By the same authors
THE TROPICAL GARDEN
Its design, horticulture and plant materials.

Copyright 1943
By Loraine E. Kuck and Richard C. Tongg
All rights reserved.
Printed in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.

Preface

The working title of this book during its preparation was that question so often on the lips of tourists in Hawaii,

“What flower is that?”

Had there still been tourists in Honolulu, it is likely that that name would have been used on the cover, for the book is designed to help answer it. Now that the islands are filled with visitors intent on more serious business than pleasure, it has seemed best to call it simply “Hawaiian Flowers.” It is published at this time in the hope that some of these visitors may find in it an hour’s escape from the strain and pressure of war. For, in spite of war, the flowers still bloom in Honolulu, often right over the bomb shelters that fill gardens and parks.

In using the book to help identify the island flowers, it is hoped that the color plates and descriptions together, will make it fairly easy for the layman. Persons interested in more serious study will know how to go to more technical works for information. Care has been taken to have each name accurate to aid those going to the accepted authorities.

In making the color plates the attempt has been made to have them both artistic and scientific, a difficult undertaking under any circumstances. In striving to present pictures of individual flowers so they may be identified, it has been necessary, at times, to sacrifice the gorgeous effects presented in nature by masses of these flowers; such, for instance, as is seen on the Shower trees. The writers wish to take this opportunity to thank Ted Mundorff, the artist, for his trouble in making the reproductions as accurate as possible.

They wish, also, to express appreciation to Mr. Edward L. Caum, botanist with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Experiment Station, for reading the manuscript and checking the botanical information it contains. Mrs. Arthur Silverman, in the Library of Hawaii, has been most helpful in looking up obscure references.

Works consulted in preparing the book include Rock’s “Ornamental Trees of Hawaii,” and his “Indigenous Trees of Hawaii”; Marie Neal’s book, “In Honolulu Gardens” and Bailey’s Cyclopedia of Horticulture.

Honolulu, 1943

Contents

PAGE

Introduction

Where to See Hawaiian Flowers 11

Chapter I

Hawaii’s Own Flower, The Hibiscus 17

Chapter II

The Blossoming Trees 23

Chapter III

Native Trees 39

Chapter IV

Tropical Shrubs 47

Chapter V

Colored Foliage Shrubs 65

Chapter VI

Flowering Vines 71

Chapter VII

Ginger Blossoms 87

Chapter VIII

Special Tropical Flowers 93

Index 103

List of Illustrations

OPPOSITE PAGE

Plate I

Hibiscus 16

Plate II

Flowering Trees 16

Plate III

Flowering Trees 16

Plate IV

Flowering Trees 16

Plate V

Native Trees 48

Plate VI

Tropical Shrubs 48

Plate VII

Tropical Shrubs 48

Plate VIII

Tropical Shrubs 48

Plate IX

Tropical Shrubs 64

Plate X

Colored Foliage Shrubs 64

Plate XI

Flowering Vines 64

Plate XII

Flowering Vines 64

Plate XIII

Flowering Vines 80

Plate XIV

Ginger Blossoms 80

Plate XV

Special Tropical Flowers 80

Plate XVI

Special Tropical Flowers 80

Introduction
WHERE TO SEE HAWAIIAN FLOWERS?

If you are already in Hawaii, this question will seem purely rhetorical, since the answer is so obviously, “Anywhere.” There are few places indeed, in the islands, where flowers of some sort are not in sight. Mostly, of course, these are the Hibiscus, but you will soon notice others and the quest for new ones is apt to develop into a full-sized hobby. For the benefit of newcomers, a few of the gardens, parks and drives where you will find many Hawaiian trees and flowers are given here. By the time you have covered these places, you will know how to go on by yourself.

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL GARDEN

Few finer, tropical gardens can be found in the Islands than the one which forms a setting for the Royal Hawaiian Hotel at Waikiki. Not only does it contain a very large assortment of trees, shrubs and special tropical plants, many of them rare, but it has been laid out to make the very most of the charm inherent in the words “tropical garden.” There are cool, green, jungle depths, gorgeous blossoms and wide shady lawns, all beautifully maintained.

