SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY NUMBER 21 

Polynesian Plant Studies 1-5 

F. Raymond Fosberg 

and Marie-HeleneSachet 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS 

City of Washington 

1975 
ABSTRACT 

Fosberg, F. Raymond, and Marie-Helene Sachet. Polynesian Plant Studies 1-5. 

Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, number 21, 25 pages, 1975.-Systematic, 

nomenclatural, and distributional observations on various genera of Polynesian 

vascular plants, both indigenous and exotic, with new species, varieties, and 

nomenclatural combinations in Myrsine, Geniostoma, and Ipomoea. The island 

groups on which the plants occur are the Hawaiian, Marquesan, Society, Tuamom, Austral, Cook, Fiji, and Tonga islands. 

OFFICIAI.~UHLICATION DA’rE is handstamped in a limited number of initial copics and is recorded 

in the Institution’s annual report, Srnithsonian Year. SI PRESS NUMHER 5216. SERIES COVER DESIGN: 

Leaf clearing from the katsura tree Cercidiphyllurn japonicum Sicbold and Zuccarini. 

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data 

Fosberg, Francis Raymond, 1908- 

Polynesian plant studies 1-5 

(Smithsonian contributions to botany, no. 21) 

Bibliography: p. 

Includes index. 

Supt. of Docs. no.: SI 1.29:21 

1. Botany-Polynesia, I. Sachct. Maric-Helene. ioint ,_I au or. 11. Ti 

Institution. Smithsonian contributions to botany, no. 21. 

QKl.SZ747 no. 21 [QK473.P75] 581’.08s [581.9’96] 74-20539 

8. 111. Series: Smic sonian 

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 . Price 85 cents (paper cover) 
Contents 

Introduction ................................................. 

1 . Vaccinium cereum (L.f.) Forster f . in Tahiti and the Marquesas ..... 

2 . Myrsine L . in Eastern Polynesia ............................... 

3 . Three Species of Geniostoma J . R . & G . Forster ................. 

4 . Ipomoea tiliacea (Willdenow) Choisy in the Pacific ................. 

5 . Annotations to the Hawaiian Flora ...................... 

Literature Cited ............................................... 

Index ....................................................... 

Page 

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3 

11 

14 

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25 

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111 

Polynesian Plant Studies 1-5 

F. Raymond Fosberg 

and Marie-Helene Sachet 

Introduction 

In the course of work on island floras many 

problems of a taxonomic, nomenclatural, morphologic, ecologic, or phytogeographic nature are 

brought to light and solved, or at least studied 

critically. New discoveries are made and new data 

are accumulated-undescribed taxa, new geographic records, new habitat or ecologic relationships, and new facts on dispersal, especially by 

human agency. Inclusion of this material in treatments of the floras would unduly delay the availability of the information and would tend to make 

the floras cumbersome and inconvenient to use 

for plant identification. 

This series is initiated to present this sort of 

information on plants of Polynesia. The term 

Polynesia is used in the classical sense, for a vast 

island-strewn triangle in the central Pacific Ocean 

with its apices marked by the Hawaiian Archipelago in the north, Easter Island and Sala y Gomez 

on the east, and New Zealand on the south. The 

limits are not necessarily adhered to rigidly, as the 

plant distributions do not necessarily follow them, 

and information from farther afield may contribute to our understanding of occurrences in 

Polynesia. 

The present paper contains the first five separate studies, pertaining respectively to eastern 

Polynesian Vaccinium, Geniostoma, and Myrsine, 

eastern and western Polynesian Ipomoea, and 

Hawaiian species of several genera. Herbarium 

symbols, given in parentheses after each specimen 

F. Raymond Fosberg and Marie-Helene Sachet, Department 

of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian 

Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560. 

citation, are in accord with the Index Herbariorum 

(Lanjouw) system, except that the symbol “Fo” is 

used for plants still in possession of the authors 

and not yet deposited in a herbarium; the symbol 

“UH” is for the herbarium of the University of 

Hawaii and not yet included in the system, and 

the symbol “PTG’ is for the new herbarium of the 

Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden at Lawai, Kauai, 

Hawaiian Islands. 

Elevations recorded on collectors’ labels are 

normally only estimates or, at best, altimeter 

readings to the nearest 100 feet or other graduation. Wherever original data are recorded in the 

English system, they have been converted to their 

nearest metric approximations, which are noted 

in brackets. 

Thanks are due the authorities of the herbaria 

of the Laboratoire de Phanerogamie, Museum 

d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, the Bernice P. Bishop 

Museum, the New York Botanical Garden, the 

California Academy of Sciences, the University of 

California at Berkeley, and the Universite de Montpellier for the privilege of examining many of the 

specimens on which these studies are based, and 

to staff members of these institutions for various 

courtesies and assistance. 

1. Vaccinium cereum (L. f.) Forster f. 

in Tahiti and the Marquesas 

Vaccinium cereum (L.f.) Forster f., Prodr. 28, 1786. 

Andromeda cerea L.f., Suppl. 238, 1781. 

Vaccinium adenandrum Decaisne, Voy. Venus 23, 1864, pl. 17, 

Vaccinium cereum var. adenandrum (Decaisne) F. Brown, 

1846. 

Bishop Mus. Bull. 130:215, 1935. 

1 
SMITHSOXIAN CONTRIBUTIOXS TO BOTANY 

Most of the eastern Polynesian Varrkium are 

considered to belong to V. cereum (L.f.) Forster 

f., an extremely variable species found on several 

high island groups. In spite of treatments by 

Skottsberg (1933, 1934), F. Brown (1935), and 

Grant, Fosberg, and Smith (1974), some confusion 

still lingers in the interpretation of the variation 

in this species. The following remarks are a step 

toward clarifying it. 

Skottsberg (1933) made a detailed study of 

V. cereum and related species, in which he described various specimens from Tahiti that he 

considered to be V, cereum “var. typicum” or 

“var. genuinum,” i.e. var. cereum, with glabrous 

flowers. Among these, however, he recognized 

(1933:87) a form with hairy filaments, f. eriostemon. 

Aside from var. cereum, Skottsberg described 

another variety from Tahiti, with pubescent flowers, var. pubiflorum (1933:89). Still among the 

Tahiti plants, he separated within var. pubiflorum 

a form with hairy filaments, which he also called 

f. eriostemon (1933:90). Thus Skottsberg described 

two formae eriostemon, one in V. cereum var. 

tereum, one in V. cereum var. pubiflorum; this 

is contrary to the provisions of the 1972 Znternational Code of Botanical Nomenclature, Article 

64, paragraph 3,which says, in part: “The names 

. . . of two infraspecific taxa within the same species, 

even if they are of different rank, are treated as 

homonyms if they have the same epithet and are 

not based on the same type.” Thus one of the two 

formae had to be renamed. This was done without 

explanation by Grant (in Grant, Fosberg, and 

Smith, 1974:8). The names of the Tahiti plants 

may be treated as follows: Vaccinium cereum var. 

cereum f. eriostemon Skottsberg [Acta Horti 

Gotoburgensis, 1933, 8:87; lectotype: “Society Islands, Tahiti, WILKES, U.S. Expl. Exped.” (P); 

designated by Grant in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, 

1974:8; isolectotype (US) seen by us] and Vaccinium cereum var. pubiflorum f. skottsbergii 

Grant [in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, 1974:8; 

type: Tahiti, 4000 ft [1220m], Moseley in 1875 

(K); isotype (BM) seen by Fosberg; based on 

Vaccinium cereum var. pubiflorum f. eriostemon 

Skottsberg, Acta Horti Gotoburgensis, 1933, 8:90]. 

For the Marquesan plants, Skottsberg could 

find no significant difference between V. adenandrum Decaisne and his f. eriostemon, and con 

sidered the correct name to be Vaccinium cereum 

var. cereum f. eriostemon Skottsberg. However, 

he examined only one Marquesan collection, 

Herbier S.F.Z.M. 168 (P). On the basis of more 

specimens, F. Brown took up the epithet adenandrum but changed its status to that of a variety. 

He discussed Skottsberg’s treatment at great length, 

as well as his own observations. We agree with F. 

Brown’s conclusion, but more on the basis of 

habit and leaf form than on the detailed measurements cited by him. 

We find the Marquesan plants to have the 

flowers glabrous externally, as in var. cereum, 

young stems glabrous or more rarely puberulent, 

or still more rarely, both types on the same plant 

(Le Batard in 1844), usually subentire stiff oval 

to broadly obovate shortly acuminate leaves, and 

filaments more strongly pilose than in the Tahitian forms. The Marquesan plants with glabrous 

stems and subserrulate to subentire leaves certainly 

form a population distinguishable at the varietal 

level. A very few plants with puberulent stems 

have also finely serrulate leaf margins. These 

could perhaps be referred to var. cereum, but only 

additional field study will reveal if they form a 

separate population or are merely extremes in the 

variation of var. adenandrum. 

For the present we regard the correct name of 

the Marquesan population to be Vaccinium cereum 

var. adenandrum (Decaisne) F. Brown. 

The question remains as to the type of V. 

adenandrum Decaisne. This was not located in 

Paris during several recent visits. However, an old 

specimen sent from the Paris herbarium to the 

U. S. National Herbarium, Smithsonian Institution, with neither locality nor collector given, 

but merely bearing the data “No. 42 Bis Toatoa” 

could, on the basis of the vernacular name “toatoa,” perhaps be a duplicate of the du Petit-Thouars 

specimen that Decaisne described, for which he 

gave “Toa-Toa” as the Marquesan name. If this 

is the case, the type falls among the plants mentioned above with puberulent stems and finely 

serrulate leaves. The teeth on this specimen are 

almost spinulose but tend to be appressed forward 

along the margin. Decaisne’s plate 17 (1846) 

shows definitely serrulate leaves, but the scale of 

the drawing is such that the details of the teeth 

are not clearly shown. His description indicates 

cinereous vestite branches and serrate leaves. If 

these toothed-leafed plants should prove to be a 
NUMBER 21 3 

separate population, then a new name would 

have to be applied to that with subentire leaves. 

