The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-24

~" poi4fCldild; 4 massive head OF flneiy
t cut foliage; the ample flower cluster:
/ giving place TO purple pods, so numcr-
, Gus as TO give the whole tree their rud-
; dy hue.
The Bauhinias, sturdy climbers OF
small trees, remarkable for their two
| lobed leaves (whence named for the
two brothers, Bauhin), give preference
: 70 pink and red rather than TO yellow.
m the II. Thomas tree, the petals of the
snowy flowers have crimson spots on a
paler ground, having been sprinkled &C
coTdinS TO tradition with the blood of
the martyred saint.
Very conspicuous throughout the
summer months IS the tree known in
Honolulu as the golden shower. or more
prosalcaliy as the pudding stick tree
to medical men familiar as Pureine cas-
s1a, Cathartocarpus fstula. The foliage
/ IS comparatively scanty, consisting OF
; plnnate leaves with large entire leaflets.
he cylindrical, deep brown pods, fifteen
! inches or more in length and three
| fourths OF an inch in diameter, are rath-
er ornamental than otherwise, as thew
sway with every breeze In spring the
| buds appear III dropping pauicles, and
then Tor four months there is con-
tinuous succession of the pure primrose
yellow, fragrant blossoms that Justify
the popular name of the tree. The petals
which are OF delicate, rich color, are
really coarse in texture; this explains /
why they last as they do ten days or |
fortnight without noticeable change.
Another tree allied to the Purging |
Cassia, and called Horse Cassia, has |
foliage resembling that of the locust. |
although the leaves are larger, and the |
huge, rough, club-like pods are eighteen |
to twenty inches long, and more than an
inch IN diameter; but in this species, the
blossoms which remind one of those of
the Judas tree last only few weeks.
A third allied species has a foliage
very similar to that just described, only
that the heavy fronds have a peculiarly
graceful droop. The pods in external
appearance resemble those of Purging
Cassia. In the latter the pod has trans
verse diaphragms separating the seeds,
which are embedded in pulp. In this
species each seed is enclosed in a tiny
box, shaped just like pill box, of
woody texture, yet with walls not thick
er than Bristol board. 1 hese little cells
lie inside the pod exactly like SO MANY
coins rolled up in brown paper. The
flowers are produced in clusters which
closely surround the boughs of the pre-
vlous years growth. They resemble in
size, shape and color the largest, deep 9
est colored crab apple blossoms, but the
tree remains apparently in full bloom ten J
or twelve weeks, JOY to the eye to be-
hold. There is in fact, as in the golden
shower, a succession of blossoms, no one
lasting probably more than about ten
days. The only name known for it i'll
Honolulu is simply Cathartocarpus
n 1ao- &c :
lame. c
| have left for the last, mention of 2
genus which must be the first to at {
ract the attention of the stranger, viz a
2o1nclana, nearly related to Caesalpinia o
One species forms a rather Struggling
hrub with thorny branches, known com p
monty as Pride Of Barbados, or Barba- p
ioes foWer-fence, the scarlet and c
orange blossoms with crimped petals and
ong exserted stamens, forming stately
pyramids of bloom, each raceme occupy
ng a month or more in expanding its
buds A second species (sap- :
AM is -zvery similar except that the
lowers are of an orange yellow color.
a third forms a fine tree of medium O
ne, The smooth trunk expanded at the
ase late+eiiy. into buttresses correspond
lg with the principal roots, the foliage S
ranged in horizontally spreading lay Al
rs, and consisting of regular n1imosa- C
Ike leaves, as beautiful as the fronds of r
fern. Were 1t not for the great fiat a
oarse pods, twelve to sixteen inches 2t
ong, by one and half wide, you would
ay that in the freshness of its new
1liage at the close of the rainy season,
had no peer for beauty among the =
lade trees of the city By and by 1t
egins to put on its summer adonments
lere and there among the branches
urns a dazzling glow of crimson. Day
y day new flames burst out, and then
icy spread and coalesce until the whole ia
zee is ablaze. How the landscape is IL,
GIFTED up by those masses of solid b
Dior! In another tree such gaudiness H
attire would seem vulgar. Here it is &c
gal. Gold and crimson belong of right
, this queen, for whom it is right too, S
lat the ground beneath should have its
lick carpet of the dnfaded fallen petals -
There are other plants equally en-
led with a passion for brilliant color
e cardinal flower of the meadow, the
auchneria of California hillsides, the
lily, the scarlet Saliva, the
se and the carnation of the gardens, 9,
It where among them all is one which 90
n pour forth her passion in any such ~
wish creation? Well is the tree named N
oinciana regia. 49,
ALBERT B. LYONS, MD. 90 ~,
Detroit, Mich. y,