Uploads from University of Hawaii Museum, tagged flower, with geodata

Iliahi. Santalum ellipticum. Gaud.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:16 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

ILIAHI - the far-famed sandalwood-is widely distributed throughout the islands
of the Pacific, and fifty years ago was a valuable article of commerce. Immense
quantities were consumed in China, being burnt as incense before sacred shrines
and idols, besides being used in the manufacture of various fancy articles. For
many years, the iliahi was one of the principal sources of revenue of the Hawaiian
kings and chiefs. So vigorously did they prosecute the business of cutting and
exporting it, that they exhausted the supply, and to-day it is a very rare tree,
although frequently found as a shrub.

The iliahi, in its natural state on the Hawaiian islands, was usually a straight
handsome tree, from fifty to eighty feet high, and from two to three feet in diameter at the base. The wood is hard, of a light brown colour, and retains its scent in a wonderful manner, even small pieces being quite fragrant after a lapse of forty or fifty years. The older the tree the more valuable it becomes, as the fragrance increases with age.

The flower is by no means striking, but in a collection of Hawaiian plants
the iliahi is too historical to be passed over.

Ohia-ai. Eugenia (Jambosa) malaccensis, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:54:00 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Ohia-ai is mostly found in sheltered valleys near streams. It is easily
propagated by seed, and grows rapidly, beginning to bear fruit when seven or eight years old. Where isolated it inclines to grow like a shrub, but, when growing
in groves, or sheltered by other trees, it often attains a height of fifty feet, with
a perfectly straight trunk.

It is a handsome tree at all times, but especially so in spring, when brilliant
with masses of splendid carmine blossoms; and again in autumn, when loaded
with fruit of the same beautiful colour.

The flowers grow directly from the branches, and even from the trunk, giving
the tree a peculiarly rich appearance; and the blossoms are so numerous, that,
when they fall, the ground beneath is covered with a bright red carpet.

The fruit in shape resembles an oblong apple, with a white, juicy, but rather
insipid pulp.

The ohia-ai is also a native of the Society Islands ; where it is called a/tia,
and is similar in all respects to the Hawaiian variety.

Kakalaioa. Caesalpinia Bondiucella, Flem.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:52:54 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The name of this plant means " thorny," and it is a most appropriate and descriptive one, as those who have had their clothes torn and hands scratched by its sharp hooklike thorns will at once admit. Yet, like all nature's productions, the Kakalaioa has its redeeming features. With its graceful inflorescence and foliage, it covers many a spot that would otherwise be barren, and is always a pleasing object, if one has the common sense to leave it alone.

It generally grows in rocky places on the lowlands, and by its strong rambling mode of growth covers everything within its reach.

The plant is altogether too large and spreading to be well represented-only part of the leaf, which is bipinnate, is shown.

The seed-pods are very curious, being thickly covered with sharp spines, and are first green, then brown, and when ripe, almost black. They grow in bunches of from eight to thirteen pods-only two are represented.-When fully ripe, these burst open, displaying from two to four, round, very hard seeds, about the size of marbles, which the native boys use in their games instead of the genuine article.

Aalii. Dodonoea viscosa, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:47 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Aalii is mostly found in the dry districts of the islands, often sustaining
life and vigour on the most arid spots. On the lowlands, and within three or
four miles of the sea, it is merely a shrub from four to eight feet high, but on
the mountains it sometimes attains a height of thirty feet, with a trunk three feet
in circumference. Upon the low dry land, it usually grows bushy, and in groves,
quite shading the ground with its thick foliage, very grateful to the eye in the
blazing sunshine. The blossom is small and insignificant, but the outer covering
(represented in the plate) of the seed, is pretty and bright coloured, hanging in
graceful clusters, reminding one very much of hops.

The wood of the Aalii is exceedingly hard and susceptible of a fine polish.
It is almost identical with the akeake of New Zealand, so much so that the most
casual observer cannot fail to perceive the similarity. In olden times it was used
by the Hawaiians for making spears and others implements of war-a purpose
for which the Maories used the akeake.

Noni. Morinda citrifolia, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:52 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Noni, although usually a shrub not exceeding ten or twelve feet in height,
sometimes attains the dimensions of a tree, and is found-under favourable circumstances-from twenty to thirty feet high. It is wonderfully prolific and hardy,
being generally loaded with fruit and leaves at all seasons of the year, irrespective
rain or sunshine.