2. Myrsine L. in Eastern Polynesia 

The species of Myrsine L. (or Rapanea Aublet) 

of the Marquesas have previously been referred to 

the Fijian Kapanea myricifolia (A. Gray) Mez 

(=Mywine myricifolia A. Gray) or to one or more 

Tahitian species, without very close comparison. 

A. C. Smith (1973:286) has indicated that Rapanea myricifolia is related to a group of seven 

Tahitian species, but does not unite them. He regards stigmatic characlers as indicative of this 

relationship. 

Close study of the available material from the 

Marquesas, as well as that from other eastern 

Polynesian islands, suggests a choice between recognizing a vast coenospecies, whose geographic and 

morphological limits would be difficult to determine without a monographic study of this 

enormous pantropical genus, and the delimitation 

of a large number of “microspecies” based on an 

assemblage of individually minor characters. Some 

of these species, however, would be strikingly 

different in appearance. We have chosen the 

latter course, though it is contrary to our usual 

inclination to keep specific limits broad and to 

recognize minor units as varieties and forms. 

Having the characters of these species pointed out 

may aid a future monographer to determine what 

their affinities are; and may also lead to a better 

understanding of the phytogeographic relationships between the islands within eastern 

Polynesia. 

There has been much discussion of the advisability of merging Aublet’s genus Rapanea (type 

R. guianensis Aublet) with the older Myrsine L. 

(type M. africana L.). The latest contribution to 

this is by A. C. Smith (1973:278). He says that 

Degener (1939:240 R.v.) “refuted” the view that 

the two genera should be united. Actually Degener 

merely stated that he and his colleague failed to 

see eye-to-eye on this matter and would henceforth publish their respective findings separately, 

scarcely an effective refutation. Smith, himself, 

points out a single character whereby the two 

genera can be separated; that the stamina1 tube 

and filaments in Rapanea are completely fused to 

the corolla while in Myrsine “the filaments are 

connate into a tube that is only proximally adnate 

to the corolla-tube, being dorsally free from the 

corolla [“flange”] and distally produced into 

obvious filaments.” This, to us, seems scarcely to 

justify maintaining two genera. Actually, there 

are certain habit or appearance differences between 

Myrsine africana L. and its close relatives, on the 

one hand, and most of the plants of this group in 

the Pacific on the other, that are very hard to define, 

and that may not hold up if the entire large pantropical genus is considered. If these characters are 

found to separate, even vaguely, the same groups 

as defined on the androecium difference, these 

groups could very well be given sectional rank. 

We have far too little information to attempt 

this, and will follow Hosaka, Walker, Bakhuizen 

and Li in placing all the eastern Polynesian 

species in Myrsine, where a number of them were 

originally described by the 19th century French 

workers on the flora of Tahiti. 

In addition to describing eight species and two 

varieties as new, we present critical remarks on 

several known species, combine some of them, and 

provide a complete listing of the recognized Myrsine 

species in eastern Polynesia (the island groups 

east of Niue and excluding Hawaii and New 

Zealand), making the required new combinations 

for those described in Rapanea that appear to be 

separable. Certain of these species have not been 

critically studied. They are maintained with the 

reservation that further study, especially with 

more abundant specimens, may well result in the 

reduction of some of them. Such further investigation should especially be centered on the species 

of the Society and Marquesas islands, which present much of the difficulty, as the islands reach 

higher elevations and their floras are more complex 

than those of the other groups. 

It is unfortunate that publication of Prof. Martin 

L. Grant’s treatment of the Society Islands members of this group (Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, 

1974) was delayed for over 35 years, so that it has 

not yet been available for scrutiny by subsequent 

workers. We have had to differ from it in a number 

of particulars after examining most of the collections available to Grant, as well as many of the 

older ones, which he was not able to see and those 

accumulated since. 

In all, we recognize 24 species, two of which 
4 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

each have two well-marked varieties, of Myrsine 

in the region covered. We also consider 22 names 

used by earlier workers as synonymous with some 

of those used here, or in one case (M. myricifolia 

A. Gray), as applying to a species not found in 

this area. 

Myrsine adamsonii Fosberg & Sachet, new species 

Rapanea rnyricifolia f. marquesensis F. Brown, Bish. Mus. 

Bull, 130:219, 1935. 

Frutex gracilis foliis late ellipticis maxime 10 X 

4.5 cm, chartaceis, petiolis gracilibus curvatis 8-13 

mm longis 1 mm crassis; calyce prope basin lobato 

lobis ovatis, corollae lobis 2 mm longis ciliolatis, 

antheris anguste ovatis, stigmatis anguste pyramidalibus 2 mm longis, in fructibus persistentibus, 

fructibus globosis vel subglobosis maxime 5 X 4.5 

mm, stylis brevissime persistentibus. 

Rather slender shrub 3-4 m tall, glabrous, 

branchlets about 3 mm thick, cataphylls tightly 

wrapped around terminal buds, which are stoutly 

subulate, 4-5 mm long, leaves not especially 

crowded, blades broadly elliptic, rather thin, up 

to 10 X 4.5 cm, apex bluntly acute to obtusish, 

both surfaces obscurely but rather densely 

papillate-punctate, venation not prominent but 

distinct, main veins 16-20 on a side, variously 

spaced, rather widely divergent from a slender 

midrib, neither precisely parallel nor opposite, 

one or two fainter and shorter ones in most intervals, main ones anastomosing about 3 mm from 

margin to form a somewhat undulating submarginal vein, network obscure, base acutish, slightly 

decurrent into a slender curved petiole 8-13 nim 

long; persisting dried flower 4-merous; calyx lobed 

nearby to base, lobes ovate, obtuse or appearing 

acutish because infolded, with one to several 

prominent black spots dorsally, margins thin, 

glandular, ciliolate, lobes spreading in fruit; corolla with very short tube, lobes elliptic, to about 

2 mm long, granulate ciliolate; anthers narrowly 

ovate, blunt, apically papillate; stigma narrowly 

pyramidal, fleshy, about 2 mm long, 4-sulcate when 

dry; fruits on short thick pedicels about 1 mm long 

and thick, in clusters of 3-5 on very short 

tubercle-like inflorescences about 2-3 mm long, 

drupe globose or subglobose, up to 5 X 4.5 mm, 

surface when dry rugulose with a mixture of obscure pale and dark dots, crowned with a broad 

disk-like very short style and, until fairly mature, 

a subulate, sulcate, obliquely projecting stigmatic 

beak about 1 mm or so long, immature fruits with 

a subpersistent lanceolate-subulate, somewhat 

strap-shaped stigma over 1 mm long, caducous 

before complete maturity, fruit surface with somewhat obscure pale punctation. 

Myrsine adamsonii is probably most closely allied to IM. niauensis, new species, which is described below, and its relationship discussed. Myrsine adamsonii also seems related to M. collina 

Nadeaud or its var. falcata, of Tahiti, but has 

broader thinner leaves, thicker branchlets, more 

prominent inflorescences, and much shorter 

petioles. 

F. Brown’s name “Rapanea myricifolia f. marquesensis” is not used as basionym for the new 

species because he designated no type and gave no 

characters that could be used to tell what he had 

in mind. The species is named for the late Dr. A. 

Martin Adamson, entomological explorer of the 

Marquesas. 

SPECIMENS SEEiv.-Marquesas Islands: Nukuhiva 

I.: s.1. Quayle 1320 (BISH); 900 m, Brown 496 

(BISH); Tapuaooa, 3100 ft [950 m] fruit said to 

be purple, Mumford Q Adamson (NY sheet as 

Adamson Q Mumford) 577 (BISH, NY); Toovii Valley, 800 m, near the Tapuaooa shelter, Gillett 2200 

(BISH, US, type, P); Tovii, 1000 m, Herb. S.F.I.M. 

107 (P), Marquesan name Kautai. 

Myrsine andersonii Fosberg & Sachet, new species 

Arbuscula glabra foliis laminis oblongo-obovatis 

subcoriaceis sparse nigro-punctatis supra papillatis vix venosis, apicibus rotundis basibus subcordatis, petiolis 4 mm longis 1.5 mm latisque vix 

alatis; floribus masculis subsessilibus, calycibus 

acetabuliformibus lobis triangularibus, corollis 

valde lobatis marginibus dense glandulo-ciliolatis, 

antheris et lobis calycis corollaeque valde nigronotatis. 

