on Plate XVI. The spathe is large, pinkish, thick, soft and flesh-like in texture. It covers the spadix like a tent, but falls off in a few days. The spadix holds the inconspicuous, densely packed flowers which develop into many small berries, closely packed together, so that the entire fruit, when mature, resembles a large greenish cone. Its flavor is thought to be like that of pineapples and bananas, probably inspiring the specific name of deliciosa.
This plant is a native of Mexico and Guatemala and a member of the Arum family. (Plate XVI)
RHOEO. TRADESCANTIA
Rhoeo discolor Hance
Stiff rosettes about a foot and a half high, made up of pointed leaves which are purplish-red below and green above are the Rhoeo or Tradescantia. This little plant grows so easily it is seen in many gardens, adding color to shady corners. In the axils of the leaves appears a boat-shaped, spathe-like growth in which are the small white flowers. Each has three sepals and three petals. The Rhoeo is a native of Mexico and the West Indies. It is a relative of the Wandering Jew and belongs to the Commelina family. (Plate XVI)
A’PE
Alocasia macrorhiza Schott
Very large, heart-shaped leaves, some of them on stems four or five feet high, grow up from the rootstalk of the A’pe plant. The name (pronounced Ah-pay) is a Hawaiian word first applied to a native species which has glossy, green leaves and greenish yellow flowers. Another A’pe (the one illustrated on Plate XVI) has dull leaves and pinkish flowers. The strange flowers are a foot long and have an unpleasant odor.
The A’pes are closely related to the Taros (Colocasias) which are the principle food plant of the Hawaiian people. The thick root stalk of the taro is boiled and mashed, to become poi.
Footnotes
through erroneous determination. C. nodosa is a very different tree.
Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- A
- Acacia koa, 43
- Acalypha hispida, 56
- Acalypha wilkesiana, 68
- Acapulco, 51
- Adansonia digitata, 15
- Adenanthera pavonina, 27
- African tulip, 13
- Aglaia odorata, 36
- Aleurites moluccana, 45
- Algaroba, 14
- Allamanda blanchetti, 72
- Allamanda cathartica, 71
- Allamanda hendersonii, 71
- Alocasia macrorhiza, 102
- Alpinia mutica, 88
- Alpinia nutans, 88
- Alpinia purpurata, 89
- Althea, 22
- Anthurium, 15
- Anthurium andraeanum, 96
- Antigonon leptopus, 80
- A’pe, 12, 13, 100, 102
- Arabian coffee, 62
- Artocarpus incisa, 12
- Awapuhi, 87
- B
- Baby Morning glory, 72
- Bag flower, 81
- Banana, 12, 94
- Banana, purple flowering, 97
- Banyan, Bengal, 12
- Baobab, 15
- Bauhinia corymbosa, 78
- Bauhinia monandra, 31
- Bauhinia variegata, 31
- Beach naupaka, 58
- Beaumontia grandiflora, 85
- Beefsteak plant, 68
- Beloperone guttata, 48
- Beloperone nemorosa, 48
- Be-still tree, 13, 28
- Bignonia, garlic scented, 79
- Bignonia jasminoides, 74
- Bignonia regina, 74
- Bignonia unguis-cati, 76
- Bignonia venusta, 73
- Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia, 56
- Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia, 95
- Bixa orellana, 52
- Bleeding heart, 81
- Blue butterfly pea, 85
- Bottle tree, 15
- Bottlebrush tree, 35
- Bombax, 37
- Bombax ellipticum, 37
- Bougainvillea, crimson lake, 12
- Bougainvillea glabra, 83
- Bougainvillea spectabilis, 83
- Brassaia actinophylla, 12
- Breadfruit tree, 12
- Brunfelsia americana, 53
- Brunfelsia hopeana, 53
- Butterfly hibiscus, 21
- C
- Caesalpinia gilliesii, 56
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima, 55
- Caladium, 12
- Caladium bicolor, 100
- Calliandra grandiflora, 61
- Calliandra haematoma, 42, 62
- Callistemon lanceolatus, 35
- Calophyllum inophyllum, 43
- Calotropis gigantea, 57
- Canavalia microcarpa, 74
- Candlebush, 51
- Candlenut tree, 45