To see these gardens it is best to start at the hotel steps, facing the coconut grove. This particular group of palms probably contains the oldest ones in Honolulu, some of the tallest, slender trees being estimated at well over a hundred years in age. Hawaiian kings kept their surf boards in the shade of these trees. In the early days, indeed, they were almost the only trees of any kind in the city. Old pictures show a dusty, sun-baked expanse between Honolulu harbor and Waikiki, with this grove standing up conspicuously. The luxuriant green growth of gardens which now mantles Honolulu is something comparatively recent in its existence, the result of a water system and an interest in gardens.

Near the steps and terrace of the hotel you will find plants with colored foliage including Crotons, red-leaved Tis and the Beefsteak plant. The fountain is surrounded with Lauae fern (Polypodium phymatodes) and near it grow the heart-shaped leaves of Caladiums and A’pes, (pronounced ah-pays). This is the Hawaiian word for various plants of the Taro family.

To the left of the fountain stands a magnificent specimen of a Monkeypod tree, throwing out its giant branches over a wide expanse of lawn. Beyond it is a Bengal banyan, (Ficus bengalensis), with bunches of aerial roots dangling from the branches. When they touch the ground they develop into secondary trunks.

The arbor is covered with Crimson Lake Bougainvillea. In the plantings around it you can find the shrubs illustrated on Plate VI, for the flowers pictured on it were gathered at this spot.

Further along, to the right, is a Pink and White Shower tree, a Golden Shower and an Octopus tree. The latter, (Brassaia actinophylla), can be identified by its radiating, octopus-like arms, covered with dark red buds or blossoms. There is also a Hala or Pandanus in this area.

Walking across the lawn and turning left, you pass the thick border of Oleander and Hibiscus shrubs which screen out the street. In this section may be found a Royal Poinciana, a Potato tree, a Kukui and some Breadfruit trees, (Artocarpus incisa). You can tell the latter by their very large, deeply lobed, oblong leaves, and the rough, round, green fruit, about the size of a muskmelon, which grows on the ends of the branches. This fruit, when baked, tastes something like a sweet potato. Here is also a Pomegranate tree and beyond are Bananas.

Turning again to the left you enter the real tropical garden, a cool, green, jungle under the second coconut grove. Some of the trunks of these palms are enwrapped in the great green and gold leaves of the Pothos or Philodendron vine. Growing under the tall palms are lesser ones, along with bamboos and tree ferns. The latter have soft, fibrous, brown trunks with three or four very large, typical, fern-leaves growing out of the top. The paths hereabouts are bordered with more of the Lauae fern and with Begonias and Anthuriums, while green and red Ti plants and A’pes fill in the background. If you keep somewhat to the left, you approach the hotel building again, where you will find the Torch Gingers and Red Gingers serving as a base planting.

As you pass beyond the building you can see a Tiger’s Claw tree and over to the right, near the road, a Plumeria. Planted around here are Spider Lilies and Shell Gingers. Near the side door of the hotel are Tecomarias or Cape Honeysuckle, and nearby is a glowing African Tulip tree.

The wide grassy cove that fills the curve of the building beyond is bordered by a very fine collection of Hibiscus. Trees in this area include the Yellow Poinciana, more Shower trees and, across the lawn, an old specimen of the Papaya. This has a smooth trunk marked by the leaf scars. The leaves grow out stiffly, on long stems, near the top. The fruit grows directly out of the main trunk.

If you cross the driveway and follow the walk, starting near the entrance, that leads to the tennis courts, you will pass a different assortment of trees and shrubs, those that like sun and not too much water. Date palms have thick, grey-green fronds and rough, stubby trunks. There are pink Plumerias, a Chinese Rice Flower tree, a Milo and Be-still trees. Near the tennis court is a Jacaranda and some Lime trees, and at the very end are both purple and white flowering Orchid trees. Near the Sports Office you can find Jatropha shrubs, the Caricature plant and the red and yellow Pride of Barbadoes.