Shrub to 2 m, branchlets glabrous, about 4 mm 

thick; leaves oblong-obovate, to 9.5 X 4.5 cm, 

blades subcoriaceous or thinly coriaceous, rounded 

at apex, subcordate at base, venation not prominent 12-16 main veins on a side, some lesser ones 

between them, anastomosing into a rather irregular 

submarginal vein, network rather obscure, both 
NUMBER 21 5 

surfaces sparsely black punctate, upper surface 

sparsely papillate, both surfaces also very finely 

black marked (possibly due to fungus infection), 

petiole 4 mm long, 1.5 mm thick, very slightly 

winged by very narrowly decurrent blade tissue; 

staminate flowers whitish, subsessile in 3-7 flowered 

fascicles, flowers subtended by broad rounded 

scales, calyx saucer-shaped, strongly black-dotted 

without, divided about y3 into 4 triangular erose 

to ciliate lobes about 1 mm long; corolla divided 

nearly to base into 4 oblong-ovate lobes about 

2-2.5 mm long, strongly marked on back with 

prominent black dots and lines, margins densely 

glandular-ciliolate, apexes obtuse to acutish; stamens 4, anthers broadly ovate-subsagittate about 

1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, obtuse with a broad 

blunt terminal umbo, with 1 or 2 rows of prominent very black dots or short lines, filaments flat, 

shorter than anthers; pistillode low conic or ovoid, 

with disk- or collar-like stigma. Pistillate flowers 

and fruits unavailable. 

This species differs conspicuously in leaf shape 

and texture from the other Rapa species, M. 

rapensis. It may be most closely related to M. 

taitensis A. Gray, but differs notably in the smaller, 

narrower, thinner leaves, and especially in the 

subsessile rather than long-pedicellate flowers. 

It is named for Mr. Donald Anderson, 

co-collector of the type, our long-time collaborator 

in Pacific natural history, and stimulating field 

companion. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Austral Islands: Rapa: slope 

above Area, 75 m, Fosberg Q Anderson 11421 

(BISH, type). 

Myrsine brownii Fosberg & Sachet, new species 

Rapanen species.-F. Brown, Bishop Mus. Bull. 130220, 1935. 

Arbor 4 m alta glabra, folis ellipticis vel obovatis 

1-3 X 1-2 cm, petiolis 5 mm, laminis infra nigropunctatis, vix venulosis venis 8-12 jugatis, fructibus 

solitariis axillaribus brevipedicellatis, in sicco 4 mm 

longis 5 mm latisque, nigro-lineo-punctatis, calycibus 4-lobatis, lobis valde nigropunctatis. 

Brown described this about as adequately as the 

material permitted. The species seems adequately 

distinct, and probably closest to M. gracilissima of 

the Marquesas, from which it differs conspicuously 

in the less numerous broad obovate to rhombic or 

broadly elliptic very obtuse leaves. Brown’s description may be quoted: 

Tree 4 meters in height; trunk 10 cm in diameter; bark 

gray marked with prominent corky lenticels: twigs glabrous. 

Petioles 5 mm; leaf blades elliptical to obovate, 1-3 cm 

long, 1-2 cm wide, obtuse or subacute at the apex, cuneate 

or acutc at the base, glabrous, rcsino-punctate, the margin 

slightly incurved, subcoriaceous. Pcdicels commonly single, 

axillary, 1 mm long; calyx 4-lobed, 1 mm broad, glabrous, 

the lobes broadly triangular, obtusc, or subacute. Fruits 

spherical, 5-6 mm in diameter, red, edible. 

To Brown’s description may be added, from a 

study of the type: Leaf-blades drying dark above, 

prominently black-punctate beneath, venation not 

prominent, main veins varying in strength, 8-12 on 

a side, anastomosing to iorm an irregular to obscure 

submarginal vein; calyx lobes notably blackpunctate, minutely erose-ciliolate; dried fruit depressed globose, 5 mm wide, 4 mm high, blackpunctate, the punctations irregularly arranged in 

indistinct lines. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Austral Islands: Raivavae Island, on sheltered side of top of ridge east of 

Matotea, 300 ft [90m], A. M. Stokes 75 (BISH, 

tY Pe)* 

Myrsine cheesemanii (Mez) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea cheesernanii Mez, Pflr. 9(236):371, 1902. 

Mez cited a herbarium name by Hemsley in 

Mynine as a synonym of his Rapanea cheesemanii 

and treated the latter name as a combination by 

himself. Since it was published in synonymy only, 

M. cheesemanii Hemsley is not valid and the epithet dates only from Mez publication. As we are 

treating these as Myrsine, the above combination 

is necessary and dates from the present publication. 

The species seems closest to M. collina Nadeaud, 

or to M. falcata Nadeaud, of Tahiti. The available material is neither very adequate nor very 

uniform, so no amplification of the description will 

be attempted here. It is probable that two species 

are confused in the material cited. We have not 

seen the type. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Cook Islands: Rarotonga: s.1. 

Parks and Parks 22329a (US), 22340 (US, BISH); 

Avana stream, 900-1 100 ft [275-335m], Wildel. 

774 (BISH, US, part). Rarotonga was incorrectly 

considered by Mez as a part of New Zealand. 
6 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

Myrsine collina Nadeaud 

Myrsine collina Nadeaud, Enum. P1. Tahiti 61, 1873. 

Rapanea collina (Nadeaud) Mez, Pflr. 9(236):372, 1902.- 

Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:20, 

1974. 

Described from Tahiti and endemic to the Society Islands. 

Myrsine falcata Nadeaud 

Myrsine falcata Nadeaud, Enum. P1. Tahiti 61, 1873. 

Rapanea rhomboidalis J. W. Moore, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus. 

Rapanea falcata (Nadeaud) Mez, Pflr. 9 (236):372, 1902. 

Rapanea collina var. falcata (Nadeaud) Grant in Grant, Fos16:16, 1940. 

berg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:21, 1974. 

Although M. falcata is undoubtedly close to 

M. collina, it seems about as distinct in habit, leafform, size, and texture, as well as in its glabrous 

young growth as are many others of the exasperatingly close species in this genus. We are maintaining it as a species until some sound criteria 

are found for grouping the numerous microspecies 

of this genus into reasonably broad more convincing “real” species. Rapanea rhomboidalis does not 

seem to differ perceptibly, nor did its author point 

out any distinctions. Described from Tahiti and 

endemic to the Society Islands. 

Myrsine fasciculata (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea fasciculata Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 102:36, 1933. 

Rapanea viridis, Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 102:38, 1933. 

Rapanea fusca var. fasciculata (Moore) Grant in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:22, 1974. 

Described from and endemic to Raiatea. 

Myrsine fwca (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea fusca Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 102:37, 1933.-Grant, 

Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:21, 1974. 

We have not been able to locate with certainty 

the type-specimen of this species which was described from Raiatea. Material referred to it in 

the Bishop Museum herbarium differs in aspect, 

as well as leaf size and shape, so we are maintaining it as distinct from both M. fasciculata and 

M. falcata, to which it may be too close. A 

collection from Borabora, Grant 4951 (BISH), and 

one from Huahine, Grant 5302 (BISH) represent 

larger-leafed plants, but similar to M. fusca in 

leaf outline. The relationship of these Leeward 

Society Islands plants, including M. fasciculata 

and the Tahitian M. falcata and M. collina should 

be further investigated when more and better 

specimens become available. 

Myrsine gracilissima Fosberg & Sachet, 

new species 

Arbor parva ramulis gracilissimis vix 1 mm 

crassis, foliis late lanceolatis maxime 4.5 cm longis 

1 cm latisque acuminatis infra dense papillatopunctatis, petiolis gracilis 8-12 mm longis; 1-2 

floribus in folii axilla 4-meris, calycibus ad dimidium lobatis lobis ovatis carinatis, corollae lobis 

oblongis cucullatis in anthesi erectis, antheris 

ovatis vel ovalis mox dehiscentibus. 

Small, much-branched tree, foliage mostly at 

top, branchlets extremely slender, ultimate ones 

1 mm or less thick, when older strongly lenticellate; cataphylls lanceolate, closely wrapped around 

terminal buds; leaves loosely scattered on branchlets, blades broadly lanceolate, up to 4.5 X 1 cm, 

sharply acuminate or even slightly caudate at 

apex, attenuate at base, margins somewhat revolute, crispate, venation very obscure, on young 

leaves faintly impressed above, main veins 8-10, 

at a small angle to the slender prominent midrib, 

network scarcely visible, lower surface densely 

papillate-punctate, punctation scarcely visible 

above, petiole very slender, 8-12 mm long; inflorescence like a small globose scaly bud, axillary, 

about 1.5 mm across, very few flowering at this 

season, pedicels 1-2 from an inflorescence, slender, 

2-3 mm long; staminate flowers 4-merous, calyx 

lobed about half way, lobes ovate, slightly acuminate, carinate; corolla tube very short, completely 

included, lobes about 2 mm long, oblong, cucullate, black-punctate dorsally, almost erect at anthesis, margins strongly papillate; anthers ovate or 

oval, about 1.5 mm long, dehiscent while corolla 

lobes are still not spreading, apex papillate, pistillate flowers and fruits unavailable. 

A very striking species, not related to any known 
NUMBER 21 7 

eastern Polynesian species but possibly closest to 

M. brownii Fosberg & Sachet, described above, or 

possibly to Myrsine fasciculata (Moore) Fosberg 

& Sachet of Raiatea, or M. myricifolia A. Gray of 

Fiji. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Marquesas Islands: Hiva’oa 

I.: Atuona-Feani Trail, ridge crest and top of leeward slope in cloud-forest, 1200-1300 m, Sachet 6. 

Decker 1154 (US, type, P, Fo, K, MO, UH, A, 

BISH); north side of Mt. Temetiu, 1100 m, 

Mumford 6. Adamson 148 (UC). 

A plant that may be the closest relative of this 

species is represented by a sterile piece mounted on 

the same sheet as a fertile specimen of Wilder 774, 

which seems to be M. cheesemanii from Rarotonga. 