- Cape honeysuckle, 13, 56
- Caricature plant, 13, 69
- Carissa grandiflora, 64
- Cassia alata, 51
- Cassia fistula, 29
- Cassia glauca, 61
- Cassia grandis, 32
- Cassia gaudichaudii, 61
- Cassia hybrida, 32
- Cassia javanica, 30
- Cassia nodosa, 30
- Cat’s claw vine, 76
- Ceiba pentandra, 14, 38
- Ceylon morning-glory, 75
- Chain of love vine, 80
- Chenille plant, 56
- Chinaman’s hat, 62
- China rose, 20
- Chinese ginger, 87
- Chinese rice flower tree, 13, 36
- Clerodendron squamatum, 47
- Clerodendron thomsonae, 81
- Clitoria ternatea, 85
- Coconut, 39
- Codiaeum variegatum, 66
- Coffea arabica, 62
- Coffea liberica, 63
- Colocasia, 102
- Convolvulus mauritanicus, 72
- Copa de Oro, 81
- Coral bush (Jatropha), 63
- Coral hibiscus, 20
- Coral plant (Russelia), 52
- Coral tree, 26
- Cordia sebestena, 45
- Cordia subcordata, 45
- Cordyline terminalis, 99
- Costus speciosus, 89
- Costus spicatus, 89
- Cotton, 53
- Crepe myrtle, 57
- Crimson lake bougainvillea, 83
- Crinum, 93
- Croton, 66
- Crown flower, 57
- Crown of thorns, 60
- Cup and saucer plant, 62
- Cup of gold, 81
- Cydista aequinoctialis, 79
- D
- Date palm, 13
- Dieffenbachia seguine, 98
- Dioclea altissima, 74
- Dombeya spectabilis, 61
- Dombeya wallichii, 61
- Duranta repens, 48
- Dwarf Poinciana, 55
- E
- Eranthemum eldorado, 67
- Eranthemum, flowering, 49, 67
- Eranthemum purpureum, 67
- Erythrina indica, 26
- Erythrina monosperma, 27
- Euphorbia pulcherrima, 60
- Euphorbia splendens, 60
- Exoria, 51
- F
- False kamani, 43
- False wili-wili, 14
- Ficus bengalensis, 12
- Firecracker vine, 73
- Flamboyant, 24
- Flamingo vine, 96
- Flowering Eranthemum, 49
- Frangipani, 27
- Freycinetia arnottii, 42
- G
- Galphimia glauca, 50
- Galphimia vine, 76
- Garlic vine, 79
- Giant Indian milkweed, 57
- Giant potato vine, 77
- Ginger blossoms, 87
- Ginger lily, 90
- Gold tree, 23
- Golden dewdrop, 48
- Golden Eranthemum, 67
- Golden Heliconia, 96
- Golden shower, 29
- Gossypium barbadense, 53
- Graptophyllum pictum, 69
- Graveyard flower, 27
- Green Ti, 99
- H
- Hala, 12, 40
- Hau tree, 40
- Haole lehua, 42, 61
- Hedychium coronarium, 90
- Hedychium flavum, 88
- Hedychium gardnerianum, 90
- Heliconia, 14
- Heliconia elongata, 96
- Heliconia humilis, 96
- Heliconia latispatha, 96
- Hibiscus, 13, 27
- Hibiscus arnottianus, 19
- Hibiscus brackenridgei, 19
- Hibiscus kokio, 19
- Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, 20
- Hibiscus schizopetalus, 20
- Hibiscus syriacus, 22
- Hibiscus tiliaceus, 40
- Hibiscus Waianae, 19
- Hibiscus youngianus, 19
- Hinano, 41
- Holmskioldia sanguinea, 62
- Hoya carnosa, 85
- Huapala vine, 73
- Hug-me-tight, 76
- J
- Jacaranda ovalifolia, 35
- Jacaranda tree, 13, 35
- Jacquemontia pentantha, 72
- Jasmine, star, 50
- Jasminum multiflorum, 50
- Jasminum pubescens, 50
- Jasminum sambac, 59
- Jatropha, 13
- Jatropha multifida, 63
- Jatropha podagrica, 63
- Justicia carnea, 56
- Justicia strictum, 56
- K
- Kahili ginger, 90
- Kalamona, 61
- Kamani tree, 43
- Kapok tree, 14, 38
- Kiawe tree, 14
- Kigelia pinnata, 16
- Koa tree, 16, 43
- Kokio, 19
- Kona coffee, 62
- Kou tree, 14, 45
- Kuhio vine, 82
- Kukui tree, 12, 45
- L
- Lagerstroemia indica, 57
- Lagerstroemia speciosa, 57
- Lantana camara, 59
- Lantana sellowiana, 59
- Lasiandra, 64
- Lauae fern, 13
- Lauhala, 40
- Lehua, 42
- Lipstick plant, 52
- Lobster claw, 96
- Lochnera rosea, 49
- M
- Madagascar periwinkle, 49
- Malpighia coccigera, 60
- Malvaviscus arboreus, 22
- Mauna Loa vine, 74
- Mai sui lan, 36
- Metrosideros polymorpha, 42
- Mexican creeper, 80
- Michelia champaca, 36
- Milo tree, 13, 44
- Mock orange, 55
- Monkeypod tree, 12, 34
- Monstera deliciosa, 101
- Morado, 69
- Murraya exotica, 55
- Musa rosacea, 97