Returning to the hotel you pass one of the most common trees in the island, the Kiawe or Algaroba, (Prosopis chilensis). It is a spreading, light-foliaged tree, often twisted picturesquely. It has fine, bipinnate leaves, small spikes of tiny, yellow flowers and yellow, bean-like pods. These trees now cover large areas of the island, although the seed of the original tree was brought here in 1828 by the Catholic missionary, Father Bachelot. They are natives of tropical America.

Bordering the drive at the rear of the hotel you can find the Lobster Claw, (Heliconia), and a specimen of the Kou tree. Growing on the large old Monkeypod trees that shade the motor turn-around are examples of the curious Staghorn fern.

DRIVING FROM WAIKIKI TO TOWN

The ride from Waikiki to the center of Honolulu provides an opportunity to see many more trees and flowers. If you go by the Ala Moana, you pass by Moana Park bordering the shore. It holds a building, with a large inclosed court, where the Flower Shows usually take place, and where the Park Board has its office.

If you go by way of Kalakaua avenue and King street, you will be interested in knowing that the line of trees growing in the parkway down the middle of Kalakaua for some blocks before reaching King, are Mahogany trees. At the corner of King and Keeaumoku is a park-like square with some fine, very old trees, including some of the Kapok, (Ceiba pentandra) which produces the kapok floss of commerce. This has huge surface roots, almost like flying buttresses. The building in this square is the office of the Territorial Board of Agriculture and Forestry.

A few blocks farther down King street is Thomas Square. In peace times you can watch the fountain in the center of this park as you sit under the shade of the four giant Banyans. There are specimens of the false Wili-wili here, which scatter their red seeds on the ground in early spring. Facing Thomas Square on the makai side is the private estate of the Wards known as the Old Plantation, closed to the public. On the other is the Honolulu Academy of Arts, which is open to the public.

The Academy has two delightful court gardens in the building, one an Oriental, Chinesque garden, the other a Persian courtyard. At the back are a series of small formal gardens. There are always unusual flower arrangements in the Academy building.

Near the center of Honolulu is Iolani Palace, former home of royalty and now the capitol of the Territory. In the park around this building are many fine old trees and some interesting shrubs.

A short distance from the palace, up Punchbowl street, stands the Queen’s Hospital. Years ago some unusual trees were planted in its grounds, including the Bombax. There is a good example of the curious Bottle tree or Baobab, (Adansonia digitata), near the entrance by the Emergency hospital. You can recognize it by its trunk, which quickly tapers from about five feet in diameter to hardly more than one foot, as various limbs branch off.

If you go straight out King street, past Fort Shafter, you will come to Moanalua Gardens, a park-like area at the foot of the hill. This is a private estate belonging to the Damon family, but the public is invited to visit it. There is a pond with tropical water lilies and some extremely large trees. There are also greenhouses filled with Orchids and Anthuriums which visitors are sometimes invited to enter.

NUUANU AVENUE

A ride out Nuuanu avenue, will reveal a wealth of trees and flowers. On the left hand side, shortly before reaching School street, you come to Foster Park. This old estate is now a public park, presented by Mrs. Mary Foster, but originally it was the garden of Dr. William Hillebrand. He was an early botanist and lover of flowers, who imported many new things into the islands and planted them here. The size of some of his old trees is now tremendously impressive. Besides this, the city has collected here many unusual plants. It also maintains a greenhouse in which visitors can see Orchids in bloom and many other unusual, exotic plants.

Farther out, Nuuanu avenue is bordered by the fine homes of some of Honolulu’s well-to-do citizens. From the road you can catch many glimpses of charming gardens. Farther up Nuuanu valley you run into a wild, natural growth. Here you can find Koa trees, yellow Gingers and green Tis.

MANOA VALLEY

Another interesting ride is through Manoa Valley, where there are many more homes and gardens. This takes you past the campus of Punahou school which holds a large number of interesting trees. Along its lower wall is the famous hedge of Night Blooming Cereus. These flowers have their blossoming period in July, August, and September.

