TROPICAL SHRUBS
Hawaii has a wealth of flowering shrubs, most of them introduced from
other tropical regions to augment the few which are native. These shrubs
make up the larger portion of island gardens, since many of the annuals
and perennials of the temperate zone do not grow well in a warm climate.
Many of the shrubs have unusual flower forms and others create
spectacular effects with masses of color.
PAGODA FLOWER
_Clerodendron squamatum Vahl_
Brilliant scarlet flowers, in large, loose, upright heads, proclaim the
Clerodendron. The blooming period is winter and spring. Individual
flowers are slenderly tubular, widening into five narrow lobes which
turn back against the tube. The stamens and pistil curve beyond the
flower in a small red tuft. Stems of the flower head are also red and
hold this color even when the green berries turn blue-black.
The shrub grows about ten feet tall. Its large, heart-shaped leaves are
thick and velvety, with wavy margins and prominent venation. The stems
and pedicels are downy, and the latter have a tendency to turn red as
the leaf matures.
This exotic looking shrub comes from South China and India. It is a
member of the Verbena family. Specimens grow in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel
garden and Thomas Square. (Plate VI)
GOLDEN DEWDROP
_Duranta repens Linnaeus_
The popular name, Golden Dewdrop well describes the clusters of small,
bright, yellow berries which hang on this shrub a large part of the
year. They are so plentiful they usually cause the slender, grey-stemmed
branches to droop gracefully. They lend themselves to interesting
arrangements. The shrub may attain ten feet in height. Its small,
light-green leaves are pointed at either end.
The flowers are a delicate, lavender-blue, or white, very small and
formed as minute tubes, with five lobes. They grow as spreading clusters
at the ends of the branches.
This shrub, a member of the Verbena family, is a native of tropical
America. It is grown in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden. (Plate VI)
SHRIMP PLANT
_Beloperone guttata Brandegee_
(_Beloperone nemorosa_)
Rosy or yellowish bracts, overlapping with scale-like precision to form
a curving tube, are highly suggestive of the curved tail of a shrimp and
explain the popular name of this plant. The true flowers appear, one or
two at a time, from beneath the colored bracts, near the tip. They are
small, white, tubular, with purplish dots on the larger of the two
lobes.
The plant is herbaceous and sprawling, growing at most to five feet. Its
leaves are slightly rough to the touch, opposite, and of medium size. It
is a native of tropical America and a member of the Acanthus family. It
grows in the garden of the Royal Hawaiian hotel. (Plate VI)
[Illustration: Plate V
NATIVE TREES--CHAPTER III]
Identification key
(1) Hau
(2) Hala
(3) Ohia Lehua
(4) Kamani
(5) Koa
(6) Milo
(7) Kou
(8) Kukui
[Illustration: Plate VI
TROPICAL SHRUBS--CHAPTER IV]
Identification key
(1) Pagoda Flower
(2) Golden Dewdrop
(3) Shrimp Plant
(4) Flowering Eranthemum
(5) Madagascar Periwinkle
(6) Rondeletia
(7) Star Jasmine
(8) Galphimia
(9) Plumbago
(10) Ixora
[Illustration: Plate VII
TROPICAL SHRUBS--CHAPTER IV]
Identification key
(1) Candle Bush
(2) Coral Plant
(3) Lipstick Plant
(4) Brunfelsia
(5) Cotton
(6) Ilima
(7) Thunbergia
(8) Mock Orange
(9) Justicia
[Illustration: Plate VIII
TROPICAL SHRUBS--CHAPTER IV]
Identification key
(1) Dwarf Poinciana
(2) Chenille Plant
(3) Cape Honeysuckle
(4) Crepe Myrtle
(5) Crown Flower
(6) Beach Naupaka
(7) Purple Lantana
(8) Pikake
(9) Crown of Thorns
(10) Singapore Holly
FLOWERING ERANTHEMUM
_Pseuderanthemum reticulatum Radlkofer_
Conspicuous for its yellowish leaves and small white and purplish
flowers is this Eranthemum. The yellow color appears extensively on the
young leaves and survives on the older ones as yellow venations, making
the plant appear very bright and sunny. The tubular flowers grow in
small spikes, the tubes broadening into four lobes. These are spotted
with purple dots where they begin to broaden.