This sterile specimen is coarser throughout and 

with wider, stiffer, not acuminate leaves. The 

material is too incomplete for description, but 

probably represents an undescribed species. 

ellipticis vel oblongis non valde venulosis; floribus 

subsessilibus in fasciculis paucifloris squamosis, 

antheris sagittatis apicibus muticis papillatis; stigmatibus coroniformibus lobatis; fructibus globosis 

vel subglobosis 5-7 mm longis. 

Shrub or small tree, glabrous; leaves chartaceous 

to coriaceous, small to moderate sized, elliptic or 

obovate, veins not prominent; flowers subsessile in 

scaly-bracteate clusters of 3-5 (-7), bracts, calyxlobes and corolla-lobes glandular-ciliolate; anthers 

sagittate, apex blunt, papillate, stigma corona-form, 

irregularly lobed; fruit globose or subglobose, 5-7 

mm long. 

This new species is notable for its short, thick 

petioles, firm medium-sized punctate leaves, subsessile flowers in small scaly-bracteate fascicles, 

the bracts, calyx and corolla glandular-ciliolate; 

fruit 5-7 mm long. It is dedicated to the late Dr. 

Martin L. Grant, long-time worker on the Polynesian flora, who had indicated it in the herbarium 

Frutex vel arbor parva, foliis chartaceis vel 

coriaceis maxime 13.5 cm longis 6 cm latisque 

first described as separate species, hence they are 

described rather fully. 

Key to the Varieties of Myrsine grantii 

var. grrmtii 

var. touiinrris 

Leaves mainly obovate, mainly less than 10 cm long 

Leaves mainly elliptic-oblong, mainly 9-13 cm long 

Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet var. grantii 

Frutex vel arbor parva, foliis obovatis vel vix 

ellipticis vix venulosis coriaceis vel subcoriaceis, 

petiolis 3-4 mm latis 3-6 mm longisque. 

Glabrous shrub or small tree 3-6 m tall; cataphylls caducous, oblong to somewhat obovate, 

obtuse, 4-13 mm long; leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, broadly obovate to broadly oblong or 

elliptic, blades 4-13 cm X 3-6 cm, apex obtuse 

to rounded, base acute to obtuse, obscurely 

punctate beneath, more obscurely so above, veins 

moderately prominent above, less so beneath, 

somewhat irregular, 1.5-10 mm apart, depending 

on size of leaf, anastomosing near margin, merging there into obscure secondary network but not 

forming a distinct marginal vein, margin slightly 

revolute, petiole 3-4 mm wide, 3-6 mm long 

(rarely, in no. 1789, leaves subsessile); flowers 

subsessile in few-flowered clusters, subtended by 

scale-like bracts, tetramerous; calyx 1.3-1.5 mm 

long, lobes ovate, about 1 mm long, acute to obtuse, 

usually with a large central dark spot or several 

dark lines; corolla lobes spreading, broadly elliptic or obovate, obtuse or rounded at apex, somewhat narrowed at base, notably black-punctate, 

margins irregularly papillate, 1.5-2 mm long, tube 

1 mm long; anthers about 1 mm long, curved, 

narrowly triangular sagittate, apex blunt, papillate; lower lobes rounded at bases; pistillode somewhat ovoid, somewhat over 1 mm long, stigma 

crownlike, spreading, irregularly undulately lobed; 

pistillate flowers not available; fruits globose or 

subglobose, about 5-7 mm diameter, black marked, 

subtended by spreading persistent calyx, crowned 

by scar of caducous stigma. 

SPECIMENS SmN.-Marquesas Islands: Uahuka I.: 

s.l., Whitney Expedition 1837 (BISH), 1789 (BISH). 

Hiva’oa 1.: Tenatinaei, 3620 ft [I100 m], Mumford 

d7 Adamson 492 (BISH, type, NY) (NY sheet as 
8 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS To BOTANY 

Adamson & Mumford); Kopaafaa, 2800 ft [850 m], 

Mumford & Adamson HO I008 (BJSH, NY) (NY 

sheet as Adamson & Mumford); Atuona-Feani trail, 

ridge crest, 1200-1300 m, Sachet &Decker 1180 (US, 

P, UH, Fo). Fatuhiva I.: Omoa, 700 m, Brown 915 

(BJSH). Brown 915 has leaves narrower than 

usual, veins more distinct, petioles rather slender. 

Myrsine grantii var. toviiellsis 

Fosberg & Sachet, new variety 

Frutex, foliis elliptico-oblongis chartaceis vel 

subcoriaceis, petiolis 5-10 mm longis 2 mm latisque, venis in costam decurrentibus. 

Shrub to 4 m, branchlets 2-4 mm thick, brown; 

cataphylls obovate rounded at apex; leaves 

elliptic-oblong to slightly obovate, 9-13.5 X 4-5.5 

cm or smaller, chartaceous to subcoriaceous, apex 

acute to obtusish in general outline, tip blunt to 

rounded, base from strongly contracted to cuneate 

or slightly attenuate to a very slightly winged 

petiole, 5-10 mm long, 2 mm wide, variably dark 

punctate and lineate beneath, less so but papillate above, especially when young venation not 

prominent, less so beneath, main veins rather 

irregularly spaced, 12-15 (-17) on a side, usually 

curved downward (or divaricate) to join midrib, 

anastomosing near margin to form a weak undulating submarginal vein, weaker veins in some 

intervals not reaching submarginal vein, network 

rather obscure; inflorescences reduced to very low 

scaly-bracted tubercles, bracts broadly ovate obtuse 

with erose brown glandular-ciliate margins; flowers 

3-5 (-7) in a cluster, subsessile, calyx united about 

G, lobes 4, ovate, obtuse to acutish, glandularciliolate, dark punctate-papillate, corolla in bud 

broadly ovoid, lobes about 1.5 mm long, ovate subacute, with black papillae dorsally, or these fused in 

lines, margins densely glandular-puberulent, in a 

band both inside and outside the actual margin: 

tube in bud extremely short; anthers or antherodes 

broadly sagittate, 1.5 mm long, blunt at apex, which 

is densely glandular-puberulent; pistil scarcely developed, style flattened, blade-like, ovate, less than 

1 mm long; immature fruit on a pedicel 1.5 mm 

long, 1 mm thick, crowned with a disk-shaped 

coroniform stigma with several obscure lobes including an elongate 1-1.5 mm long subulate, 

angled one, caducous before full maturity; mature 

fruit globose, 5 mm in diameter when dry, crowned 

with a disk-like stigma scar, surface thickly beset 

with pale slightly elongate papillae, mixed with 

scattered black glandular dots. 

Differs from var. grantii especially in the longer, 

narrower petioles, distinct submarginal veins in 

the thinner usually elliptic-oblong leaves with veins 

curving downward to join the midrib. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Marquesas Islands: Nukuhiva I.: Plateau de Tovii, savane, 2 Mar. 1973, 

F. Halle 2077 (US, type, P, MPU). 

Myrsine hartii (Grant) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea harlii Grant in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot., 17:16, 1974. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine longifolia Nadeaud 

Myrsine longifolia Nadeaud, Enum. PI. Tahiti 61, 1873. 

Rapanea longifoh (Nadcaud) Mcz, Pflr. 9 (236):373, 1902. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine niauensis Fosberg & Sachet, new species 

Folia laminis oblongis supra minutissime punctatis infra papillatis, petiolis gracilibus 6-3 mm 

longis, venis 12-18 jugis obscuris; fructus globosus 

valde nigro-punctatus, calyce lobis 4, valde glanduloso-puberulis, pedicillo 2 mm longo 0.5 mm crasso. 

Branchlets pale brownish straw-color, about 2.5 

mm thick; leaves oblong, to 10 X 4.5 cm, rather 

stiff, subcoriaceous, densely but minutely black 

punctate on upper surface, only obscurely and 

sparsely so beneath, but sparsely papillate beneath, 

apices rounded, bases acute, main veins 12-18 on 

a side, uneven in strength, opposite to alternate, 

anastomosing into a strongly undulate submarginal 

vein 2-3 mm from margin, network rather obscure, 

venation not strong, about equally visible above 

and beneath, base rather abruptly decurrent into 

a rather slender petiole 6-8 (-10) mm long, 

about 1 mm thick; flower-bearing tubercles or 

inflorescences very reduced, 2 mm or less wide 

and high, scaly bractlets broadly triangular, 

strongly glandular-puberulent, glands reddish 
NUMBER 21 9 

brown, pedicels slender, few, 2 or 3, about 2 mm 

long, 0.5 or less mm thick; fruiting calyx lobes 4, 

united in basal part, broadly ovate-obtuse to 

almost orbicular, glandular-puberulent, eroseciliolate, obscurely dark dotted, fruit globose, 

3-4 mm diameter strongly black-dotted. 

Closely related to the new species M. adamsonii 

of the Marquesas, differing in the broader, more 

oblong leaves less punctate beneath, apices more 

rounded, petiole shorter, venation less prominent, 

fruits smaller, black-dotted, on longer and thinner 

pedicels, fruiting calyx strongly glandularpuberulent, pedicels less so. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Tuamotus: Niau, s. 1. H. F. 

Moore 286 (US, type); H. F. Moore s. n. in 1899 

(NV 

Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet, 

new species 

Frutex vel arbor glabra; foliis vix coriaceis 

ellipticis vel elliptico-oblongis maxime 25 X 11 cm, 

apicibus et basibus acutis subvenulosis utrinque 

punctatis, petiolis 7-15 mm longis 2-10 mm 

latisque in sicco; fructibus magis 15-20 mm diametro pedicellis 2-3 mm longis. 

