FLOWERING VINES
Vines sprawling over rocks and banks, or climbing high over walls and
trees to hang out floral banners, make up one of Hawaii's most colorful
and interesting floral chapters. While some vines are ever-blooming,
most have seasons when they suddenly put on a display of color or of
rare beauty, that become, often, the most conspicuous sight of the town.
The vines are rather easy to identify on the whole, for there are only a
few which resemble each other enough to be confusing.
YELLOW ALLAMANDA
_Allamanda hendersonii Bulliard_
Sprawling green vines, often used as a ground cover, with big yellow
flowers every day in the year, are the Allamandas. They are one of the
most widely used plants in Hawaii.
There are two yellow species commonly seen, the only essential
difference being size. The one with large flowers, about five inches in
diameter, is _Allamanda hendersonii_. Its leaves are smooth on both
sides. The species with smaller blossoms, about three inches in
diameter, is _Allamanda cathartica_. It may be identified, if not in
bloom, by the fact that its leaves are somewhat hairy on the under side.
The bright yellow flowers grow in terminal clusters, two or three of the
buds opening at one time. The buds are pointed, those of the large _A.
hendersonii_ being quite brownish in color and looking as if they had
been varnished. This brown color blotches the back of the opened
flowers. Blossoms are campanulate in form, the tube spreading out into
five large, thick, velvety lobes. The throat of the tube in the large
flower is also streaked with brown and there are whitish spots at the
base of the petals. Flowers of these vines do not last when cut, unless
the stem ends have the sticky juice coagulated by holding in very hot
water.
The leaves usually appear in fours, forming a cross or whorl where they
join the stem. They are a pointed oval in form, thick, smooth and rather
light green.
These plants are natives of Guiana and members of the Periwinkle family.
There is a fine planting at Vancouver drive and Hunnewell street. (Plate
XI)
PINK ALLAMANDA
_Allamanda blachetti A. De Candolle_
The rose-colored member of the Allamanda group in Hawaii is not so often
found as the yellow. The flowers are about the size of the large yellow
and in color a deep rose, or almost maroon, with the throat a deeper
shade.
The leaves of this species, while they display the whorled growth of the
yellow, are smaller and very rough and hairy on both sides.
The vine comes from Brazil. (Plate XI)
BABY MORNING GLORY
_Jacquemontia pentantha G. Don_
(_Convolvulus mauritanicus_)
Flowers like miniature blue morning-glories, about an inch across, grow
on this slender vine. It is charming because of its petite size, and for
the beautiful color of the flowers. They have a lighter throat, and
white stamens. The buds appear in clusters at the end of the flower stem
and one or two flowers open each morning, closing in the afternoon. The
leaves are slightly heart-shaped, ending in a sharp point. The stems are
reddish. The Jacquemontia, which is a native of tropical America, was
named after a French botanist, Victor Jacquemont. Formerly it was called
_Convolvulus mauritanicus_. (Plate XI)
ORANGE TRUMPET VINE. FIRECRACKER VINE. HUAPALA
_Bignonia venusta Ker_
One of the most spectacular events in Hawaii's colorful floral calendar,
is the blooming of the Firecracker vine. In late winter, walls of green
foliage turn suddenly into a sheet of flaming orange, the masses of
flowers seeming like small tongues of fire blazing over the entire vine.
The blossoms grow in end racemes. Each individual flower is a long,
slender tube spreading into four or five lobes which curl back against
the tube. They often form the outline of a cross, with the fourth lobe
split, curiously, into two parts to make the five-part flower. The style
and four stamens extend beyond the tube. When the flower begins to fade,
the tube slips loose from the calyx; but it is often caught in its fall
by the enlarged tip of the style, so that the flower hangs on the vine,
to add its color to the mass, for a while longer.