The plant grows about six feet high. It belongs to the Acanthus family
and possibly comes from Indo-Malaya or Polynesia. Specimens may be seen
in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel garden. (Plate VI)
VINCA ROSEA. MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE
_Lochnera rosea_ (_L._) _Reichenbach_
Rosy pink or pure white flowers, on a short, herbaceous plant which
looks like a temperate zone annual, is the Periwinkle. It is a cousin of
the blue myrtle, or periwinkle of the mainland, but resembles the latter
only in the general form of the flowers. Known elsewhere as Madagascar
periwinkle (although not a native of that island) it is called in Hawaii
simply Periwinkle or Vinca.
The flowers are flat, five-petalled and ever-blooming. Some of the white
ones have a cerise eye in the center. The leaves are greyish, long,
narrow, with blunt tips. It is a cosmopolitan in the tropics and can be
found growing on the University of Hawaii grounds. (Plate VI)
RONDELETIA
_Rondeletia odorata Jacquin_
Small, round, heads of many bright, red and yellow flowers mark the
Rondeletia. It is a shrub which is not common in Hawaii but may be found
in the Royal Hawaiian and Foster gardens. The flowers are tubular, with
a bright yellow throat and orange-red lobes. The leaves are opposite and
sessile. The shrub grows to about six feet high. It is a native of
Mexico and a member of the Coffee family. (Plate VI)
STAR JASMINE
_Jasminum pubescens Willde_
(_Jasminum multiflorum_)
The Star Jasmine takes its name from the starry, white flowers which
cover the plant at all seasons. Each has from four to nine, pointed
lobes, radiating from the mouth of the slender tube. Ordinarily, they
are scentless, but a variety with faint fragrance is now becoming
popular. When the flowers fall, they leave a group of coarsely hairy,
green calyxes like small green pompons. The plant is at first a
sprawling shrub, but later becomes a vine. Its leaves grow in opposite
pairs along the length of the shoots. They are pointed and slightly
velvety. This plant is widely used in Honolulu. It is a native of
tropical Asia, and like all the Jasmines, belongs to the Olive family.
(Plate VI)
GALPHIMIA
_Thryallis glauca Kuntze_
(_Galphimia glauca_)
Small, terminal, clusters of bright, yellow, little flowers with red
stamens, characterize the Galphimia shrub. It grows about five feet high
and has small, glossy, opposite leaves. The yellow flowers bloom most of
the year, making the plant popular in gardens.
The word Galphimia, by which it is popularly known, is an anagram of
Malpighia, the name of the Italian physician for which the family to
which it belongs was named. It is a native of southern Mexico. (Plate
VI)
PLUMBAGO
_Plumbago capensis Thunberg_
The pale blue flowers of the Plumbago are frequently seen especially in
dry places where the plant thickly covers the ground or grows over walls
and trellises, often with a heavy undergrowth of dead branches below.
The flowers have a long tube and five lobes, and grow in short clusters.
Their blue color varies from a soft azure to palest tints, and there is
a pure white variety. The species with pink blossoms is _Plumbago
rosea_.
The blue flowering plant is a native of South Africa, near the Cape of
Good Hope, as its name indicates. It gives the name of Plumbago to its
family. (Plate VI)
IXORA
_Ixora macrothyrsa Teijsmann and Binnendijk_
Large, round "snowball" heads of scarlet bloom make the Ixora a very
conspicuous shrub. Sometimes it seems almost like a small tree for it
can reach fifteen feet in height. The small individual flowers have four
petals growing at the end of a slender tube that appears to be a red
stem. These flowers are sometimes laboriously strung by the Hawaiians
into leis, which become solid red cylinders, two to three inches in
diameter. There are also plants with pale red or with white flowers, the
latter scented. The shrub has fine, large, glossy foliage suggestive of
that of the Coffee, of which family it is a member. It is a native of
Malaya.