The fruit and foliage are much more attractive than the flowers, which are
lall and dull in colour. But it is only in appearance that the fruit is inviting,
ing acrid to the taste, yet, in times of scarcity, the natives not only eat it in a
raw state, but by cooking make it, not exactly nice, but much less disagreeable.

The tree begins branching from the ground, and presents a mass of large
bright green leaves intermingled with the fruit in all stages of growth. The
inflorescence of the noni is peculiar, as will be noticed in the plate. From three
six of the small flowers appear, lasting for a day or two, and gradually dropping off as the fruit increases in size. Meanwhile, another embryo fruit appears
nearer the end of the branch, and so the wonderful process goes on, month after
month, year after year, seemingly ad infinitum.

Papala. Charpentiera ovata, Gaud. var. ?

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:54:20 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

When in full bloom, the Papala has a very peculiar and graceful appearance. The blossom, by its form and colour, reminds one of the most delicate seaweed.

It comes into flower in April and May, generally continuing in blossom
throughout the summer. The tree attains a height of about twenty feet, and
grows only upon the highlands from two to three thousand feet above the sea.

The wood is very light and porous, and being easily ignited, is used by the
natives for most original and grand displays of fireworks. On the north-west
side of Kauai the coast is extremely precipitous, the cliffs rising abruptly from the
sea to a height of from one to two thousand feet, and from these giddy heights,
the ingenious and beautiful pyrotechnic displays take place. On dark moonless
nights, upon certain points of these awful precipices-where a stone would drop
sheer into the sea-the operator takes his stand with a supply of papala sticks, and lighting one, launches it into space. The buoyancy of the wood, and the action of the wind sweeping up the face of the cliffs, cause the burning wood to float in mid-air, rising or falling according to the force of the wind, sometimes darting far seaward, and again drifting towards the land. Firebrand follows firebrand, until, to the spectators (who enjoy the scene in canoes upon the ocean hundreds of feet below) the heavens appear ablaze with great shooting stars, rising and falling, crossing and recrossing each other, in the most weird manner. So the display continues until the firebrands are consumed, or a lull in the wind permits them to descend slowly and gracefully to the sea.

Ohenaupaka. Scaevola glabra, H. & A.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:10 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

This is a native of the far misty mountains, from four to five thousand feet
above the level of the sea; where for more than half the year it is wet with the
mountain rains, and enveloped in the trade-wind clouds.

The shrub attains a height of ten to fifteen feet, growing in the dense woods
evidently adapted to the humid and cold atmosphere of the bleakest mountain
districts. There it may be seen upon the edge of precipices, exposed to the fierce
sweep of the trade-winds, which gather strength as they rush upward from the
ravines thousands of feet below.

Akala. Rubus hawaienisis, Gray.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:54:13 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The subject of the present plate is a large and handsome variety of the
common raspberry. It attains a height of from ten to fifteen feet, and produces
a profusion of large beautiful purple berries; which become almost black when
fully ripe. Unfortunately, the fruit is not so pleasing to the taste as to the eye,
being insipid and flavourless, but its appearance is so tempting, that one cannot
refrain from gathering the delicious looking berries. The Akala is generally found
growing near streams, or on damp ground, far in the cool mountains. It is
rarely seen at a less elevation than three thousand feet. Therefore, its habitat
may be considered a temperate climate. It blossoms in April and May, and is
generally in full bearing about the middle of June, but like many plants of the
islands, its flowering and fruiting seasons vary considerably.

Akaakaawa. Hillebrandia sandwicensis, Oliv.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:37 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

This is one of the beautiful begonia family; and, like many of its species, has
that peculiar delicacy-almost transparency-which, as has been remarked before,
renders a flower so difficult to delineate. It is a graceful plant from three to four
feet high, spreading from the root into many soft green stems with a profusion
of conspicuously large leaves, each stem producing several clusters of delicate pink and white blossoms.

It is found in greatest profusion in shady and humid mountain ravines, near
t:he misty spray of waterfalls, where its delicate clusters of flowers and large leaves form a picture of great beauty; especially when seen through the faint rainbows, which are almost constantly floating in the spray of tropical waterfalls.