Leaves are glossy and bright green, usually growing as three rather
pointed leaflets. Like so many other vines in Hawaii, it is a native of
Brazil. The Hawaiian name, "Huapala" means Sweetheart. (Plate XI)
"MAUNA LOA". PUA KAUHI
_Canavalia microcarpa De Candolle_
Anyone who has remained for long in Hawaii has seen and wondered at the
Maunaloa leis, those strangely formal, almost sculptured floral bands
which have scale-like, overlapping petals in the center, and are
bordered on either edge by rounded projections. The flowers from which
these leis are made are a typical pea blossom. Strung together and
turned right and left alternately, the "banner" or large top petal is
then bent back and held down by being pressed onto the surface of a
narrow strip of adhesive tape stretched along the length of the lei. The
"keel" of the pea flower forms the border projections.
Originally these leis were made from the Maunaloa flowers, which are
botanically _Dioclea altissima_. But these are rarely seen nowadays and
most of the Maunaloa leis are made from a closely related flower, the
_Canavalia microcarpa_. The blossoms of this vine range in color from
white, through orchid pink to lavender and even maroon. They grow in
elongated clusters at the tips of the shoots. The stems of the plant are
dark red, the leaves are made up of three leaflets, triangular in form,
with reddish venetions. This plant is an annual, growing from large,
dark roundish seeds. It is a native of Brazil and grows wild in Hawaii.
(Plate XI)
The true Maunaloa is very similar to it in general form.
PINK BIGNONIA
_Pandorea jasminoides Schumann_
There are several kinds of vines growing in Honolulu which have clusters
of pink or orchid colored trumpet shaped flowers, often with a dark red
throat. These are usually called vaguely Pink Bignonia, for they are
either members of the Bignonia family or closely related. Their
botanical relationships are not easily straightened out for the layman,
since all are rather similar in appearance. On Plate XI is shown
_Pandorea jasminoides_, a vine from Australia. Others are _Bignonia
jasminoides_ and _Bignonia regina_ from tropical America. All are
attractive with their pinkish bell-shaped flowers and fine green
foliage. _Pandorea jasminoides_ may be seen growing on a wall on the
lower part of Diamond Head Road.
WOODEN ROSE
_Ipomoea tuberosa Linnaeus_
One of the strangest and most attractive of Hawaii's plant novelties is
the "Wooden Rose," which looks indeed like some wonderful bit of
carving, rubbed to an exquisite satiny brown finish. The "rose" however,
is really the dried seed pod of a species of morning-glory, as anyone
familiar with the ordinary morning-glory seed will at once recognize.
The central ball holds the seeds while the enlarged, dried calyx which
surrounds it, appears to be petals.
In Hawaii, the vine is a perennial, grown from seeds. Its strong shoots
spread rampantly during the summer month, climbing high into trees or
covering buildings and fences. The leaf is divided into seven pointed
lobes. The flowers first appear in autumn. They are yellow, small,
rather inconspicuous and tubular, like the small yellow morning-glory
which they really are. After they fall, the calyx begins to develop
until it has enlarged into what looks like an immense pointed,
cream-colored bud. As this begins to dry, it opens, showing the enlarged
seed case. In a few days, the "wood rose" is stiff and brown. About
three months are required from the time the blossom appears until the
seed pod is ready to cut. These pods may be used as a long-lived
decoration; and, since the flowers grow at intervals along the shoot in
the leaf axils, graceful lengths of stem with many roses can be used for
flower arrangements.
The vine grows generally throughout the tropics but is sometimes called
Ceylon Morning-glory. (Plate XI)
CAT'S CLAW VINE. HUG-ME-TIGHT
_Bignonia unguis-cati Linnaeus_
The three-pointed, claw-like tendrils by which this vine clings closely
to trees, or walls, have given it the two names by which it is commonly
known. But it will be readily recognized and remembered from the cloth
of gold it flings several times a year over everything it covers.
Individual flowers are trumpet shaped, with five spreading lobes, about
two inches across. The color is a clear, canary yellow. (Plate XII)
The leaves are compound, the paired leaflets being pointed and narrow.
The plant is a native of tropical America where it is related to some of
the giant lianas that creep through the Brazilian jungle. Its most
conspicuous relative in Honolulu is the Firecracker vine, _Bignonia
venusta_, illustrated on Plate XI.