There is a tendency in Honolulu to mispronounce the name as if it were
spelled Exoria. (Plate VI)
CANDLEBUSH. ACAPULCO
_Cassia alata Linnaeus_
Upright stalks of bright yellow flowers, almost cylindrical in form,
explain the popular name of this shrub. When first opening, the
individual flowers are closer together on the stalk than shown on Plate
VII, heightening the suggestion of golden candles growing over the
shrub. The flowers are at their best in winter, although they may be
found later. The individual flowers are pea shaped, as the plant is a
member of this family.
The leaves are luxuriant, each one from eighteen inches to two feet
long. The leaf is made up of many pairs of large leaflets, which
increase in size from the base to the tip. The plant is probably a
native of tropical America, but is widely grown in the tropics.
CORAL PLANT
_Russelia juncea Zuccarini_
Tiny, tubular red flowers, growing loosely over the drooping sprays of a
graceful bush have again suggested coral and given the name of Coral
plant to this shrub. The sprays may grow to six feet, with stems and a
few leaves of greyish green. Individual flowers are about an inch long,
tubular, and hang loosely on slender angular stems. The plant is a
native of Mexico and belongs to the Figwort family. (Plate VII)
LIPSTICK PLANT
_Bixa orellana Linnaeus_
Seedpods of the lipstick plant are extremely ornamental and are often
used as dried floral material. They are covered with heavy soft, dark
hairs, deep red when fresh and turning to stiff brown as they dry. The
pointed pod splits to reveal rows of seeds covered with a red powdery
material. This red covering provides the annotto dye of commerce, used
among other things for coloring oleomargarine, butter and cheese. It is
not produced commercially in Hawaii, but the plants are grown for this
purpose in tropical America, where they are native. The name Lipstick
plant was produced locally on the spur of the moment when a name was
needed, based on the way the red material smeared the skin.
Flowers of this plant, which appear in summer, are pale orchid pink, the
five petals surrounding a central mass of lavender stamens. The foliage
is dark green and prominently veined. The shrub may attain almost the
proportions of a small tree. Specimens grow in Iolani Palace grounds
across from the Library of Hawaii. The plant is a member of the Bixa
family. (Plate VII)
BRUNFELSIA
_Brunfelsia hopeana Bentham_
A shrub curiously covered in spring with both blue and white flowers,
superficially suggesting pansies in form, is the Brunfelsia. The two
colorings are due to the fact that the flowers are a soft lavender blue
when they open but fade to almost pure white before they fall. They have
five velvety petals, which are actually the lobes of a slender tube, and
they give off a delicate fragrance.
The shrub is woody, with light grey bark and sparse dark green leaves.
This species is a native of Brazil. A specimen grows on Metcalf street
near Hunnewell. (Plate VII)
Another Brunfelsia grows in Honolulu with white flowers which turn a
deep cream as they grow older. This is _B. americana_, a native of
tropical America. It is almost scentless by day, but develops fragrance
after dark. Both are members of the nightshade family.
COTTON
_Gossypium barbadense Linnaeus_
The cotton plant is a cousin of the Hibiscus and in Hawaii grows to be a
tall shrub which is often used in gardens. The yellow flowers are formed
like Hibiscus, but do not open widely. As they fade, they become tinged
with purple, a color change which suggests the related Hau and Milo
blossoms. The seed case is large, round and pointed and partly covered
by three fringed bracts. When it opens the boll of white cotton, in
which are the seeds, breaks out. This fluff of white fiber remains on
the plant for a long time, suggesting a different kind of blossom. In
Hawaii the local cotton is sometimes gathered and used for homemade
mattresses, but it is inferior in quality.