Glabrous shrub or tree up to 10 m tall, branchlets 3-5 mm thick; cataphylls ovate strongly 

acuminate, up to at least 7 mm long; leaves thin 

coriaceous, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, large, up to 

25 cm X 11 cm (mostly 15-20 X 6-8 cm, except 

Halle 2077a, which has much smaller leaves, 

narrowly elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 10-14 X 

3-4 cm, petiole 9-12 mm), acute at both ends, apex 

blunt, blade somewhat black-punctate on either 

side, veins not very prominent, 5-15 mm apart, 

proximately curving downward to fuse with midrib, some weaker ones between, anastomosing 

distally into a looping submarginal vein from 3 to 

10 mm from margin, network of 2-3 orders of 

prominence between veins, petiole 7-15 mm long, 

2-10 mm thick when dried; dried fruits on pedicels 2-3 mm long, subglobose, to 6 mm long, 

somewhat narrower when dry (only present on no. 

2224, on label said to be red, 1.5-1.7 cm diameter 

when fresh; in no. 2180, said to be bright red, 

2 cm, seeds 5 mm diameter). 

Possibly related to M. Zongifolin Nadeaud of 

Tahiti, but differs in the much larger fruit, as well 

as generally smaller leaves. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Marquesas Islands: Nukuhiva 1.: s. slopes of Mt. Tapuaooa, Gillett 2180 

(BISH, US);Toovii Valley near Tapuaooa shelter, 

900 m, Gillett 2214 (BISH, US, type, P); Ooumuu 

Mt., 3500 ft [1160m], Mumford dr Adamson 581 

(BISH); plateau de Tovii, savane, Halle 2077a (US). 

Myrsine obwata (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea obovata J. W. Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 102:37, 

1933.-Crant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot., 

17:18, 1974. 

Described from and endemic to Raiatea. 

Myrsine orohenensis (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapatlea orohenensis J. W. Moore, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus. 

16:16, 1940. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine oualis Nadeaud 

Myrsine ovalis Nadeaud, Enum. P1. Tahiti 61, 1873. 

Myrsine coriacea Nadeaud., Enum. 1’1. Tahiti 61, 1873 (non 

R. Brown 1810) [nomen illegit., superfluous]. 

Rapanea nadeaudii Mez, Pflr. 9(236):372, 1902.--Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:18, 1974. 

Rapanea ovalis (Nadeaud) Mcz, PBr. 9 (236):373, 1902.--Grant, 

Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17: 17, 1974. 

From the material available to us, cited below, 

there seems to be little or no difference between 

these two species. Although a number of sheets 

are available, a clear picture of the species cannot 

be obtained from them, and should be realized 

from a proper study in the field or of a suite of 

carefully collected specimens completely representing at least one population. There is no way 

of being certain that the various fragments available represent a single entity except their superficial similarity. 

Drake del Castillo (1892:118) associated M. 

ovaZis and M. taitensis A. Gray (as tahitensis), 

which does not seem to us a justified reduction 

as the type of M. taitensis (Tahiti, U. S. ExP1. 

Exped.), which is before us, is a plant with far 

heavier coriaceous, subcordate leaves. More material of both of these species is greatly needed. 
10 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Society Islands, Tahiti: Marau, 1000 m, Nadeaud (P, type? ); d., vallees 

profondes, Lepine 222 (P, 2 sheets); Sentier de 

I’Aorai, audessus du col d’Hamuta, 1150 m, Sachet 

6. Maclet 1022 (US); s.1. Nadeaud 399 (P); 

“Novella”, Nadeaud 39Y (P) (these two probably 

not same gathering); Tearapau, Nadeaud “1896” 

(P); s.1. Nadeaud “1896” (P). The last three are 

marked “coriacea” in what is probably Nadeaud’s 

hand. Vaita Valley, Tautira, 300 m, MacDaniels 

1665 (BISH); Lake Vaheria, 500 m, MacDaniels 

1271 (BISH); 650 m, MacDanieZs I609 (BISH); 

Paea Distr., Orofere, 1810 ft [550m] Grant 4617 

(BISH); Huahine I.: Mt. Turi, 400 m, St. John 

6. Anderson 17174 (BISH). 

The var. ovalis was described from Tahiti and 

is endemic to the Society Islands. 

Myrsine ovulis var. wiMeri Fosberg & Sachet, 

new variety 

Folia laminis chartaceis obovatis 9-11 cm longis 

5-6.5 cm latis apicibus rotundatis vel vix emarginatis, basibus cuneatis, petiolis 3-6 mm longis; 

fructus subglobosus 3-4 mm longus, calyce lobis 

4, oblongo-ovatis, 1 mm longis minute glandulociliatis. 

Tree to 5 m tall, leaves chartaceous, broadly 

obovate, 9-11 X 5-6.5 cm, apex rounded to somewhat emarginate, base rather cuneate, petiole wide, 

3-6 mm long, veins obscure above distinct beneath, 

anastornosing near margin but no clear marginal 

vein; calyx lobes 4, oblong ovate, about 1 mm long, 

obtuse, margin rather erose, minutely glandular 

ciliolate, pedicel in fruit 1-5 mm long 0.5 mm 

thick, fruit (probably immature) subglobose, 3-4 

mm long, densely marked with black raised dots 

and short lines arranged longitudinally. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Makatea I.: 200 ft [6Om], 

sJ., Wilder 1201 (NY, P, US, BISH, type). 

Myrsine raiateemb (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea rainteensis J. W. Moore, Bishop Mus. Bull. 226:30, 

32-34. 1963. 

Described from and endemic to Raiatea. 

Myrsine rapensis (F. Brown) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea myricifolia f. rapensis F. Brown, Bishop Mus. Bull. 

130:220, 1935. 

This plant does not even resemble M. myricifolia A. Gray, but seems closest to the new species 

M. grantii Fosberg 6. Sachet of the Marquesas, 

from which it differs somewhat in leaf shape and 

in the more abundant finer black markings on the 

fruit surface. When its flowers are known it may 

prove too close to the latter species. 

Described from and endemic to Rapa. 

Myrsine ronuiemb (Grant) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea ronuiensis Grant in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, 

Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:19, 1974. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine st.-johnii (Grant) Fosberg & Sachet, 

new combination 

Rapanea st.-johnii Grant in Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 17:19, 1974. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine tuhuatensis Fosberg & Sachet, 

new species 

Frutex robustus foliis in intervalliis congestis 

maxime 22 X 11 cm obovatis cordatis subcoriaceis 

sessilis minute punctatis; inflorescentiis basi ramosis 

facsiculatis; M. taitensis valde affinis. 

Shrub 4 m tall, glabrous, young branchlets 5-7 

mm thick with leaves crowded at intervals, more 

widely separated between the crowded portions, 

leaf scars transversely elliptical with a broad depression above; leaves obovate, sessile, up to 22 

X 11 cm, apex obtuse to slightly bluntly acuminate, 

base somewhat auriculate or cordate, blade 

minutely and irregularly black-punctate, especially beneath, becoming stiff and subcoriaceous, 

main veins 14-22 on a side, visible above and 

beneath, irregularly placed, opposite to alternate, 

diverging at somewhat different angles, decurrent 

into the broad midrib, forking distally and anas- 
NUMBER 21 11 

tomosing in arches that do not reach the margin, 

network obscure, especially beneath, older branchlets mottled light gray (possibly from lichens), 

bearing, below leaves, irregularly spirally disposed 

fascicles of 4-7 thick scaly divergent inflorescence 

branches up 10 5 rnm long and 2.5 mm thick. 

Flowers and fruits unavailable, except for a single detached fruit with mottled, dark and pale 

minutely pebbled surface, obviously immatureits sides rather collapsed, presumably subglobose 

when fresh, S mm long, on a thick short pedicel, 

1.5 mm long, 1 mm thick, fruit subtended by a 

whorl of 3 thick calyx-lobes (another perhaps 

abortive), connate at base, broadly triangular, 

papillate, apex of fruit crowned by a short coroniform stigma of 3 or 4 lobes (one perhaps damaged 

or poorly developed), from an extremely low ringlike tube, lobes bluntly acuminate, irregularly 

incurved. 

This species is represented by rather inadequate 

material but seems closest to M. taitensis A. Gray 

of Tahiti. It differs in larger, somewhat thinner, 

completely sessile leaves and in the much longer 

and conspicuously fasciculate (branched at base) 

inflorescences, as well as in having the leaves tending more to be crowded into intervals on the 

branchlets (“croissance rythmique nette” Halle). 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Marquesas Islands: Tahuata: 

“Region du sommet de Tahuata,” 17 Mar. 1973, 

HaZZt 2171 (US, type, P, MPU). 

Myrsine taitensis A. Gray 

Myrsine taitensis A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. 5:330, 1862.- 

Seemann, F1. Vit. 149, 1866 [as M. tahitensis, orth. mut.]. 

Rapanea tahitensis (A. Gray) Mez, Pflr. 9(236):373, 1902 [orth. 

mut.1.-Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 

17:15, 1974. 

This species has been variously interpreted, but 

has been fairly well clarified by Grant (1974:15). 

It is the plant with large stiff leaves with cordate 

or subcordate bases and thick short petioles. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

Myrsine vescoi Drake del Castillo 

Myrsine vescoi Drake del Castillo, 111. FI. Ins. Pac. 7:227, 1892; 

F1. Poly. Fr. 119, 1893. 

Rapanea vescoi (Drake del Castillo) Mez, Pflr. 9(296):372, 

1902.-Grant, Fosberg, and Smith, Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 

17:18, 1974. 

What may be the type of this species is an unannotated sterile sheet in the Paris Museum. It is 

described below, as neither Mez nor Grant saw it. 