GALPHIMIA VINE
_Tristellateia australis A. Richard_
This yellow flowering vine is rather rare as yet in Honolulu, but is
bound to grow in popularity as its attractive flowers and leaves become
known. The color of the leaves is a light yellow-green. They are
opposite, smooth, thick and waxen, with a tendency to fold along the
mid-rib.
The flowers appear on pendant end-shoots, in long clusters. They have
five, pale, yellow petals and in the center a group of short, red
stamens. Probably this vine can be most readily identified by this touch
of red in the middle of the yellow blossom. It belongs to the Malpighia
family and hence is a cousin of the popular Galphimia shrub. It is a
native of Australasia. (Plate XII)
GIANT POTATO VINE
_Solanum wendlandii Hooker_
Delicate, pale, periwinkle-blue flowers appear in large, loose, clusters
in early summer and again in autumn on the Giant Potato vine. The petals
of the flowers are not separate, but are connected, curving outward
slightly, making the flower almost pentagonal in outline. The mid-rib of
each petal is of slightly different texture and lighter color than the
rest of the corolla. In the center of the flower is a group of thick
stamens forming a low column.
The leaves of this vine are not all of one shape, but vary in form from
a simple outline to one that is deeply lobed, with the end lobe
sometimes larger than the others. The leaves are smooth in texture but
have occasional prickles. (Plate XII)
Another "Potato vine" in Hawaii is _Solanum seaforthianum_. It has small
flowers of a rich purple-blue, about an inch across, which appear in
loose clusters in summer. They are of the same pentagonal form as the
larger ones and have a bright yellow center created by the stamen.
The foliage of _S. seaforthianum_ is small; but, like the large potato
vine, varies in form.
The giant vine is a native of Costa Rica while the smaller one came from
Brazil. Both belong to the Solanum, or nightshade family.
A close relative is the Giant Potato Tree which has flowers of very
similar form and color. See Plate II.
PHANERA
_Bauhinia corymbosa Roxburgh_
The Phanera carries large, loose, corymbose clusters of small pale,
pinkish flowers, during the summer months. The flowers are about an inch
across and have five delicately fluted white petals. These may be
flushed with pink. Several long bright red stamens project from the
center and give the flower cluster a pinkish effect.
The leaves seem to be paired, but are really deeply lobed, their outer
edges rounded, the notch cut in deeply. The nerves are almost parallel.
This peculiar leaf shows the relationship of this vine to other members
of the same family, especially the Orchid tree and the St. Thomas tree.
The genus was named for the twin Bauhin brothers who were herbalists in
the 16th century.
The flowers are followed by long, flat, purplish-brown pods, showing
this plant belongs to the legume family. Its native home is China.
(Plate XII)
SANDPAPER VINE. PURPLE WREATH
_Petrea volubilis Linnaeus_
One of the most exciting experiences in Hawaii is to come upon a plant
of the Petrea in full bloom. The cascading racemes of lavender-blue
flowers cover the plant completely, turning it into a tumbling fall of
lacy blue. The calyx seems like a flower in itself, being starlike, five
pointed and periwinkle blue. The true flower is a rich violet in color
and looks something like a real violet growing in the center of the
calyx. This true blossom falls off the plant in a day or so, leaving the
calyxes to suggest a cluster of Wistaria blossoms. Each raceme is seven
or eight inches long and carries fifteen to thirty flowers. The plant
blooms several times during the year, at least once in spring and again
in summer.
The leaves are yellowish or grey-green and very rough in feeling. They
give the plant its name of Sandpaper vine. It is a native of Brazil and
a member of the Verbena family. A specimen may be seen on Metcalf
street, near Hunnewell. (Plate XII)
ORCHID VINE
_Stigmaphyllon littorale A. Jussieu_
Clusters of delicate, yellow flowers, suggesting small yellow orchids
have given the name of Orchid to the two Stigmaphyllons which grow in
Hawaii. They are, however, in no way related to Orchids but belong to
the Malpighia family. In recent years they have become very popular in
Honolulu but cannot yet be found widespread in gardens.