Cotton leaves are heart-shaped and velvety, due to whitish hairs which
cover them and give a greyish green appearance to the plant. (Plate VII)
ILIMA
_Sida fallax Walpers_
Another close relative of the Hibiscus is the Ilima, a native plant
which has orange flowers about an inch across, looking like miniature
Hibiscus blooms. The color ranges in tone from light yellow through
orange and buff, to brownish red, but the orange color is the most
popular. Leaves and stems are covered with whitish hairs creating a
velvety effect. The plant grows as a small shrub, rather straggling in
appearance. It is seldom cultivated except by the lei makers, but is
found wild in dry places. It also grows on other South Sea islands.
Leis made of these thin, silky flowers are the originals of the
often-seen orange paper leis, like paper ropes about an inch in
diameter. The paper leis, which are so artificial looking, are
nevertheless really very much like the flower originals. The true Ilima
lei has the soft texture of flesh, created by great numbers of the
flowers being strung flatly together. In early days such leis were
reserved for royalty and they are still called the royal lei. The Ilima
is the flower of the Island of Oahu. (Plate VII)
THUNBERGIA
_Thunbergia erecta T. Anderson_
Rich purple-blue flowers with golden throats are Thunbergias, closely
related to the white and blue flowering vines of the same name. The
velvety purple petals are lobes expanding a tube that is whitish without
and bright yellow within. The flowers grow singly in leaf axils,
emerging from a pair of whitish bracts. The blossoms are thin and
delicate and fade almost at once after being picked.
There is a pure white flowering form with yellow throat.
The plant is an open, rather straggling shrub, about five feet high. Its
slender branches bear small opposite leaves, rather pointed at either
end. It is a native of tropical west Africa and belongs to the Acanthus
family. (Plate VII)
MOCK ORANGE
_Murraya exotica Linnaeus_
The Mock Orange bears flowers several times a year in sporadic outbursts
which cover the plant with clusters of small snowy blossoms. At such
times the fragrance nearby is so intense that no one in the vicinity can
miss it. The Mock Orange is a true member of the Citrus family and has
the delightful scent which they all possess. Individual flowers are five
petaled, and waxy, like a very small orange blossom. When these petals
fall they cover the ground with white. The fruit is a small red ball
filled with a large seed. It is not edible, but very bitter.
Between periods of bloom the shrub, which may become a small tree,
remains attractive in its small, glossy, dark green foliage. Leaves are
compound, the leaflets being about two inches long and pointed. This
shrub is a native of tropical Asia and widely grown. (Plate VII)
JUSTICIA
_Odontonema strictum Kuntze_
(_Justicia carnea_)
The Justicia bears stiff, upright spikes of red flowers, each one a waxy
little cornucopia with five small lobes. The flower stalk is a mass of
buds, of which only a few, up and down its length, develop at a time
giving it a rather ragged and irregular appearance, but prolonging its
blooming season almost indefinitely. The open flowers fall quickly.
The plant is herbaceous and grows about five feet high. Its leaves are
bright green and glossy, large, pointed, and with prominent veins. It is
a native of tropical America and belongs to the Acanthus family. (Plate
VII)
DWARF POINCIANA. PRIDE OF BARBADOES
_Caesalpinia pulcherrima_ (_L._) _Swartz_
Bright clusters of fiery scarlet and yellow flowers growing on the
higher branch tips of a tall shrub or small tree, announce the Dwarf
Poinciana. While not a true Poinciana, it is a close relative, so that
its common name is not far amiss. Individual flowers are smaller, but
quite similar in form to those of Royal Poinciana, with five crepy
spreading petals and a colored calyx. The petals are sometimes margined
with yellow which gives added brilliance to the effect. Very long
stamens and pistil project from the center. Unlike Poinciana, the plant
blooms most of the year. Flat seedpods follow the flowers. There is an
all-yellow flowered form.