If you follow Manoa Road, you will come to Waioli Tea Room, run by the Salvation Army Girls’ Home. In the garden there is a real Hawaiian grass house.

Returning down Oahu Avenue you come to a small square, called Kamanele Park, which holds an unusual Rainbow Shower tree. A turn to the left here will take you into the grounds of Mid-Pacific School; at the back is the nursery of the Mid-Pacific Horticultural Establishment to which visitors are welcome.

A short distance beyond Kamanele Park is the campus of the University of Hawaii. This holds many unusual plants and trees, including the famous Sausage tree (Kigelia pinnata). It grows in the lower corner, across from the fountain.

DIAMOND HEAD AND KAHALA

Still another interesting drive is to go toward Diamond Head from Waikiki, passing through Kapiolani Park, with its row of Ironwood trees (Casuarina equisetifolia), like mainland evergreens. The road around Diamond Head passes many more fine gardens, and farther on you come to the residential area known as Kahala.

Identification key

(1) Coral Hibiscus

(2) Double Yellow Hybrid

(3) Waterfall Hybrid Hibiscus

(4) Turk’s Cap

(5) Rose of Sharon

(6) Common Red Hibiscus

(7) Hawaiian Native White

Identification key

(1) Gold Tree

(2) Royal Poinciana

(3) Potato Tree

(4) Tiger’s Claw

(5) Plumeria

(6) Be-still

(7) African Tulip

Identification key

(1) Golden Shower Tree

(2) Pink and White Shower

(3) Orchid Tree

(4) Coral Shower

(5) Rainbow Shower

(6) Yellow Poinciana

Identification key

(1) Monkeypod Tree

(2) Bottlebrush Tree

(3) Jacaranda

(4) Chinese Rice Flower

(5) Wong-lan

(6) Bombax

Chapter I
HAWAII’S OWN FLOWER—THE HIBISCUS

What is that flower seen everywhere, you may ask, the one with five, stiff, papery petals, and a column rising in the center? Such blossoms are seen tumbling in cascades of pink from small trees, spangling hedges with red polka dots and decorating green shrubs in an artificial way, looking like something designed for an old-fashioned stage set.

The answer, of course, is Hibiscus, Hawaii’s own flower, and the outstanding flower of all the South Seas. You will see these blossoms worn in the hair of Hawaiian women, or tucked over the ear of Samoan men when they dance the native siva-siva. You will find them strewn down the length of leaf-covered tables prepared for a native feast or laid out in colorful exhibition on counters of staid Island banking houses. You may run into them formed into huge fountaining bouquets, the flower heads fastened to long, artificial stems, or, at shows and entertainments, you may see them covering walls and other objects solidly.

All these uses and more are possible because the Hibiscus possesses the unique trait of not wilting for a day after it is picked. These flowers open at dawn and live but a single day. Whether they be left on the shrub, picked and put in water, or laid out dry on a table top, they remain fresh and crisp until nightfall, when they suddenly close. Fresh buds open every day, so the Hibiscus is always in bloom.

Individual Hibiscus flowers follow a plan of five, with five petals, five stigmas, five lobes to the calyx and the like. The stigma is branched into five parts and is usually a bright crystalline red, like a bit of coral at the top of the central column. Stamens grow on the sides of this column, yellowing it with their pollen. This central column is like the one seen in hollyhocks, a flower which is a relative of the Hibiscus. Usually it is stiffly upright, but sometimes it sweeps outward in a graceful curve. When this is the case it is good indication that the flower is a hybrid and had in its ancestry the Coral Hibiscus, which has a very long pendulous column.