Individual blossoms have five unequal petals of a crepy, satiny, texture
and a clear bright yellow color. The flower illustrated in Plate XII is
_Stigmaphyllon littorale_. Its flowers are smaller and more numerous
than the cousin, which is _Stigmaphyllon ciliatum_, but the form of the
two flowers is very much alike. The foliage of the two plants, however,
is different for while both have strong, leathery, shining leaves, those
of _S. littorale_ are oval, while those of _S. ciliatum_ are small,
pointed, quaintly heart-shaped and as the botanist says, they are
"ciliate," that is, fringed by coarse hairs. From this is derived its
specific name of ciliatum.
These two vines are natives of tropical America.
GARLIC VINE
_Cydista aequinoctialis Miers_
A vine with charming clusters of orchid-colored, bell-shaped flowers,
radiates a most disagreeable odor of bad garlic, which gives it the
inevitable name of Garlic Vine, or, since it is a species of the
widespread Bignonia family, the name of garlic-scented Bignonia. The
flowers appear most prolifically in autumn and spring, but a few may be
found almost any time. The white-throated tube of the blossom is
slightly flattened and then broadens into five lobes of a
purplish-orchid color. At the bottom of the tube are yellow stamens.
The leaves are a rich, glossy green, growing in opposite pairs, so that
four appear to grow from one point on the stem. A straight tendril
extends from between the pairs near the end of the branch. (Plate XII)
MEXICAN CREEPER. CHAIN OF LOVE
_Antigonon leptopus Hooker and Arnott_
Lace-like masses of small, bright-pink flowers clambering by curling
tendrils over weeds, rocks or trees, announce the Mexican creeper.
Sometimes the white variety is seen and there are also pale pink
hybrids. In its native Latin America, this plant is called _Cadena del
Amor_, or Chain of Love, since the flowers suggest a string of small
pink hearts. The Mexicans have also given it other sentimental names
such as _Rosa de Montana_, _Corallita_ and _San Miguelito_.
The flower chains branch in a rather angular way giving an effect that
is peculiarly picturesque. They lend themselves to flower arrangements
of special charm. For this purpose the white variety is often more
useful than the bright pink, since it blends better with the average
interior color scheme. The only drawback is that the flowers fall rather
quickly, but they are worth arranging even for a short time.
The leaves are heart-shaped with wavy margins. There are no petals, the
colored portion of the flower being the calyx, with five petal-like
sepals. The seeds form and remain inside the dried calyx. The plant
belongs to the buckwheat family. (Plate XII)
[Illustration: Plate XIII
FLOWERING VINES--CHAPTER VI]
Identification key
(1) Bleeding Heart
(2) Kuhio Vine
(3) Porana
(4) Crimson Lake Bougainvillea
(5) White Thunbergia
(6) Wax Vine
(7) Beaumontia
(8) Blue Butterfly Pea
[Illustration: Plate XIV
GINGER BLOSSOMS--CHAPTER VII]
Identification key
(1) Shell Ginger
(2) Yellow Ginger
(3) Crepe Ginger
(4) Red Ginger
(5) Kahili Ginger
(6) White Ginger
(7) Torch Ginger
[Illustration: Plate XV
SPECIAL TROPICAL FLOWERS--CHAPTER VIII]
Identification key
(1) Spider Lily
(2) White Bird of Paradise
(3) Bird of Paradise
(4) Golden Heliconia
(5) Lobster Claw
(6) White Anthurium
(7) Red Anthurium
(8) Flowering Banana
(9) Spathiphyllum
[Illustration: Plate XVI
SPECIAL TROPICAL FLOWERS--CHAPTER VIII]
Identification key
(1) Dieffenbachia
(2) Green Ti
(3) Pothos
(4) Red Ti
(5) Caladium
(6) Monstera
(7) Rhoeo
(8) A'pe
CUP OF GOLD
_Solandra guttata Don_
One of the most magnificent flowers in Hawaii is the great Cup of Gold
blossom. It could be more appropriately called a golden chalice than a
mere cup, for the blossom is nine inches long above its stem-like tube,
and wide and curving in outline. It is the rich golden color of a ripe
banana, and brownish streaks on the petals increase this suggestion. Its
fragrance, however, is the deep, heady scent of ripe apricots. The huge
buds, waxen in texture, when they once start to unfold, move so rapidly
that the backward curving movement may be easily observed. The plant
blooms in the winter and spring months. Its leaves are large and rather
pointed. (Plate XII)
There is a very similar flower which is cream-white in color, hence
called the Silver Cup. This is Solandra grandiflora. These two are
members of the Potato family. They are natives of Mexico and tropical
America, where they are called in Spanish, _Copa de Oro_.