The leaves are doubly compound, with many small rounded leaflets along
the pinnae. It is a legume, and widely grown in the tropics. In India it
is the sacred flower of Siva. Specimens grow in the University of Hawaii
grounds. (Plate VIII)
A similar plant with flowers of bright yellow but with conspicuous,
long, red stamens is _Caesalpinia gilliesii_, sometimes called Bird of
Paradise.
CHENILLE PLANT
_Acalypha hispida Burmann_
One of the strangest looking of tropical shrubs bears long, thin velvety
tails of dark red, which well deserve the common name of Chenille plant,
or sometimes, Redhot Cat-tails. The shrub will attain eight feet and
presents a striking appearance with these long, crimson, flower spikes
hanging from among the large green leaves. The tails are made up of the
staminate flowers, which have no petals; pistillate flowers are
inconspicuous. A fine plant grows in front of Gumps at Waikiki. The
shrub is a member of the Euphorbia family and a native of the East
Indies. (Plate VIII)
CAPE HONEYSUCKLE
_Tecomaria capensis_ (_Lindley_) _Seemann_
The orange red flowers of this shrub have the typical trumpet form of
the Bignonias, to which family it belongs. The slightly curving tube
broadens into five lobes, beyond which extend the yellow stamens. The
flowers appear in small clusters at the branch ends.
The shrub is sprawling and vinelike, often used as a ground cover. It
may be seen at the University of Hawaii. It has small, compound leaves
notably dark green in color, each leaflet having a serrated margin. Its
specific name, capensis, reveals its native home to be South Africa.
CREPE MYRTLE
_Lagerstroemia indica Linnaeus_
In midsummer there is a sudden burst of bright, pink blossoms in
Honolulu, due to the flowering of the Crepe Myrtle. Most of these plants
are shrubs, but sometimes they attain the size of a small tree. The
exceedingly frilled, fringed and crepy petals, five to a flower, occur
in such fluffy masses that individual blossoms are often hard to
distinguish. There is a white variety and some vary in color to
lavender.
Leaves are small, leathery, smooth above, but rough beneath. The stems
are brown. The bark, when the plant attains tree size, is so smooth that
in some Oriental countries, where it is native, it is called a "monkey
slide" tree. (Plate VIII)
A large tree in the Foster Garden bears heads of lavender bloom in
summer, making a very striking appearance. This tree is _Lagerstroemia
speciosa_.
Crepe myrtles belong to the Henna family and are natives of the Far
East.
CROWN FLOWER. GIANT INDIAN MILKWEED
_Calotropis gigantea R. Brown_
The Crown Flower derives its name from its oddly shaped blossoms which
rise in clusters at the branch ends. The flowers are a grayish lavender
or a greenish white, the latter being more popular for lei making than
the former. Above the five thick, starlike, greenish petals rises a
miniature crown which looks as if it had been carved from white jade. It
is tipped by the stamens and the five pointed style. These "crowns,"
when stripped from the flower, are strung into leis which appear like
carved beads; indeed, they have been imitated in carved ivory, perhaps
the best of all the imitation flower leis.
The shrub grows rather tall. It is whitish, the stems and thick leaves
being covered with down. When cut, the stems give off a milky juice as
do other members of the Milkweed family. This plant is a native of
India, where, like the Caesalpinia, it is sacred to Siva. (Plate VIII)
BEACH NAUPAKA
_Scaevola frutescens_ (_Miller_) _Krause_
A quaint little flower, which seems to have been torn in half, since the
white petals radiate in only half of a circle, is called Naupaka-kai by
the Hawaiians. It is a native plant, found wild on the beaches of these
islands, and others in the South Seas. It has been adopted here for
seashore planting, since it is resistant to wind and salt spray. There
are other species of Scaevola growing in Hawaii, some of them preferring
a mountain habitat, but all are characterized by the half blossom. The
five petals have purple streaks. Leaves of the Beach Naupaka are thick
and grey-green because of a velvety down. They become broader toward the
tips than toward the base.
