The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-01-13
Clever Paper O de Dl9nss
Of Hawaii Nsi.
flsWkas ne MANN m uvlaoea
Said 60 be tovr hundred ssv,t,es.
In valleys ana On the Mountains
Natives Love o. Flowers.

This paper The Indigenous Flow
cts OF Hawaii, was read by Miss Mary
Rice. OF Kauai. upon her graduation
from the Honolulu High schoolD
In the past fifty years. the Hawaiian
Islands have undergone a great change
and but few people remember the time
when the kukui trees grew on the low
lands near the sea coast.
II IL said by naturalists that the
towering plants Of the Islands exceed
four hundred varieties. Formerly the
natives would 20 In great numbers in
TO the mountains annually, for various
purposes such as canoe making, bird
catching, gathering medicinal herbs
and also for many other pursuits, both
of pleasure and profit
There Is no race more fond of the
beauties OF nature than are the Ha-
waiians, and many are the myths that
have been handed down from genera
ton 10 generation, seemingly from
very ancient times.
Perhaps there is no flower more not
tree grows TO all sizes, from the hand
some shrub Of sixteen feet high, to the
forest tree of hundred. The bright
red blossoms are loaded with honey,
which IL the favorite food of the Olo-
kele, a small bird with brilliant scarlet
plumage.
The flowers of the Ohia-ai are much
like those Of the Lehua tree. The
Ohia-ai blossoms grow directly from
the branches, and even from the trunk,
giving the tree peculiarly rich APP
pearance.
The flowers are so plentiful that
when they fall the ground beneath Is
covered with a bright red carpet.
The fruit In shape resembles an oh
long apple with white juicy pulp.
There are not many OF the indigen-
Gus flowers growing on the lowlands
now, as cattle and cultivation have al
most exterminated them. Formerly.
those which were most commonly seen
on the lOwlands were the Hau, Nehe,
Wiliwili, Puakala, Pohuehue, Pllikai.
KOali-awahia, Hilo and Kou.
Perhaps Of these the Kou, Wiliwili,
Nehe and Hau are the most important.
The Kou tree Is now scarce, but 1t was
once favorite shade tree, not only
because 1t grew easily. but It was the
tree from which the Hawaiians made
most Of their handsome and useful
dishes.
The Hawaiian Islands have never
been noted for the beauty of their fora
and to the stranger the land seems des-
titute OF indigenous flowers. But
when one comes TO search in the val
leys and on the mountains, 1t IL aston
ishing the number Of varieties there
are.
Of q bright orange color appear, grace
fully set amid the light green leaves.
The flowers OF the Wiliwili tree vary
In color from pale yellow to orange
scarlet. The wood when dry is as
light as cork and is used a great deal
by the natives for out-riggers and surf
boards.
The Nehe, a small yellow flower,
blooms on a bishy plant, not more
than four feet high.
The leaves are sometimes used like
the common tea, possessing, 1t Is said,
some medicinal value.
The Nohuana, a small white flower,
which la tinRed with mink NAV he CON-
sidened one of the few sela aowers
which the Islands possess.
The flowers which were formerly
used in making leis for the Chiefs were
the lima and the KamakahuIa' both
flowers being yellow. al that was the
royal color. The KamakahuIa ia a
waxy orange colored flower. which
could only be worn BY high chiefs. and
II meant death to apy common man or
woman who yentured to wear II.
The Pauka,iah hi ia a beautiful GREEN
ing plant. The flowers are OF dark
rich purple. a color rare in the Hawaii
an flowers.
When the Puakauhi was much more
plentiful than 1t is now, the natives
made leis of il, mixing II with the bios
som of the Wiliwili, which Is orange
scarlet, thus forming a contrast. very
gratifying to their passion for gay col.
ors
There are five different species of the
Conyolyulus family. The most common
one ia the KoaIi-avahia. which has a
delicate blue purple color. which in
the afternoon changes to pink, and fin.