Chapter VIII SPECIAL TROPICAL FLOWERS |
Illustrated capital Many plants grow out of doors in Hawaii which are only seen in greenhouses in cooler climates. These include Orchids, which often make purple cascades from baskets hanging on trees, and other kinds which grow in the ground. In Hawaii, however, as in other places, the finer collections of Orchids are grown in greenhouses. This is not for warmth, since the walls of these houses are partly of wire screening, but to protect the plants from rain, wind and insects. The best plants of the island Orchid collections are usually displayed twice a year, at spring and autumn shows in the Honolulu Academy of Arts, where anyone interested may view them. Plants which appear particularly tropical and exotic are those with large, lush, leaves and strange colorful flowers. Such plants do not require growing conditions any more tropical than do other things listed in previous chapters, but they look as if they did and are here grouped together. The ones selected for description do not exhaust the list by any means, but they are, perhaps, the ones most frequently seen. A good collection of tropical exotics grows in the greenhouse at the Foster Gardens, a city park open to the public. SPIDER LILIES
Crinum species In Hawaii the name of Spider Lily is given to a number of liliaceous plants which have similar flowers, that is, with six, thin, spidery petals and six stamens. By a stretch of the imagination these flowers might be thought of as giant white spiders. The botany of these lilies is much confused and the local ones have never been satisfactorily straightened out. But there are at least three groups covered by the popular name, the chief one being Crinum. Others are Hymenocallis and Pancratium. All are members of the Amaryllis family. These plants have bulbous roots which send up a clump of long, blade-like leaves. They vary from one or two feet in length to giants four to six feet long. The flowers are usually white, although sometimes tinged with dark red, and sometimes they have red stamens and stems. Many of these flowers are very fragrant. The Spider lilies are one of the staples of a Hawaiian garden. (Plate XV) THE BANANA FAMILY Plants related to the Banana or Musa family, supply some of the most exotically shaped and colored flowers in Hawaii. The fruiting Banana does not have conspicuous flowers, but it grows as a graceful tree. The flowering stalk holds large dark red bracts under which are the small yellow tubular flowers. These point upward, as do the fruits into which they develop. The man in the fruit store hangs the bunch upside down. A relative of the Banana which often attracts attention is the Traveller’s Palm, Ravenala madagascariensis, which is not, of course, a palm any more than a Banana is a palm. The Traveller’s Palm has the large leaves of the Banana, but they are arranged in one plane, like the sticks of a giant fan. Some other members of the Banana family are included in Plate XV. WHITE BIRD OF PARADISE
Strelitzia nicolai Thunberg One of the most curious flowers in Hawaii is the White Bird of Paradise, so called, no doubt, because of its resemblance to its relative, the blue and orange colored Bird of Paradise. The resemblance, however, is not close enough for the white really to look like a bird, as does the orange. The white flowers grow out of a large boat-shaped sheath or keel, deep purplish grey in color, of which there are often two or three in a cluster. The flowers break out of the top of this sheath, one at a time, like white sails. There are three petals with a pale blue staminodium. The keel frequently is smeared with a gummy substance which must be removed before the flower becomes attractive for decoration. The plant on which they grow is a small tree, with Banana-like leaves, arranged in several small fans on the order of the Traveller’s Palm. It is a member of the Banana family and a native of South Africa. (Plate XV) BIRD OF PARADISE
Strelitzia reginae Banks The long stalk of this flower looks like the neck of a bird holding a head with long beak and a gorgeous crest. The “head” is a pointed sheath, greyish in color, and the crest of the bird is made up of the flowers lifting out of this sheath. There are about six of them in the sheath and since one pushes out every day or so, the cluster becomes larger and more colorful as it becomes older. Each flower has three pointed petals, brilliantly orange in color, and a blue staminodium shaped like an arrow head. The effect is unusual and exotic in the extreme. The flower is scentless. The flower stalks grow slightly above the clump of stiff leaves which compose the plant. The leaves, which may be three or four feet long, are paddle shaped and heavy, their edges curving together. This plant, too, is a relative of the Banana and a native of South Africa. In arranging Bird of Paradise flowers, an effective way is to place them with all the “heads” turned in one direction, which gives the suggestion of a flock of birds in flight. (Plate XV) GOLDEN HELICONIA
Heliconia latispatha Bentham Other relatives of the Banana are the Heliconias of which there are a number growing in Hawaii. The plant is made up of a clump of tall, paddle-shaped leaves, often ten feet high. The flowers of most species grow below the leaves, but the Golden Heliconia flower pushes above them. The inflorescence consists of a series of narrow, pointed keels, a deep golden yellow in color. The real flowers are inside these sheaths, inconspicuous and hardly noticeable. This plant is a native of tropical America. (Plate XV) LOBSTER CLAW