Leaves narrowly obovate to oblong, bluntly 

acute to obtuse at apex, cuneate-attenuate at base, 

about 14 X 5 cm, some slightly wider or slightly 

longer, mostly smaller, venation not prominent but 

distinct, main veins up to 25 or more on a side, 

irregularly spaced, decurrent into the midrib, 

anastomosing distally into an undulating, not 

prominent submarginal vein, network fine, rather 

prominent on both sides, some intervals between 

main veins with weaker veins that do not reach 

margin, both surfaces scarcely punctate, blade decurrent at base into a slightly winged (at least 

above) petiole 5-6 mm long, 2 mm thick; sterile. 

It may be distinguished from the similar M. 

ovalis by its narrower leaves and less prominent, 

more closely spaced veins. 

Described from and endemic to Tahiti. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Society Islands: Tahiti, s.1. 

M. Vesco in 1847 (P, type? US, loose fragments). 

3. Three Species of Geniostomu J. R. & G. Forster 

Geniostoma (Loganiaceae) is another genus 

(vide supra Myrsine) where there seems to be a 

choice between recognizing a vast indefinable 

coenospecies (G. rupestre Forster) or admitting a 

large number of “microspecies” based on assemblages of minor characters. Smith and Stone (1962) 

have taken the latter course, Leenhouts (1962:370) 

the former. We have, in this genus also, chosen to 

recognize a number of segregate species rather than 

lumping everything in G. rupestre, which was 

based on a rather different-looking plant from the 

New Hebrides. 

The two new species described here bring the 

Geniostoma species in eastern Polynesia to six, the 

others being G. astylum A. Gray of Tahiti (clarified 

below), G. rapense F. Brown of Rapa, G. clavaturn 

Moore of Raiatea, and G. hendersonense St. John 

of Henderson Island. All the records of G. rupestre 

from eastern Polynesia have been disposed of except that by Cheeseman (1903:288) from Rarotonga, of which we have not seen a specimen. 

Cheeseman says “Geniostoma rupestre Forst.?- 

Southern slopes of Maungaroa, not seen elsewhere. 

I do not feel quite sure that this species is correctly identified.” We would expect it to be close 
12 SMITHSONIAS CONTRIBUTIOKS TO BOTANY 

to our G. quadrangulare. An attempt should be 

made to recollect it. We do not think that G. 

rupestre, sensu stricto, occurs in eastern Polynesia 

at all. 

Geniostoma astylum A. Gray 

Geniostoma astylurn A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. 4:321, 1860. 

This Tahitian species has apparently hitherto 

only been known from the original collection, 

U. S. Exploring Expedition (US), and was only 

very briefly described by Gray. The type-specimen 

is excellent except for lack of flowers and of mature 

fruit. It is probable that a flowering specimen once 

existed in the Gray Herbarium, as there is a set of 

drawings of the flower there, presumably drawn 

by Gray from the original material. A copy of these 

has been furnished us by Dr. William T. Gillis, 

but he was unable to locate the specimen (in litt., 

1974). 

Duplicates of two old collections, kindly sent by 

the authorities at the Paris Herbarium, identified 

by Kadeaud as G. rupeslre Forster f., and cited as 

such by Drake del Castillo (1892:126), appear to 

belong to this species. They, with one other, 

Lepine 208, which we have not seen, form the 

basis for the reports of G. rupestre from Tahiti. 

In all probability the latter species does not occur 

at all in Tahiti, and probably not in southeastern 

Polynesia. 

The following somewhat amplified description, 

based on the type and the two specimens mentioned, all cited below, is offered to make possible 

a better understanding of the relationship between 

this species and the new Marquesan one described 

below. 

Branchlets smooth, terete, 2-3 mm diameter, 

not conspicuously nodose, internodes 1-4 cm long, 

leaves oblong to oblong-elliptic, up to 11 X .i cm, 

veins inconspicuous, (7-) 8-11 on a side, nearly 

opposite, network quite visible on upper surface, 

apex bluntly slightly acuminate, base acutish to 

rounded, petiole 2-8 mm long; stipular collar 

early splitting down the sides in the type, but not 

notably so in other material; inflorescences loosely 

thyrsoid, to 3 cm long, main axis with 3 or 4 nodes, 

each ramification with 2 scale-like bracts, these 

ovate, recurved, acute, mucronulate, basally enclosing the inflorescence branch, ultimate ramifications tending to be irregular, each lower and 

middle branch trichotomous or at least with a pair 

of bracts part way up, rarely with a single additional outer dichasium near base, pedicels 1-33 

mm, puberulent, center ones tending to be short, 

uppermost branchlets (pedicels?) rarely bearing a 

pair of reduced ciliolate bractlets under the calyx 

or a single such bractlet part way down; calyx 

1-1.5 mm long, lobed about half-way, lobes ovatetriangular, obtusish to acute, tending to be folded 

and to appear acuminate, margins papillateciliolate; corolla glabrous, or somewhat pilosulous 

within throat, tube shorter than lobes, lobes 

imbricate, ovate, obtuse to rounded, faintly 5- 

nerved, about 1.5 mm long and wide; anthers 

very broadly oblong-sagittate, rounded at apex but 

with a very short blunt mucro, on short filaments; 

ovary broadly ovoid, style almost none, stigma 

ovoid, slightly bilobed; fruit 8 X 2.5-4 mm, fusiform to oblong, slightly compressed, furrowed 

along septum, slightly beaked, valves hard, recurved and widely spreading after dehiscence; 

seeds oval, somewhat irregularly compressed but 

not at all angulate, about 1 mm long, surface 

areolate reticulate, embedded in dried remains of 

soft fleshy placenta, this almost completely 

shrunken away at dehiscence, the network, or 

boundaries of the areolae, very minutely crinkly 

or very closely undulate, the bottoms of the areolae 

slightly convex. 

This species has hitherto been principally characterbed by the absence of a style, with little attention paid to other characters. This lack of a style 

is not altogether unambiguous, as the ovary is 

gradually narrowed to a point which bears the 

capitate slightly bilobed fleshy, persistent stigma. 

As long as the fruit is not fully mature it is gradually narrowed and even at maturity there is an 

abrupt short beak, which could be interpreted as 

a very short persistent stvle. That it has been so 

interpreted is shown by the placing, by Nadeaud 

and Drake del Castillo, of the two additional 

collections cited below in G. rupestre rather than 

in G. astylum, where they belong. 

The so-called bifid $tipules likewise do not 

effectively separate this species from its congeners, 

as this is only a rupturing of the stipular collar, 

which is not evident in the other collections and 

may be merely a function of vigorous enlargement 

of the young branchlets on the tvpe-collection. 
NUMBER 21 13 

Although the reduction of the style is a useful 

character for recognition of this species and its 

closest relative, described below, a more fundamental feature of G. izstylum is the thyrsoid inflorescence. Thyrsoid is here used in the sense of 

having the central axis with more than 2 nodes 

versus the usual condition in the genus of a 

dichasium or a compound dichasium. This feature, 

as well as others noted below, distinguish it from 

the Marquesan species described below, which on 

other grounds seems to be its closest ally. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Tahiti: s.1. u. s. Exploring 

Expedition (US, type); Nadeaud 363 (US, 2 

sheets, one flowering, the other with mature fruits, 

probably not of the same gathering, the number 

merely that used by Nadeaud in his Enumeration); 

Vesco in 1847 (US) (inflorescence somewhat more 

complex than those of the other collections). 

Geniostoma hallei Sachet & Fosberg, new species 

A G. astylum A. Gray foliorum venis alternis 

obscurioribusque, reticulo obscuriore, dichasio 

parviore non thyrsoideo, pedicel10 bracteolato 

calycis lobis acuminatis ciliatis, corolla intus valde 

barbata differt. 

Shrub to 3 m tall, glabrous, nodes enlarged, internodes irregular in length, 4-20 (-25) mm long; 

leaves ovate to broadly elliptic, up to 7 X 3.5 (-4) 

cm, acute or rarely somewhat acuminate and 

mucronulate at apex, broadly acute at base, venation faint above, not prominent beneath, main 

veins (7-) 8-9 (-10) on a side, not in regular 

pairs, bending slightly upward, becoming fainter 

and anastomosing near margin, network obscure, 

blade narrowed to a petiole 4-5 mm long, stipular 

collar truncate, 1.2-1.5 mm long very early rupturing down the interpetiolar sides; inflorescence a 

compound dichasium about 1-1.5 cm long, rather 

congested, twice trichotomous on a very short 

peduncle (very rarely, on the longest inflorescences, 

the central axis with an extra internode and the 

lateral dichasia each with a single extra outer 

pedicel from near base), a pair of ovate acuminate 

scale-like bracts at each ramification, the lowest 

connate, margins of bracts ciliolate, pedicels 2-4 

(-5) mm long, with or without 1-3 scattered 

scale-like ovate-triangular ciliolate bracteoles; flowers white, foetid; calyx 2 mm long, lobed about 

’/* way, lobes triangular acuminate, ciliolate, 

slightly imbricate at base, corolla about 3 mm long, 

tube 2 mm, throat densely bearded, lobes suborbicular, imbricate in bud, obtuse, spreading at maturity, 

inner basal surface crinkly pilose, margins strongly 

ciliate, edges papillate without, stamens just over 

1 mm long, anthers broadly ovate or triangular to 

broadly oblong, slightly longer than broad, about 

0.8 X 0.6 mm, apex rounded, connective conspicuous, filaments very short, ovary broadly ovoid, 

stigma capitate, fleshy, sessile, constricted vertically 

and very slightly bilobed; fruit (immature) cylindricfusiform, 8 X 3 mm, slightly beaked, beak tipped 

by shrunken stigma. 