Puahanui. Broussaisia pellucida, Gaud.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:29 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

This plant is only found upon the wooded mountains from three thousand to
four thousand feet above the sea, where it grows under the shade of the dense
forest, and where the vegetation is almost constantly kept damp by rain or mist.
It is a pretty, thrifty looking shrub, about seven or eight feet high, and its
large clusters of purple blossoms show to much advantage against the dark green
leaves.

Those conversant with Hawaiian plants may know the Puahanui under some
other name, as it is one of those plants, which, being rather uncommon, are often
confused with something else. This confusion could not have occurred in olden
times, when the great majority of the people knew the names, and understood the
properties of every plant. Now one seldom meets a native who can give any
reliable information on the subject.

Naupaka. Scaevola koenigiii, Vahl. var.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:01 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Naupaka is a low spreading shrub, with thick soft branches and fleshy leaves. It is always found close to the sea, often within reach of the waves. In sheltered situations it attains a height of five or six feet, but generally it is not more than three feet high. It bears the scorching heat of summer in a wonderful manner, and in the driest seasons may be seen with bright green foliage, when most other plants are bare and brown ; thus giving the sandy beaches where it grows, a fresh, pleasant appearance.

The flowers and berries are not by any means conspicuous, but are quite pretty when examined closely.

Puapilo. Capparis sandwichiana, D.C.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:54:07 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

This is one of the most beautiful, and characteristic of Hawaiian flowers.
it one of the most difficult to represent, owing to its fragile nature, and also
on account of it being night-blooming. The blossoms open at sunset and wither
soon after sunrise. Under these circumstances, it is no easy task to accomplish
a painting of the Puapilo. The only way of doing so is to begin work at the
earliest break of dawn, and even then the greatest expedition is necessary, as in
an hour or so, the flowers not only fade, but lose their delicate creamy white, and
:become of a dull pink colour.

The plant has no stated time of blooming. Flowers can be found at almost
any season of the year, but in greatest profusion soon after the autumn rains.
The plant is found on the lowlands upon broken rocky ground, its branches spreading over and around the stones, and it may frequently be seen growing on the of perpendicular cliffs, with seemingly no soil whatever to nourish its roots.
Perhaps this peculiarity of growing on inaccessible places has saved it from the
ravages of animals, which have destroyed so many indigenous plants.

Hialoa. Waltheria americana, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:42 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Hialoa is rather an insignificant looking plant, and is apt to be passed without notice; but upon examination it will be found well worthy of a closer acquaintance. The hialoa appears to greatest advantage in early spring; for although it bears the hot dry weather better than many plants, yet it assumes in summer a faded and somewhat shabby appearance. But in early spring, with its exquisite bits of colour, and soft corrugated leaves, it is a very pretty plant indeed; though one of Hawaii's humblest.

The hialoa grows everywhere on the lowlands; and varies from two to six feet in height. The plant contains a great quantity of gluten, which the natives turned to account in their primitive days, using the pounded leaves for filling the seams and cracks of their canoes.

Nohuanu. Geranium cuneatum, Hook. var

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:53:22 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

This little flower is found on the high, bleak swamp-land of the interior, at
an elevation of about four thousand feet above the sea. The plant is a bushy
little shrub, a foot or so in height, and usually grows among tall grass and rushes.
By its mode of growth and general appearance, the Nohuanu may be considered
one of the few field-flowers which the islands possess.

Few natives, and still fewer foreigners, are acquainted with the flower, as its
habitat is seldom visited by man. There are so few flowers in the islands which
correspond to what are familiarly termed field-flowers, that the nohuanu cannot
fail to recall to the wanderer from other lands the tenderly remembered flowers
of his childhood, " Gathered when life was new."

Nanea. Vigna lutea, A. Gray. & Hunakai.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:56:13 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Nanea is a vine which was once plentiful on the lowlands. Now it is very
rare. It is not a deeply rooted plant; therefore it readily gives way to the more
vigorous growth of imported weeds and grasses.

When growing in a favourable situation, the leaves, which are of a pleasant
refreshing green, quite cover the ground, and they, together with the bright little
flowers, form a pleasing picture.

The nanea is a perennial plant, and blooms freely during spring and summer.
The seed-pods may be found on the plant in all stages of development, simultaneously with the blossom. The young pods are light green, gradually changing o brown, and becoming almost black, when fully ripe.