Heliconia humilis Jacquin Generally similar to the Golden Heliconia, the keels of the Lobster Claw are much thicker and closer together, and arranged on opposite sides of the stem, in one plane. They are the brilliant red of a boiled lobster and the general form of the keel suggests the claws of the creature. The inconspicuous flowers are inside. As the keels hold rain water, the flowers often start to decay while the sheaths are still bright and fresh, giving a sour, disagreeable smell to the stalk, until it has been thoroughly washed. This done, they last a long time as decorations. The plant is a clump of tall leaves. It is a native of tropical America. (Plate XV) There are a number of other Heliconias, one of the most commonly seen having sheaths that are pinkish, edged with yellow and green. This is Heliconia elongata. ANTHURIUM. FLAMINGO FLOWER
Anthurium andraeanum Linden Among the most popular of Hawaii’s exotic flowers are the Anthuriums, for the very good reason that they will last as long as three weeks if they are cut in their prime. They are, besides, large and exquisitely waxen, ranging in color from pure white, through all shades of pink to deep, rich red. They belong to the Arum family, of which the Calla lily is also a member, and the Anthurium blossom is similar in general form to the Calla. That is, it possesses a large, heart-shaped bract, called the spathe, which is thick and waxen, almost artificial in appearance. From this spathe rises a column, called the spadix, which may be white, pinkish or yellow in color. Packed tightly together on this column are the true flowers, usually so small they are hardly noticeable. When fertilized they may develop small berries with seeds, which grow readily. The leaves are heart shaped and rather long stemmed and spring from a central stalk. Usually they are grown in pots but sometimes are seen in the ground. (Plate XV) This Anthurium is a native of Colombo. There are a number of other Anthuriums, but none with such fine blossoms grows in Hawaii. The others here are foliage plants with beautiful, large, velvety leaves, decoratively veined. PINK OR PURPLE FLOWERING BANANA
Musa rosacea Jacquin Hawaii has one species of Banana which is grown for its flowers alone, since the small fruits it bears are not edible. This is the Purple Flowering Banana which consists of a pointed head of rosy orchid-colored bracts. These bracts fall open two or three at a time to reveal the small, upstanding, tubular, yellow flowers which grow in “hands” part way around the stalk. As in the fruiting Banana, the flowers nearer the base are female, while those at the tip are male. The flower is one of the most showy and curious of all Hawaii’s blossoms. It grows on a small plant, of typical Banana form, about eight feet high, with large, lush leaves. This species is a native of India. (Plate XV) In handling this flower care should be taken not to let the cut stalk touch clothing, as the juice leaves a permanent stain. SPATHIPHYLLUM
Spathiphyllum species A blossom like a small, white Anthurium, but more fragile and with a large, rough spadix, is the Spathiphyllum. The leaves of this plant grow about two feet high and are long, pointed, blade-like and a very rich, dark green. The plant is much used as a low-growing cover in shady tropical gardens, and in pots. Unfortunately the exquisite white flowers do not last long when cut, a day being about all that can be expected. The species commonly grown around Honolulu is called Spathiphyllum clevelandii, but this is a horticultural name and does not appear in botanical literature. The local species has not yet been satisfactorily determined. The plant is a member of the Arum family and a native of tropical America. (Plate XV) DIEFFENBACHIA
Dieffenbachia seguine Schott Frequently seen in collections of tropical plants, on porches or in greenhouses, and sometimes growing in the ground, are the large, green and white leaves of the Dieffenbachias. The species was named for J. F. Dieffenbach, a German botanist of the last century. There are a number of varieties, which differ as to the shape of the leaf blade and the pattern of white on them. One of these is shown on the plate, the one most frequently grown in Honolulu. The flowers are small and seldom seen. They are made up of the spathe and spadix characteristic of the Arum family. The plant grows as a thick stalk which often lies on the ground for a distance before lifting its head of leaves. The leaf stems clasp this stalk and rings are left when they fall off. The Dieffenbachias are natives of central and South America. (Plate XVI) GREEN TI
Cordyline terminalis Kunth A plant which grows wild and very abundantly in the lower, wet forests of Hawaii is called Ti by the Hawaiians, (pronounced tea). It is primarily a leaf plant, the leaf blades being two or three feet long and very glossy, thick, and strong in texture. They do not wilt easily and so are useful for many things. Shredded to the midrib and strung together, they form the green skirt of the modern hula dancer. At native feasts they are used to cover the table instead of a cloth and sections of the leaves serve as plates. In some meat markets, sections of Ti leaf are used instead of waxed paper to wrap up meat, while leis wrapped in a bundle of leaves remain fresh for a long time. For culinary purposes, pieces of fish and pork, along with young leaves of the taro which taste like spinach, are wrapped in Ti leaves and steamed. The resulting dish is called a lau-lau. The Ti leaf imparts a characteristic