Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-06-01
WILD FLOWERS OF HAWAII.
Continued from Sixth Page.

Unexpectedly on little shallow tree
less ravine, perfectly white with the
delicate flowers, like tropical snow
drift, their fragile faces turned to
the great white moon-fower in the
sky, while the whole air was cool
and spicy with their fragrance. The
hao tree bears hibiScuS-shaped flow
ers of an exquisite clear yellow and
deep claret centers. They turn
fine shade of terra Gotta before they
fall, and a branch of flowers may
have both colors at the same time.
However, these flowers though of
good size are not sufficiently numer-
Gus to cut any figure in a landscape.
From the bark of this tree the ma
tive made his fishing lines-the fibre
being very fine and strong - and
from the root one of the dyes for his
tapa, or cloth. A variety of wild
hibiscus, sometimes called wild holly
hook, is often seen dropping its deli
cate pale pink cups with wine-red
| threats.
A common tree in the ravineS is
the kukui, whose Whitley green foil
age makes sharp contrast with the
prevailing blue-green of lauhala and
yellow-green of ii leaves and ferns.
The flowers though beautiful are so
small and contrast so little with the
foliage that many would pass them
unnoticed. They closely resemble
white lilac blossoms, though the
flowers are smaller, more creamy,
and the clusters less compact. The
natives formerly used its oily nuts
for lights, either burning the oil in
their rude stone lamps, or the whole
nuts strung on palm fibreS. The
roasted nut, eaten with salt, is a
common and delicious relish at ma
tive luaus or feastS. In its medic
inal qualities, the oil in its raw state
is superior to castor oil, and of a
most agreeable nutty flavor.
The breadfruit flower, if it can
be so called, is simply a sort of head
or Spathe, enclosed in a creamy
white sheath which gradually split;
and falls off as the fruit developeS
The tree is propagated from shoots
Two varieties OF Sumac, the rec
and white, called by the native.
! nanilliau, are beautiful in their sea
! son. The heads are not velvety a
with American Sumac, but large am
covered with minute flowers in enor
nous numbers. The leaves ar,
u similar to the American variety, AM
y like it, rich in tannin. There ar
= several varieties of wild roses; tn
l. two most often seen are the dee
red and pale pink; neither are at a
common; both are very fragran
: and very thorny.
In the ravineS and woods may b.
, found several varieties of what i
commonly called the sea bean vine
One variety, bearing long racine
of royal purple flowers, the bud
looking like darkest satin, and tn
% bean-shaped pods bearing two t
three large brown seeds something
, like horse chestnut. A very beau
tiful variety has flowers of a clear
: greenish yellow, of curious shape
with dark grey pods which look lik
nothing have ever seen so mucl
as sharks egg, being curved wit
ridges evidently prepared to catcI
on every obstruction.
A rare variety bears beautiful
braked scarlet flowers-named Iiw
by the natives, from its resemblance
! to the bill of one of the wild birds.
Far in the woods on the mountain
side grow the wild raspberries, boil
white and red, with fruit of larg
size but inferior flavor. The flowe
E is shaped like that of the Ameri
can raspberry, but is often an incl