Kauila. Alphitonia excelsa, Reiss.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:55:09 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Kauila is a stately forest tree, from seventy to eighty feet in height. The wood is a deep red colour, very fine in the grain, and is perhaps the most beautiful of all Hawaiian woods.

It was never a plentiful tree. Now it is extremely rare. It is mostly found on the lee-sides of the islands, from two thousand to three thousand feet above the sea. The leaves are dark glossy green, the under-side much lighter than the upper, and when the wind moves them, the blending of the different shades of green is
very pleasing. The blossoms are small and by no means showy when studied singly, but when the tree is in full blossom the effect is very fine.

The kauila was highly prized by the natives in olden times, on account of the beauty and durability of the wood. It was much used for spears, mallets, etc. It as also valuable for house building.

The Hawaiian mode of building, was to set the you (side-posts) in the ground; therefore a durable wood was of great importance. When a native once succeeded in building a house of kauila he felt secure for his lifetime; the thatch being the only part that required renewing.

Kolokolo. Vitex trifolia, Linn. var. unifoliata

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:55:37 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Kolokolo is a pretty, and at the same time, a useful plant ; as it helps bind the loose sand-hills, with its numerous spreading stems and roots. The main stems are creeping, and at short intervals send up leafy stalks about two feet high, the flowers and seeds being produced at the top as shown in the plate. The Kolokolo is sometimes found growing upon soil, but pure sand is its favourite locality. It is a hardy plant, suffering little from drought, and blooming more or is all the year round ; but most profusely in spring, when it is a very attractive object, covering the white sand with its purple flowers and bright green leaves. The leaves have a pleasant aromatic taste and odour, not unlike sage, for which there are by no means a bad substitute.

Nohu. Tribulus cistoides, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:57:20 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

NOHU. Tribulus cistoides, Linn.

The subject of the present plate usually grows near the sea; and although it may occasionally be found a few miles inland, yet it is only upon the sea coast that it attains full beauty of form and colour. The flowers are in greatest perfection soon after sunrise, when they present a beautiful field of golden-yellow, filling the air with a delicate fragrance. They close at sunset and open at sunrise, generally lasting only two days ; but there is no diminution of bloom, as there is a daily succession of flowers as long as the weather continues favourable ; for like many of the lowland plants, the Nohu is more influenced by the weather than by the seasons.

The nohu is a prostrate plant, and where it grows vigorously, quite covers the ground with a close green carpet, very pretty to look at but by no means pleasant to walk upon—unless one is well shod—on account of the sharp strong thorns with which the seed-pods are armed; and as the natives generally go bare-foot, the nohu, in spite of its charms of colour and fragrance, is not a favourite with them.

Hoi. Dioscorea sativa, Linn.

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:56:51 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Hoi is quite a peculiar vine. A curious potato-like tuber grows at the node of the stem, simultaneously with the blossoms. These blossoms are very minute, growing on a gracefully pendulous stem ten to fifteen inches in length, which, together with the large dark green leaves, and peculiar tuber above mentioned, give the plant quite a unique appearance. Formerly, in times of great scarcity of food, the hoi was cooked and eaten by the natives. It has a very bitter taste, and was only used in extreme cases of famine. Some of the vines are much larger than the piece represented, the leaves being often twelve inches across, and the tuber three inches in diameter. Its favourite locality is rough rocky ground, and it has the peculiarity of growing equally well on the lowlands and at an elevation of a thousand feet.

Ohai. Sesbania (Agati) tomentosa, A. Gray

nobody@flickr.com (University of Hawaii Museum) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:25:40 -0700

University of Hawaii Museum posted a photo:

The Ohai is a beautiful shrub, bearing graceful clusters of dark orange-
scarlet flowers. It is a native of the lowlands on the leeward sides of the islands, where it flourishes best upon ground that is partially flooded by the heavy rains of winter. It is a rapid growing plant, attaining a height of eight to twelve feet in a single season. It grows freely from seed, making its appearance immediately after the first heavy autumn rains, and by the second month of spring it is in full bloom, and continues to blossom each spring for a few years; but the flowers are finest during the first season.

The seeds are contained in long slender pods, which may be found hanging on the same branch with the bright clusters of blossoms, and rather adding than detracting from their beauty.

The ohai was once plentiful, growing singly and in groves; but since the introduction of cattle the plant has almost disappeared.