flavor to the food it enwraps. The Ti plant grows as a tall stalk, often woody at the base, which may be twelve feet high. The leaves appear in a tuft at the top of the stalk. From among these leaves in winter and spring comes the flower cluster. The blossoms are very small and tubular, really minute lilies, a creamy white in color, with sepals that are mauve or pinkish, so that the effect is a mass of purplish or pinkish grey and cream. The flower cluster is much branched and very graceful, being attractive even when dried. The flowers on the plant sometimes develop seed. The plant is much used in gardens for hedges and for background plantings. (Plate XVI) A section of the old woody stem, several inches in diameter and several inches long, if placed in a shallow bowl of water will develop new shoots and become an attractive house plant. The Ti grows on the South Sea islands, in India and Southern China. It is a member of the lily family. It enters many Polynesian myths and stories, for it was widely used by the ancient islanders as well as by their modern descendents. The thick root stock was used by early white men in Hawaii to make okolehao, the starchy root being boiled, fermented and distilled. RED TI
Cordyline terminalis The Ti plant varies greatly, many forms having colored foliage, and variously shaped leaves. The colors are mostly tones of red and whitish green, the hues ranging from dark maroon to bright pink while there are some with bronze and golden tones. Usually the coloring appears as irregular strips along the line of the veins. Such red foliage plants usually have cerise flowers and red berries. (Plate XVI) POTHOS. TARO VINE. PHILODENDRON
Scindapsus aureus Linden
(Pothos aureus Linden) The huge green and gold leaved creepers which envelop so many coconut and other trees are called Taro Vine or Pothos by the local people while they are often called Philodendron by newcomers. The real Philodendron and Pothos are closely related and once were botanically mixed. Probably the name Taro Vine was applied because the large leaves suggest those of the Taro, which is also a relative. Pothos clings to its support with strong, woody roots which, however, do not draw nourishment from the host plant, since it is not a parasite. In the sun, under normal conditions the leaves are marked with gold, but when the vine grows in the dark they remain green and small, seeming almost a different plant. In this form it is often grown in water indoors. It is a member of the Arum family and a native of the Solomon islands. (Plate XVI) CALADIUM. VARIEGATED-LEAVED A’PES
Caladium bicolor Ventonat Shady tropical gardens often make use of the colored Caladiums to give color and they are also frequently seen growing in pots. The heart-shaped leaves of these plants are marked with red and light green in almost endless variations and designs, so that they become a specialist’s hobby. Some are blotched with red and white; others have designs that are as fine as lace. The plants grow from tubers, several leaves pushing up on long slender stems. During part of the year these leaves die back and the plant rests. Caladiums are members of the Arum family and natives of tropical South America. (Plate XVI) MONSTERA VINE
Monstera deliciosa Liebmann Large curious leaves with many natural holes in them, characterize the Monstera vine which is often seen in Honolulu. On mature plants the leaves are very large, thick, green and glossy. They tend to a pinnate form, and holes in the leaves continue the openings between the veins. The plant grows slowly, clinging by aerial roots to a support. Some of these roots hang down string-like, toward the ground. Under favorable conditions the plant bears large, pinkish flowers, in general form like those of the A’pe illustrated on Plate XVI. The spathe is large, pinkish, thick, soft and flesh-like in texture. It covers the spadix like a tent, but falls off in a few days. The spadix holds the inconspicuous, densely packed flowers which develop into many small berries, closely packed together, so that the entire fruit, when mature, resembles a large greenish cone. Its flavor is thought to be like that of pineapples and bananas, probably inspiring the specific name of deliciosa. This plant is a native of Mexico and Guatemala and a member of the Arum family. (Plate XVI) RHOEO. TRADESCANTIA
Rhoeo discolor Hance Stiff rosettes about a foot and a half high, made up of pointed leaves which are purplish-red below and green above are the Rhoeo or Tradescantia. This little plant grows so easily it is seen in many gardens, adding color to shady corners. In the axils of the leaves appears a boat-shaped, spathe-like growth in which are the small white flowers. Each has three sepals and three petals. The Rhoeo is a native of Mexico and the West Indies. It is a relative of the Wandering Jew and belongs to the Commelina family. (Plate XVI) A’PE
Alocasia macrorhiza Schott Very large, heart-shaped leaves, some of them on stems four or five feet high, grow up from the rootstalk of the A’pe plant. The name (pronounced Ah-pay) is a Hawaiian word first applied to a native species which has glossy, green leaves and greenish yellow flowers. Another A’pe (the one illustrated on Plate XVI) has dull leaves and pinkish flowers. The strange flowers are a foot long and have an unpleasant odor. The A’pes are closely related to the Taros (Colocasias) which are the principle food plant of the Hawaiian people. The thick root stalk of the taro is boiled and mashed, to become poi.
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