Very closely allied to G. astylum A. Gray of 

Tahiti, differing in the smaller less oblong leaves, 

much smaller, more contracted inflorescences, which 

are not or scarcely thyrsoid, in the more usual 

presence of bracteoles on the pedicels, in the somewhat acuminate much more ciliate calyx lobes, and 

in the corolla more densely bearded within. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Marquesas Islands: Tahuata 

I.: “Region du sommet de Tahuata, 17 Mars 

1973,” F. Halle 2170 (US, holotype, P, MPU, 

isotypes). 

Apparently very rare, one plant only seen by 

collector. A sterile specimen collected on Hivaoa, 

Feani, at 700 m, F. Blown 1096 (BISH) may 

probably be the same. 

Geniostoma quadrangukare Fosberg, new species 

Arbor parva, glabra, ramulis quadrangularibus 

nodosis, internodis 5-20 mm longis; foliis ellipticis 

tenuibus petiolatis; dichasiis compositis subthyrsoideis internodis 3-4; fructibus ovoideis 5-6 

mm longis, valvis sclerosis. 

Tree to 5 m tall, glabrous, branchlets notably 

quadrangular, nodes prominent, internodes 5-20 

(-30) mm long, leaves thin, blades to 7.5 (-9) X 

2-3.5 (-4,5) cm, elliptic, rarely ovate or oblong, 

apex obtusish, slightly acuminate, base cuneate, 

decurrent to a slender petiole 5-9 (-10) mm long, 

veins about 4-5 pairs, subopposite, strongly ascending, forking and anastornosing near margin, 

network rather obscure; stipular collar with lobes 

very low, broadly rounded; inflorescences, in bud 

axillary among leaves, in flower among lower 

leaves and on several nodes below lowest leaves, 
14 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

in fruit persisting on 3-5 nodes, 4-7 internodes 

below leaves, compound decussate dichasia thyrsoid 

to the extent that the main axis has 3 or 4 nodes 

and internodes below the terminal dichasium, the 

lateral branches strongly ascending, lower ones on 

welldeveloped inflorescences each with an extra 

outer branch arising just above the base, each 

ramification subtended by a pair of broadly ovate 

scale-like bracts enclosing the base of the lateral 

branch, pedicels 3-5 mm long, with a tiny triangular scale-like minutely ciliolate bractlet slightly 

below the receptacle; calyx lobed about half-way 

into 5 triangular bluntly mucronate papillateciliolate lobes about 0.7-0.8 mm long; corolla 

with tube about as long as calyx, lobes about as 

long again, ovate, with 3 slightly branching veins, 

margins papillate-ciliolate, inner surface distally 

minutely puberulent, basally prominently bearded; 

anthers broadly oblong, about 0.7 mm long, 

rounded at apex, with short rounded lobes at base, 

sessile in sinuses of corolla; stigma capitate, on a 

very short style, included in corolla, exserted 

from calyx after corolla has fallen. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-AUStral Islands: Rapa: Mt. 

Tepiahu, 150 m, Fosberg 11502 (NY, BISH); 

southeast ridge of Mt. Pukunia, 350 m, Fosberg 

11431 (BISH); Pake, 100 m, A. M. Stokes 384 

(BISH, type); Titivake, east side of Mt. Vaitau, 

St. John 6. Maireau 15392 (US, BISH); Area, 

140 m, St. John 6. Fosberg 15332 (BISH, US). 

4. Zpomoea tiliacea (Willdenow) Choisy 

in the Pacific 

Ipomoea tiliacea (Willdenow) Choisy in de Candolle, Prodr. 

9:375, 1845.-Yuncker, Bishop Mus. Bull. 220:227. 1959. 

Convolvulus tiliaceus Willdenow, Enum. P1. 203, 1809. 

Convolvulus fastigialus Roxburgh, Hort. Beng. 13, 1814. 

Ipomoea fastigiata (Roxburgh) Sweet, Hort. Brit, 288, 1826. 

Two Pacific Island morning-glories, one of them 

mistakenly placed in the genus Merremia, are described as varieties of the tropical American 

Ipomoea tiliacea. They may represent an extension 

of the natural distribution of this species, or they 

may be old, well established introductions by 

human agency. 

This species has previously been known from the 

Pacific only from Fiji and Tonga, where it was 

formerly usually called Zpomoea fastigiata (Roxburgh) Sweet. Otherwise it is tropical American. 

The Marquesan collections, reported here, and the 

Fijian-Tongan ones, seem to represent distinctive 

populations, with a few characters uncommon or 

absent in the variable, widespread American 

species. 

Zpomoea tiliacea var. merremioides Fosberg, 

new variety 

Herba scandens, foliis triangulo-ovato-cordatis 

valde acuminatis integerrimis, cymis valde pedunculatis umbelloideo-condensatis, sepalis mucronatis, 

corollis infundibuliformibus limbo distale vix expanso 3-3.5 cm longis. 

Glabrous climber but not very conspicuously 

twining, leaves thin, blades triangular-ovate, much 

longer than wide, up to 10 X 5 cm, apex taperingacuminate, base broadly and strongly cordate with 

a U-shaped sinus and rounded basal lobes, petioles 

slender, notably shorter than blades; inflorescence 

umbelloid in appearance but a condensed, once to 

twice ramified, cymose panicle on a long peduncle, 

to 13 cm, pedicels much longer than branches, 

these 1-1 6 mm, bracts minute, scale-like, sepals 

elliptic or elliptic-oblong to slightly obovate, about 

8 mm long, obtuse, outer ones mucronate, corolla 

funnelform, 3-3.5 cm long, limb only slightly 

flaring, 2.5-3 cm wide, “rose-mauve,’’ stamens 

included in basal ‘/s of throat, unequal in length, 

shorter than style, anthers very narrowly sagittate, 

straight, 2-2.5 mm long, filaments subulate, glabrous apically, increasingly beset with short glandtipped hairs below, pollen grains globose, very 

shortly spinulose; pistil 16 mm long, ovary subglobose, glabrous, style filiform, glabrous, stigma 

irregularly capitate, fruit globose, about 5 mm 

high, subtended by an entire disk, usually somewhat asymmetric, glabrous, beaked with persistent 

short style-base, this somewhat off-center, only one 

seed developed, this shot-like, 4 mm across, with 

2 basal somewhat flattened areas edged on outer 

parts with sparse brown wool, scar light brown, 

obovate, surrounded by horse-shoe-shaped very 

low ridge, general seed-surface dull sooty brown. 

This plant was placed with little hesitation in 

Merremia umbellata (L.) Hall. f., which it resembles closely in habit and appearance, especially when dried. Its straight anthers, purple 

flowers, and almost glabrous seeds, however, cast 
NUMBER 21 15 

some doubt on this identification. On examination 

the pollen grains proved to be spinulose, suggesting Zpomoea. In van Ooststroom’s key (1940: 

485-490) to Malaysian species of Zpomoea the 

plant runs readily to I. gracilis sensu van 

Ooststroom, non R. Brown (=Z. littorah Blume), 

which it is clearly not, because of the long manyflowered peduncles. It falls within the range of 

variation of I. tiliacea (Willdenow) Choisy, a 

principally American species, which occurs also 

(possibly as an adventive) in Fiji and Tonga. The 

Marquesan specimens differ from those of Fiji and 

Tonga, as well as from the vast majority of the 

American ones, in being glabrous, in the much 

smaller much more funnel-form, less flaring corollas, enlarging abruptly above the calyx, the 

abruptly short-mucronate rather than more gradually acuminate-aristate sepals, the usually much 

longer peduncles, and the entire, long-acuminate 

leaves rather than more or less orbicular, dentate 

or lobed. 

All of the characters of this variety appear in 

I. tiliacea as represented in the U. S. National 

Herbarium, but not in this combination and not 

frequently. We have, at present, no opinion as to 

whether this and the following variety are indigenous or adventive. The distribution of Z. 

tiliacea in the Pacific roughly parallels that of 

Cordia lutea Lamarck which occurs in the Marquesas and Tonga. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Hivaoa I.: Atikoua valley, 

above Atuona, 20-100 in. Sachet 1300 (US, type, 

P, UH); upper Puamau-Atuona trail, 500450 m, 

Decker I I57 (US); Puamau-Eiaone divide, top of 

ridge, 300 m, Decker 932 (US): Central Puamau, 

800-1000 ft [250-300m] common, Decker 2072 

(US, P, Fo, UC). 

Zpomoea tiliacea var. smithii Fosberg, 

new variety 

Herba scandens foliis orbiculari-cordatis saepe 

grandi-dentatis vel lobatis longi petiolatis, cymis 

pedunculatis congestis, sepalis orbicularibus 

caudato-aristatis inaequalibus, corollis 4-5 cm 

longis limbo expanso. 

Differs from var. merremioides in the usually 

larger, more orbicular, less long-acuminate, usually remotely coarsely dentate or at least somewhat 

irregularly margined, rarely lobed leaves, up to 

10 X 12 cm, usually much smaller, pilose beneath 

on lower parts of main veins, petioles much longer; 

peduncles strong, 2-6 cm long, pedicels 3-5 in a 

crowded cyme or pseudo-umbel; sepals somewhat 

unequal, orbicular, gradually caudate-aristate, tending to be very sparsely pilose or long ciliate, 

corolla 4-5 cm long, white, or “pink-lavender” or 

“red-pink” with darker center. 

The specimens cited below are not very uniform. 

The Tongan ones have larger leaves and the U. S. 