Hibiscus also form double flowers, the pink ones sometimes suggesting old fashioned cabbage roses or peonies. They are formed when the stamens are modified into petals. Both single and double flowers appear in all hues but blue. Color tones vary from clear white through palest pink and yellow to glowing scarlet, orange and gold, deepening to richer tones and dark crimson. In recent years hybrids have been produced which bring several hues into a single flower, one with a red center, for instance, may have yellow petals bordered in pink. Some of these polychromes are more interesting than attractive. The size and shape of the flowers vary also. Average diameter of a blossom may be five or six inches but some are dwarfs of an inch, while selection has produced some a foot across. These large ones seem even more artificial than most of the Hibiscus, almost requiring to be touched before their reality is established.

The Hibiscus shrub is rather undistinguished in appearance, growing sometimes into a tall tree twenty feet high, but usually nearer eight or ten. The leaves are opposite, roundly pointed and often slightly scalloped.

The Hibiscus is the floral emblem of the Territory of Hawaii. It was so decided in 1923 by a joint resolution of the Legislature which designated it as “a beautiful, indigenous blossom which grows luxuriously on all the islands, appearing to be most generally representative, no other flower having so great a variety of color or form, or such continuous blooming.” Botanists point out that in making this statement the legislature conveniently overlooked the 150 or so species of Hibiscus which are not native of Hawaii, in favor of the six or seven which are. Hawaiians called the native blossoms “Kokio.”

There are two species of white Hibiscus native to Hawaii, the commonest being Hibiscus arnottianus Gray. It is found on Oahu and Molokai. During long periods of time this species grew in isolated areas in the islands until it developed varieties which appear to be quite different from each other. These are known by such names as the Tantalus White, the Waianae White, the Punaluu White and so on. Another native white Hibiscus is H. Waimeae called the Kauai White, (which may, however, be only a form of the other.) These two are the only ones of all the Hibiscus which are fragrant, having a faint, delicate scent. This characteristic has sometimes been transmitted to its descendents, so scented hybrids will occasionally be found. These native whites also remain open longer than the single day which most Hibiscus flowers live, Hibiscus Waimeae sometimes lasting even three days. Occasionally, therefore, a hybrid will also be found which stays fresh for several days. Both of these characteristics are sought by hybridists.

Other native species of Hibiscus are H. kokio, which occurs in red or coral colors on Hawaii, Oahu, Molokai and Maui. Hibiscus kahili grows on Kauai in several forms colored red or pink, although this may be a variation of H. kokio. H. brackenridgei is a yellow species, sometimes with a purplish center, growing on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and Maui, while H. youngianus is pink or purplish.

One of the best places to see many varieties of Hibiscus is the garden of the Halekulani Hotel. Mrs. Clifford Kimball has made the flower her hobby for years and achieved remarkable results.

COMMON RED HIBISCUS. CHINA ROSE
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linnaeus

The species of Hibiscus which seems to have the greatest number of variants is, botanically, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, sometimes called the China Rose. The type flower is scarlet, usually with a deeper colored throat and about five inches in diameter. It is the one oftenest seen in hedges, since the shrub serves admirably for this purpose.

These plants seem to have innumerable variations in color and shape, the former running in hue from yellow to crimson and appearing in both single and double forms. In fact, it seems that most of the plants brought into Hawaii, which were not themselves hybrids, were forms of rosa-sinensis. Although, most of these imported forms have usually been classed as variants of rosa-sinensis, it is now believed that many of them were hybrids. The remarkable variation which occurs when these forms are crossed points to a mixed ancestry. (Plate I)

CORAL HIBISCUS
Hibiscus schizopetalus Hooker

A species which stands out as markedly different from the usual Hibiscus is H. schizopetalus which has been given the name in Hawaii of Coral Hibiscus. This is doubtless because its deeply cut, turned-back petals suggest branches of red coral. The flower stem is very slender, so the weight of the head causes it to fall over and hang down, bell-like. And since the central column of this flower is extremely long and slender it sways far beneath the flower, giving an effect of peculiar grace. This plant has leaves that are small and fine. It is tall and slender, almost vine-like, so that it has been used to make arbors. The Coral Hibiscus has been a parent of many island hybrids, imparting to them its grace, its lengthened column and its frilled petals. (Plate I)