A plant with such an odd flower would be certain to have had legends
created about it. They are several in Hawaii, usually on the theme of
lovers parted, typified by the incomplete blossom.
The plant belongs to the Goodenia family. It may be seen growing along
the seawall of the Halekulani hotel or along the shore lines of the
Islands. (Plate VIII)
PURPLE, OR TRAILING LANTANA
_Lantana sellowiana Link and Otto_
A low, covering plant, dotted with small clusters of rosy lavender
flowers is the purple Lantana. The flower heads are an inch or so
across, each made up of flowerets which are little tubes with five
lobes. The foliage is small, stiff and rough, with prominent veins, each
leaf minutely scalloped. The plant is woody and firm, by which it can be
distinguished from an annual, herbaceous Verbena which is sometimes
grown as a ground cover and has flowers of somewhat similar form and
color. The Lantana belongs to the Verbena family, accounting for the
similarity. The trailing purple Lantana comes from South America. (Plate
VIII)
The familiar red and yellow _Lantana camara_ is often seen in Hawaii
growing wild beside the road. It is an "escape" from gardens. At one
time it threatened all island agriculture, for without natural checks in
the new territory to which it had been introduced it formed dense
thickets which could hardly be eradicated. It was finally controlled by
introducing parasites from tropical America, where it is native.
PIKAKE
_Jasminum sambac Solander_
The Pikake flower is seldom seen growing, for the shrub is rather
ungainly, with large stiff paired leaves, and the blossoms make little
show. It is when these flowers are strung into leis, however, that they
become universally recognized, through their magnificent fragrance. It
is regarded by many people as the most enchanting flower scent in the
world. The individual flowers are small, waxy, white, usually double.
One lei strand is enough to scent a room, but several are usually worn
in order to make an attractive showing.
It is this Jasmine that is grown commercially in China and added to tea
leaves to make Jasmine tea.
Its peculiar Hawaiian name (pronounced peacocki), was probably derived
from association with the white peacocks which used to wander through
Ainahau, the beautiful estate at Waikiki where the Princess Kaiulani
lived in the nineties. The lei of Jasmine flowers was the favorite of
this young heiress to the Hawaiian throne and by a natural association
of favorites, her lei and her birds were called by the same name. (Plate
VIII)
CROWN OF THORNS
_Euphorbia splendens Bojer_
Quantities of very long, sharp thorns on a low shrub bearing small, red
flowers is the Crown of Thorns. The little, rosy-scarlet flowers grow in
small clusters on longish stems. What appear to be two red petals are
really a pair of bracts. The leaves are few, bright green, and appear on
the new growth.
The plant, which is usually less than three feet high, forms a dense
mass of thorns with its bare, brownish stems. It is sometimes planted in
areas from which it is desired to keep people, as in the parking strip
before the Advertiser building. The plant is a native of Madagascar, and
a member of the Euphorbia family. (Plate VIII)
It is a cousin of the Poinsettia, _Euphorbia pulcherrima_ from Mexico,
which grows very luxuriously in Hawaii.
SINGAPORE HOLLY
_Malpighia coccigera Linnaeus_
Miniature, holly-like leaves, crisp, shining and thorny, mark this
charming little plant which is not a native of Singapore but of the West
Indies. Nor is it a true holly, but a member of the Malpighia family.