BLEEDING HEART. BAG FLOWER
_Clerodendron thomsonae Balfour_
The quaint little red and white flowers of this vine appear in clusters
during the winter and spring months. The vine is usually rather small
and is often grown in pots. The crimson portion is the true flower,
while the "heart" or "bag" is the white calyx. The red flower is
composed of a slender tube extending beyond the calyx and spreading into
five lobes. A group of fine stamens protrudes beyond the flower. The
leaves are opposite, oblong-ovate, and slightly rough to the touch.
This Clerodendron, which is a member of the Verbena family, is a native
of West Africa. (Plate XIII)
KUHIO VINE. PRINCE'S VINE
_Ipomoea horsfalliae Hooker_
A close covering mass of magenta-crimson flowers in autumn, winter or
spring, is almost sure to be the Kuhio Vine. (The Crimson Lake
Bougainvillea, though of about the same color, hangs in long swaying
sprays.) The Kuhio vine, one of the morning-glories, is a native of
India and is found growing widely in the tropics. It was brought to
Hawaii by Prince Kuhio when he was the Territory's delegate in
Washington. For years, a large vine grew over his house at Waikiki, on
that portion of the beach now known as Kuhio Park. It is natural that
the plant should have been called the Prince's vine, or Kuhio vine.
Individual flowers are shaped like a long bell with a waxy tube and a
wide mouth, made up of five lobes. The leaves are a dark, rich green and
divided, usually, into five parts. (Plate XIII)
PORANA VINE
_Porana paniculata Roxburgh_
A mass of tiny white flowers, so small and so numerous they suggest a
drift of smoke, or a light fall of snow, is the Porana vine in bloom.
The flowering period is late summer and autumn. The rest of the year the
plant carries its thick, grey, felt-like leaves along walls and
trellises. The leaves are opposite, either heart-shaped or oval, and
rather large.
Individual flowers are shaped like minute white morning-glories, the
Porana being a member of this family. The tiny white blossoms appear in
huge lacy panicles at the end of the branches. They can be used as cut
flowers for a short period before the blossoms begin to fall, and they
are popular for use in bridal bouquets in Hawaii.
The Porana is a native of India and Malaya, where it grows to a great
height in the jungles. Its name is said to be derived from the native
Javanese name. (Plate XIII)
CRIMSON LAKE BOUGAINVILLEA
_Bougainvillea glabra, var. Sanderiana Choisy_
Long, waving sprays of bright crimson flowers are a conspicuous feature
of Honolulu gardens in winter, spring, and early summer. These sprays
grow on the Crimson Lake Bougainvillea, a close cousin of the purple
flowering species which is so familiar in California and other temperate
areas. The purple forms grow in Hawaii, also. One of them,
_Bougainvillea spectabilis_, is a mass of purple in the spring; its
smaller, ever-blooming form is the variety _parviflora_. This same group
includes, also, the orange and tawny-hued form, which is _B.
spectabilis_, variety _lateritia_.
Flower shades of all these plants vary considerably, the purple hues
ranging through lavender and pink, while the entire color range in
golden tones appears in the lateritia, varying from a golden buff
through rich terra cotta red, to orange and almost scarlet. All are
practically alike in form. The brilliant color is not due to the true
flower but to modified leaves or bracts, three of which enclose the true
flowers. The latter are small, tubular and pale yellow. The leaves of
the plant are small, rather triangular in shape, with wavy margins.