HAWAIIAN INTEREST IN HIBISCUS

While the Hawaiians had always loved their flower and the Common Red seems to have been brought in at an early date, probably direct from China, real interest in Hibiscus culture began about the turn of the century. Around 1902, Walter M. Giffard began crossing different strains and getting some of the spectacular results for which this plant is noted. Interest grew and as Island people traveled, they often sent or brought home new varieties. One of the persons who became interested in the plant was Gerrit Wilder, who seems to have held the first Hibiscus show. This was in 1914, and he was able then to exhibit some 400 different varieties. In the years following, interest was very widespread and many people made crosses, until there were literally thousands of different forms and colors.

HYBRIDS

Crossing is very easy. The pollen of one flower is dabbled on the pistil of another, after its own pollen has been removed. Precautions are taken to keep the bees from stepping into the experiment, by protecting the crossed flower with a bag. The seeds ripen in a month or so and when planted may be expected to blossom in about a year.

The outcome is a grab bag of mixed and unexpected characteristics. By selection and care, some hybrids have been produced that are amazing. New shades and tints come into being, and mixtures of colors. Doubles become larger and curlier. No one knows how many thousands of these hybrids have been produced in Hawaii. Some of them are fairly well established and widespread by propagation through cuttings; others never existed in more than one plant. The only color no one has ever produced is blue. It is the hope of all hybridists.

WATERFALL OR BUTTERFLY HIBISCUS

One of the most conspicuous of the hybrids because of its prolific blooming is that sometimes called the Butterfly or Waterfall Hibiscus from its graceful form. This is believed to be a cross between the Native White and Coral. The plant often grows into a small tree and is usually a mass of pink flowers. As a rule, it is the only one of all the Hibiscus plants that carries enough color to be outstandingly conspicuous in the garden. On others, the flowers are scattered. (Plate I)

YELLOW HIBISCUS

Among the most beautiful and sought after Hibiscus are those with yellow or orange blossoms. The range of tone is wide, the colors appearing from palest lemon to rich yellow, gold and brilliant orange. The yellow flowering plants are usually rather small and carry only a few blossoms at a time. (Plate I)

ROSE OF SHARON. ALTHEA
Hibiscus syriacus, Linnaeus

A close relative of the true Hibiscus is the lavender or white Althea or Rose of Sharon. The central column is white and the center of the flower usually dark red. It is a native of Syria and the Holy Land. (Plate I)

TURK’S CAP
Malvaviscus arboreus Cavanilles

Another close relative of the true Hibiscus is the little red Turk’s Cap. This looks like a small Hibiscus flower which has not opened. It never does open widely, but sometimes the number of the half furled flowers is so great the shrub appears quite red from them. (Plate I)

Other relatives of the Hibiscus are the Hau tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) and the changeable mallow, (Hibiscus mutabilis) not to mention the Okra and Roselle among edible plants.

Chapter II
THE BLOSSOMING TREES

Hawaii’s most impressive floral displays are the flowering trees which line the streets and fill the gardens. They rival, in the masses of their flowers, the fruit trees of the mainland, but they possess colorings of tropical brilliance which have no rivals outside of warm countries. Moreover, instead of blooming for a few brief days, or at most, weeks, these trees continue in bloom for months at a time. Some of them never cease. About the middle of June, there is a period when the display is at its best. This is when all the shower trees are out, the early ones still lingering, the later ones coming on, and when the red of the Poinciana, and the blue of the Jacaranda, add their hues to the galaxy of yellows and pinks. At this time, too, the Plumerias bring white and rose to the scene. Midwinter finds most of these gone, but the African Tulip flowers are then a fiery crown on many trees and some trees, like the canary colored Be-still, continue their flowering all the year round.

GOLD TREE. SUNSHINE TREE
Tabebuia donnell-smithi Rose

One of the very special events in Honolulu’s floral calendar is the blooming of the Gold or Sunshine tree which grows on School Street, near Nuuanu. The time of year at which this takes place is highly uncertain, being sometimes in midwinter, again late in the spring. Certain other specimens of the tree are just as erratic, and none seems to have any relation to another, so that if the flowering period of one is missed, another may be found in bloom.