The plant is covered occasionally with dainty pink flowers, their five
petals around the yellow stamens, very fringed and crepy and suggesting
in form their cousins, the Orchid vine (Stigmaphyllon). They have a
slight fragrance. The plant grows rather stiffly and is often seen in
pots. (Plate VIII)
DOMBEYA
_Dombeya wallichii Bentham and Hooker_
The Dombeya is a shrub or small tree with large leaves among which hang
showy round, drooping heads of many pink flowers. The flower clusters
grow at the end of long, downy pedicels and are so heavy that they hang
far over. Individual flowers have five pink petals, and the stamens are
united into a short tube in the center. Even when these flowers are
brown and dried the cluster still hangs on the plant.
The leaves are big and velvety, roundly heart shaped, with lobes. The
plant is a native of Madagascar and a member of the Cocoa family. A
white flowering shrub of similar appearance is the _Dombeya
spectabilis_. A specimen grows in the University of Hawaii grounds.
(Plate IX)
KALAMONA
_Cassia glauca Lamarck_
A very commonly seen shrub or small tree bearing numerous clusters of
bright yellow flowers and, at the same time, bunches of brown pods, is
the Kalamona. A native of tropical Asia, this plant has become
naturalized in Hawaii and is often seen growing wild, especially in dry
places. Its yellow flowers are similar in general form to those of its
cousins, the Shower trees, and like them also, the foliage is compound.
Each leaf is made up of many medium-sized leaflets. The flowers appear
most of the year, but are best in spring and early summer. (Plate IX)
The Hawaiian name has been transferred to this plant from a native
Cassia of similar appearance, _C. gaudichaudii_.
HAOLE LEHUA
_Calliandra grandiflora Bentham_
Flowers which are pompons of pink or white stamens, blooming in winter
and spring, announce the Haole Lehua. This name, meaning foreign Lehua,
is applied also to a closely related species, _Calliandra haematoma_
which has similar flowers of a bright pinkish red. Resemblance of these
flowers to those of the native Ohia Lehua has resulted in this name
being transferred. At the present time they are more commonly seen in
leis than the true Lehua. Such leis are particularly beautiful
suggesting a garland of marabou feathers. The shrub has small compound
leaves and grows twelve feet tall. The flowers are followed by brown
seedpods, showing the plant to be a member of the bean family. It is a
native of tropical America. (Plate IX)
CUP AND SAUCER PLANT. CHINAMAN'S HAT
_Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz_
Tall sprays of the Holmskioldia are lined with quaintly shaped little
flowers, of tawny orange or deep scarlet color. They are well described
by the names of Cup and Saucer, or Chinaman's hat. Each is made up of a
saucer-shaped bract, which is the most conspicuous part, from the center
of which rises a small tubular flower. They bloom the year round and may
be found in many gardens.
The shrub is sprawling or half climbing, with small opposite leaves,
usually with irregular margins. It is a native of Burma and a member of
the Coffee family. (Plate IX)
KONA COFFEE. ARABIAN COFFEE
_Coffea arabica Linnaeus_
The shrub or small tree that produces the coffee bean of commerce is
sometimes grown in Hawaii as an ornamental plant. It is conspicuous for
its rich, dark, shining, leaves, strongly veined and for its bright red
berries and the fragrance of its small, white flowers. The flowers are
starlike, and grow rather inconspicuously in the leaf axils, a few in a
cluster. They are followed by the green berries which turn bright red
when ripe. These berries usually contain two seeds which are the coffee
"beans" of commerce.
The Arabian coffee plant grows best at levels cooler than the average in
Honolulu, so the plant is seen on Tantalus and in the high valleys. It
is grown commercially in the Kona district, on the Island of Hawaii and
the product has been given the name of Kona coffee. Most of the world's
coffee is made from this species, which was originally native to
tropical East Africa, but was introduced very early into Arabia. (Plate
IX)
Another coffee plant grown in Honolulu is _Coffea liberica_, also a
native of tropical Africa. It grows under slightly warmer conditions
than the other and so does better in Honolulu. It is larger than _C.
arabica_, becoming a small tree. Coffee plants are related to the
fragrant Gardenias, and give their name to the family.