The stems of Crimson Lake have large thorns. The plant climbs strongly
during the summer months, then in winter, its clusters of flowers appear
at the end of its branches. (Plate XIII)
The orange or terracotta-colored variety makes a gorgeous mass of
flaming color in the winter season while the purples add their exotic
hue to the kaleidoscope. The grounds of St. Louis College make a feature
of purple and red Bougainvillea, while Punahou School has a fine plant
of the orange.
Bougainvilleas are natives of Brazil. They were named for de
Bougainville, a French navigator who lived from 1729 to 1811. The plant
belongs to the four o'clock family.
WHITE THUNBERGIA
_Thunbergia grandiflora Roxburgh Var. alba._
One of the most conspicuous flowers in Hawaii carries starry white
flowers about four inches across against its green wall of leaves, or
dramatically drops these flowers in waving streamers sometimes two or
three feet long.
Rows of buds develop at the branch ends and the flowers begin to open at
the top. As they open, the branch grows also until it nearly doubles its
first length.
The individual flowers are funnel-shaped with a pale yellow throat, the
tube broadening to five lobes. Leaves are roughly oval, or shaped like
an angular heart, and are quite rough to the touch. Because of the
dramatic appearance of the long white streamers, the plant has become
very popular in Honolulu in recent years. It is a native of India, a
member of the Acanthus family. (Plate XIII)
The blue flowering species, _Thunbergia laurifolia_ was established much
earlier than the white variety. The latter however has outstripped the
former in popularity. The blue Thunbergia does not trail its flowers so
conspicuously as does the white and has leaves which suggest the laurel,
giving the specific name, _laurifolia_ to the plant. It is sometimes
called Blue Sky Flower.
WAX VINE
_Hoya carnosa R. Brown_
Noticeable for its thick, shining, oval leaves is the Wax Vine. Hidden
among the leaves are the clusters of fragrant, waxy, white flowers. They
grow in umbels, the flower stems radiating from a single point on the
main stem. The small blossoms are shaped like creamy-white stars, and
each flower contains a smaller star in its center. This is white against
a pink flush at the base of the petals. In another variety, the flower
is brownish. They give off a strong fragrance, especially in the
evening. (Plate XIII)
BEAUMONTIA VINE. NEPAL TRUMPET FLOWER
_Beaumontia grandiflora Wallich_
Immense clusters of large, striking, white flowers seen on a strong
rampant vine, mean that the Beaumontia is in bloom. The season is winter
and spring. The flowers are about six inches across, papery in texture
and a dead white in color, except for a pink flush on the back, and pale
green in the center. They are cup shaped, with five wavy lobes. In the
center of the flower rise the five stamens, white and pale green in
color and joined at the tip into a point. The flower has a delicate
fragrance, matching its fragile appearance. If cut early in the morning
and plunged deeply into water for awhile, it will be successful as a cut
flower. The blossoms are often used in wedding bouquets in Hawaii.
The vine grows to a large size with long, large leaves prominently
veined and a shining bright green in color. The plant is a native of
tropical Asia. It is a member of the Periwinkle family. (Plate XIII)
BLUE BUTTERFLY PEA
_Clitoria ternatea Linnaeus_
Blossoms of a true cerulean blue are exceedingly rare in the flower
world, but those of the Butterfly Pea are of this hue. Though small and
scattered on the vine, these little flowers are delightful for their
gorgeous color and unusual shape. As members of the pea family, they are
shaped like a modified pea blossom, the "banner" or large back petal
being oval, the wings very small. The banner usually has a white mark on
the base. Sometimes the flowers occur double and there is also a white
variety.
The foliage is compound, the leaflets being rounded. The plant, which is
an annual in colder climates, grows rather thickly. The dried pea-like
pods which follow the flowers hang on the vine a long time. The seeds
grow easily.
The plant gets its name from the island of Ternate in the East Indies,
but is considered a cosmopolitan in the tropics. (Plate XIII)