When not in bloom the Gold tree is rather ungainly in appearance, its smooth, slender, light grey trunk lifting the branches high in the air far beyond reach. But when the flowers suddenly appear on the bare branches, it seems like the touch of Midas, for they are shining masses of the purest gold, or like crystallized sunshine. The breathtaking color is intensified by the necessity of looking up at them against the vivid blue of a spring sky.

The tree is a member of the Bignonia family, and individual flowers are of typical Bignonia form, a slightly irregular tube with five lobes, irregularly margined. The leaves which appear after the flowers fall are, on older specimens, of compound form made up of opposite leaflets. On young trees the leaflets radiate from a common center.

The chief specimen of this tree grows in the Foster Gardens, now a public park, but originally the home of Dr. William Hillebrand, who must have planted it along with the many other novelties which he introduced. A second tree now grows across School street in a small nursery garden and a fine specimen is found in Moanalua gardens. Still another grows in the school grounds across from the Nuuanu YMCA.

It is a native of tropical America. (Plate II)

ROYAL POINCIANA. FLAMBOYANT
Poinciana regia Bojer

Of all Hawaii’s flowering trees, the Royal Poinciana is easily the most stunning and conspicuous for sheer color and brightness. A solid mass of red, it is, nevertheless, not merely gaudy, but one of the most graceful and picturesque of trees, a flat umbrella of color in small specimens, or composing into long sweeping curves in larger ones. It suggests the massive regalia of some magnificent Oriental potentate. The color is most dramatic if viewed against a grey, valley raincloud in the late afternoon, touched by the level yellow rays of the declining sun.

The tree may become forty feet high, if growing under favorable conditions, but if the roots are cramped it remains quaintly dwarfed. Although bare for a short season in winter, the general flowering season of the Poinciana is long, for some trees begin to bloom early in spring, while others wait until late summer to open. June is the month when most of them are in bloom and the streets are consequently most gorgeous.

Individual Poinciana flowers, which have to be looked for closely to be distinguished in the masses of bloom at the end of the branches, have five petals. One of these is white, on the flag-red trees, or yellow on those tending toward scarlet coloring. These light touches give a piquant effect to the mass of color. Long, curved, brown pods hang on the tree for months after flowers and leaves have gone, and show that this tree is a member of the legume family.

The flowers usually appear on the bare tree before the new foliage comes out, but in a short time the leaves appear and for some weeks the green and red colorings remain together. The leaves are fernlike, bipinnate in form, with very small leaflets. Even when the flowers have fallen to form a carpet of red underneath the green tree, it is graceful and attractive.

It is a native of the island of Madagascar and was named for de Poinci, a governor of the Antilles in the 17th century. The French have given it another name, Flamboyant, by which it is widely known all over the tropical world and one which is particularly appropriate.

No visitor to Hawaii can miss the Poinciana, but the row that grows along Wilder avenue is perhaps the most effective, although individual large trees elsewhere may be more impressive for size and form. (Plate II)

POTATO TREE
Solanum macrophyllum Dunal

The nightshade family, to which the potato belongs, is one of the most widespread of botanical groups. It contains however, but few trees. One of these is usually called the Potato tree, because its flower is similar in form to that of the common potato. It grows in Hawaii, but is not common although it grows in some gardens and in the Mid-Pacific Horticultural Establishment. While similar in form to the ordinary potato blossom, the flower of the Potato tree is comparatively large, being about two inches across. It has five joined segments which give it almost a pentagonal outline. The color is a rich purple-blue when it first opens, but this fades to a pale blue and then almost white. In the center is a golden yellow column made of the thick anthers.