CORAL BUSH
_Jatropha multifida Linnaeus_
Again the similarity of a flower to coral has given the name of Coral
Bush to a plant. In the case of the Jatropha, the likeness is not
far-fetched, for the Jatropha flower head is very curious and strangely
like a small bunch of red coral. Stems and rounded buds are red and
glossy. A few flowers open at a time, showing five small petals and
yellow stamens. The fruit which follows is a green capsule holding
several seeds.
The leaves of the plant are palmate, and deeply divided in seven to
eleven slender parts, giving a lacy appearance to the shrub. It grows
about ten feet high. (Plate IX)
Flowers of almost identical form grow on a related plant called
_Jatropha podagrica_. This plant, however, is small and usually grown in
pots. It is characterized by a greatly thickened stalk which seems to be
a large bulb rising from the ground. Flowers and a few leaves grow from
the top of this stem. The leaves of this plant are not divided, as in
the shrub, but are either entire or lobed. Both are natives of Central
America, and belong to the Euphorbia family.
LASIANDRA. PLEROMA. PRINCESS FLOWER
_Tibouchina semidecandra Cogniaux_
Flowers of rich royal purple, a regal and exciting color, make the
Lasiandra conspicuous wherever it blooms. It is not commonly seen in
Honolulu, because it prefers slightly higher altitudes, but on the road
to the Volcano on Hawaii, or at Kokee on Kauai, it has escaped and makes
conspicuous purple masses of bloom. The flowers have five velvety
petals, and in the center a group of pinkish stamens, which are
peculiarly angled.
The leaves are almost as attractive as the flowers being thickly piled
with velvety green hairs which create a silver sheen. They are marked
laterally by several conspicuous veins. Old leaves scattered over the
plant turn bright scarlet and are as noticeable as flowers.
The plant grows as a spreading shrub. It is a native of Brazil and a
member of the Melastoma family. (Plate IX)
NATAL PLUM
_Carissa grandiflora De Candolle_
The Natal plum, (a native of Natal, in South Africa) is characterized by
its long sharp thorns, its fragrant white flowers and its bright red
fruits which shine conspicuously among the leaves. The plant may attain
almost the size of a small tree but is usually smaller and is often used
as a hedge. Its thorns make it practically impenetrable.
The flowers have five, waxy, white petals which always twist slightly to
the right. They are very fragrant. The red fruits are edible but
sub-acid in flavor. The leaves are very glossy and thick, growing
opposite each other on the stem. The plant is a member of the Periwinkle
family. It may be seen growing along the Makiki side of the Round Top
road. (Plate IX)
[Illustration: Plate IX
TROPICAL SHRUBS--CHAPTER IV]
Identification key
(1) Dombeya
(2) Cup and Saucer
(3) Kalamona
(4) Haole Lehua
(5) Coral Bush
(6) Lasiandra
(7) Kona Coffee
(8) Natal Plum
[Illustration: Plate X
COLORED FOLIAGE SHRUBS--CHAPTER V]
Identification key
(1) Snow Bush
(2) Assorted Croton Leaves
(3) Purple Eranthemum
(4) Golden Eranthemum
(5) Panax
(6) Spiral Leaved Croton
(7) Beefsteak Plant
(8) Caricature Plant
[Illustration: Plate XI
FLOWERING VINES--CHAPTER VI]
Identification key
(1) Yellow Allamanda
(2) Pink Allamanda
(3) Baby Morning-glory
(4) Orange Trumpet Vine
(5) "Mauna-loa"
(6) Pink Bignonia
(7) Wooden Rose
[Illustration: Plate XII
FLOWERING VINES--CHAPTER VI]
Identification key
(1) Cat's Claw Vine
(2) Galphimia Vine
(3) Phanera
(4) Giant Potato Vine
(5) Sandpaper Vine
(6) Orchid Vine
(7) Garlic Vine
(8) Mexican Creeper
(9) Cup of Gold