The tree grows very rapidly. Its leaves are large, about a foot long, and irregularly lobed. They carry a few sharp thorns along the back of the midrib. The plant is a native of Mexico. (Plate II)

TIGER’S CLAW. CORAL TREE. INDIAN WILI-WILI
Erythrina indica Lamarck

Tall trees, bursting into pointed red blossoms in midwinter and early spring, are appropriately called Tiger’s claw or Coral trees. The flowers are a deep, rich, red, very striking on the bare trees at this season. They grow in long clusters which radiate horizontally on woody stems from the ends of the branches. Individual flowers break out of the split side of a pointed calyx. Fundamentally of the pea-type, these flowers have one petal much larger than the others, the general effect being that of a pointed claw or feline toe-nail.

The leaves, which appear soon after the flowers, are made up of three triangular leaflets. The pod is black and contains dark red seeds. The branches are thorny.

This tree is a native of tropical Asia and a member of the legume family. There is a fine specimen growing in the grounds of Iolani Palace which blooms in January or February. Others grow on Punchbowl street near Beretania, and in the grounds of the Central Intermediate School.

A closely related tree, which is native to the Hawaiian islands, is called the Wili-wili by the native people. Botanically it is Erythrina monosperma. It grows in dry places on the islands where it is conspicuous for its pale red, orange or yellowish flowers, similar in form to the Indian Tiger’s claw. The bright red seeds of this Wili-wili were made into leis by the Hawaiians, but nowadays most of the red seed-leis are made from the Adenanthera pavonina, known as false Wili-wili. Adenanthera trees, which have unusual, curling pods filled with the bright red seeds, grow in Thomas Square where the seeds may be picked up in the Spring.

The wood of the Hawaiian Wili-wili is very light, and so was used for making the outrigger log of canoes. (Plate II)

PLUMERIA. GRAVEYARD FLOWER. FRANGIPANI
Plumeria acutifolia Poiret

One of the most popular of Hawaiian flower leis is made up of the thick, waxy flowers of the Plumeria. They are particularly successful for this purpose because they remain fresh for a long time and have a fine fragrance. The common name in Hawaii, Plumeria, or, as the lei-women say, Pumeli, is derived from that of Plumier the French botanist, but a mistake was made in spelling it so the genus is now properly designated as Plumeria, not Plumiera. Although this tree is a native of tropical America, it grows in India and in the temple gardens of Ceylon, where it is known by the romantic name of Frangipani. In Honolulu it is extensively planted in cemeteries, from which it is known as the Graveyard flower.

The flower varies from almost white to yellow, with yellow centers. Another species with rich, cerise, colored flowers is the Plumeria rubra. These two have crossed and produced a wide range of flowers with pink or peach colorings. One hybrid, of particularly striking apricot color was produced by Gerrit Wilder. A specimen may be seen on Manoa Road near the top of Punahou hill.

The Plumeria tree has a few stiff, blunt branches. At their tips, the clusters of flowers appear in early spring, when the tree is still bare, creating a highly picturesque effect. A little later the foliage appears and the tree continues to bloom the rest of the year. The flowers have five, waxy petals joining in a short tube. The leaves, which also cluster toward the tips of the branches, are very long and pointed at each end, hence the name acutifolia. When cut, the stems exude a milky juice.

This tree is a member of the Periwinkle family.

BE-STILL. YELLOW OLEANDER
Thevetia nereifolia Jussieu

A small tree, holding a scattering of trumpet-shaped, yellow flowers and marked by shimmering, narrow, light green leaves, is popularly called the Be-still tree. There seems to be no reason for this name, unless it is that the slender leaves are never still and the name is a sort of invocation. The flowers are a clear, satiny, yellow, with a delightful fragrance. They grow here and there all over the tree, and at all times of the year. A less common variety has pale, orange-colored flowers. The fruit is a nut which is poisonous. Green at first it turns brown, then black.

The tree never becomes very large, twenty feet being about its maximum height. It always has a fresh look, even when growing in dry places, due to the light color of the leaves. The slender foliage suggests that of the Oleander (Nerium), accounting for its specific name of nereifolia, and this association also accounts for the common name of Yellow Oleander, which, however, is entirely wrong.

The tree is a member of the Periwinkle family and a native of tropical America. (Plate II)