Exploring Expedition one has notably lobed 

leaves. The Tongan ones have colored flowers, the 

Fijian white; however, they seem to belong together. The U. S. Exploring Expedition collection 

shows that the plant is probably indigenous, at 

least not a recent arrival, in the Pacific Islands. 

The variety is named for Professor A. C. Smith, 

collector of the type. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Fiji: s.l., U. S. Exploring Expedition (US). Viti Levu Island: Mba: Slopes of Mt. 

Nairosa, eastern flank of Mt. Evans Range, 700- 

1050 m, edge of dense forest, Smith 4057 (US); shores 

of Mba River near mouth, sea level, Smith 4740 

(US): vicinity of Nalotawi, eastern base of Mt. Evans 

Range, 550-600 m, Smith 4468 (US, type, BISH). 

Tonga: Lifuka Island: North of Pangai Village, 

Yuncker 15, 723 (US, BISH), 15,798 (US, BISH). 

Eua Island: Ha’aluma on southwestern end of 

island, near sea, Yuncker 15,587 (US, BISH). Tongan names are Fue or Fue hina. 

5. Annotations to the Hawaiian Flora 

Over the past 35 years the senior author has 

published several series of miscellaneous notes, 

which either have dealt exclusively with Hawaiian 

plants (Fosberg, 1936, 1937, 1942, 1948, 1962, 

1966b, 1969), or have contained some material on 

Hawaiian plants along with notes on other Pacific 

island groups (Fosberg, 1943, 1966a, 1968). 

This is essentially a continuation of these observations on the flora of the Hawaiian Islands. Included are distributional records, field and herbarium observations, comments directing attention to items of interest to Hawaiian botany 

published in literature not primarily concerning 

Hawaii, and taxonomic and nomenclatural notes 

and keys to certain groups adventive in Hawaii. 

The genera included are Adiantum, Carex, 
16 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

Cyperus, Salicornia, Dianthus, Bocconia, Rubus, 

Crotalaria, Lotus, Polygala, Melochia, Waltheria, 

Frankenia, Dissotis, Thevetia, Heliotropium, Stenogyne, Solanum, Parentucellia, Tetranema, Plantago, and Hedyotis. 

Since the greater part of this paper was written, 

Professor Harold St. John’s magnificent List and 

Summary of the Flowering Plants in the Hawaiian 

Islands (1973) has appeared. Certain of the new 

records appeared there, but since no details of 

occurrence are given it seems desirable to give 

these here, also, to provide verified references to 

the places of publication and certain subsequent 

papers of interest. 

Adiantum L. 

Adirrntum raddirrnum Red 

Adianthurn raddianunr Presl, Tent. Pterid. 158, 1836.-Tryon, 

Contr. Gray Herb. 144: 169, 1964.-Hoshuaki, Baileya 17: 

154,1970. 

Adiantum cuneatum Langsdorff & Fischer, Ic. Fil. 23, t. 26, 

1810.-Fosberg, Bull. Tom. Bot. C1. 70:387, 1943; Occ. Pap. 

Bishop Mus. 24:11, 1969 [non A. cuneaturn Forster, Prodr. 

84, 17861. 

According to Hoshizaki this is the plant commonly known in cultivation as A. cuneatum, and 

undoubtedly the plant widely escaped and naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands. Her illustration 

shows precisely the pinnule shape and the veins 

terminating in the sinuses between the lobes on 

sterile portions of the distal margins of the pinnules shown by the plant introduced in Hawaii. 

There are numerous horticultural varieties of this 

species, some of which ,are illustrated by Mrs. 

Hoshizaki. 

Tryon was apparently the first to indicate that 

A. ruddianum Presl is the earliest available name 

for this species, since A. cuneatum is antedated by 

A. cuneatum Forster. We may further point out 

that A. cuneatum Langsdorff 6. Fischer and A. 

raddianum Presl are nomenclaturally equivalent, 

as the latter is based on a supposed A. cuneatum 

Raddi (1825: [59, 1001 pl. 78, 2a, b). Raddi was 

merely using Langsdorff‘s and Fischer’s name, 

though ascribing it to Willdenow (1810:450). Willdenow merely included A. cuneatum Langsdorff 

& Fischer in his account of the genus, Raddi’s illustration, though not showing venation, seems clearly 

to apply to the plant described by Langsdorff and 

Fischer. 

Carex L. 

Carex ooalis Goodenough 

Carex ovalis Goodenough. Trans. Linn. Soc. 2:148, 1794. 

The collection cited below is a member of 

Carex sect. Ovules, close to C. leporina L., but the 

perigynia have shorter beaks and are more strongly 

winged. It matches material of C. ovalis from New 

Zealand where it is usually thought to be introduced. It may have been brought into Hawaii 

from New Zealand with forage grass seeds, although it was collected in forest. It does not seem 

to have been reported previously from the Hawaiian Islands. Goodenough’s description was of a 

British plant and Europe is doubtless its original 

home. No exact locality was cited with the 

description. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: Kohala Mts., Kahua 

Ranch, 3300 ft [1000m], Rubtrofl2720 (US). 

Cyperus L. 

Cyperus niger Ruiz & Pavon 

Cyperus niger Ruiz & Pavon, F1. Peruv. 1:47, 1798. 

This species is found from the southwestern 

United States to Andean South America in several 

forms. This collection matches some specimens 

from South America in its black spikelets aggregated into single heads. These are generally included in var. niger. Other South American 

material has more open inflorescences, but it is 

not generally separated taxonomically. I have seen 

no previous record of C. niger from the Hawaiian 

Islands. The blackish single heads of spikelets 

distinguish it from other species found in Hawaii. 

My attention was called to its proper identity by 

Mr. Peter Rubtzoff, keen amateur student of the 

California flora and collector of the specimen 

cited. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: Kohala Mts., Kahua Ranch, 3300 ft [ 1000 m] marsh, Rubtrofl2723 

(US). 
NUMBER 21 

Salicornia L. 

17 

Dianthus L. 

Salicornia virginica L. 

Salicornia virginica L., Sp. PI. 4, 1753 [as S. virginia].-Herbst, 

Pac. Sci., in press, 1975. 

We are accepting Fernald and Schubert’s interpretation of this species (1948:162-163) as the 

plant that occurs in saline marshes along the 

Atlantic coast of North America (and South 

America) generally called S. ambigua Michaux or 

S. perennis Miller. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Hawaiian Islands: Leeward 

Group: French Frigate Shoals, Tern Island. “One 

small colony on crushed coral between “gas dump” 

and the ocean, center of north side of island,” 

Herbst 1213 (US, UH). 

This collection seems to correspond best with 

S. uirginica, though the spikes of that species seldom 

reach the length shown by this specimen, about 

5 cm. Fernald (1950:599) says they can be 1.5-6 

cm long. The width of the joints, as wide as or 

usually wider than their. length, excludes other 

species with which it might be compared, including S. subterminalis Parish (Arthrocnemum subterminale (Parish) Standley), which it resembles 

in having the spikes occasionally continuing as 

vegetative branches. The essential distinction of 

the latter lies in its glabrous seeds. This could not 

be checked as this specimen, though flowering 

abundantly and bearing old, opened-up parts of 

spikes, seems to have no seeds at all. Possibly it is 

self-sterile, and only one plant was seen. It was 

doubtless introduced in some manner during the 

U. S. Coast Guard activity on the island. The genus 

is not known from Polynesia or other parts of the‘ 

oceanic central and western Pacific, nor have we 

encountered records of it from any Pacific coral 

atoll. It is a leafless succulent with jointed stems, 

opposite branching, prostrate to ascending, each 

joint about 1 cm long or less, sheathing at the top 

with two opposite low scale-like projections on 

the sheath; flowers borne in threes on shortened 

joints compressed into a spike, the perianth reduced and closely appressed to the side of the 

joint, stamens 1 or 2, exserted slightly, seeds 

pubescent (lacking on our material). 

Dianthus armeria L. 

Dianthus armeria L., Sp. PI. 410, 1753. 

This was reported by Neal in Gardens of Hawaii 

(1948:346) but as an annual. Fernald (1950:636) 

also refers to it as an annual or biennial, and so it 

generally behaves in the eastern United States. 

However, the following collections appear more 

like a perennial, branching profusely from a root 

crown and deep tap root. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Hawaiian Islands, Hawaii I.: 

Kukaiau Ranch, 5000 ft [1500m], Rubtzofi 

2622 (US); N. W. slope of Mauna Kea, Puu 

Makahalau, 4000 ft [1200 m], Kawasaki in 1964 

(BISH). The Kawasaki specimen is also heavy 

and almost woody at base, though most of it is 

broken off. 

Dianthus prolifer L. 

Dianthus prolifer, L., Sp. PI. 410, 1753. 

An annual with several stems from base, linear 

leaves, several flowers in a terminal involucre of 

broad papery mucronate bracts. It has apparently 

not been reported from Hawaii previously. 

SPECIMEN SmN.-Hawaii I., S. Kohala, Waimea, 

Puu Holoholoku, 2600 ft [800m], Hosaka ~2110 

(BISH). 

Bocconia L. 

Bocconia frutescens 

Bocconia frutescens L., Sp. PI. 505, 1753. 

L. 

In 1961 this species was very sparingly and 

locally naturalized, a few plants only, in East 

Maui, just south of Ulapalakua Ranch, as reported 

by Fosberg (1969:17). 

On 14 April 1974, it was seen to have spread 

some distance from the locality noted in 1961. 

Many well-grown shrubs were seen for some distance along the road south. A single seedling several 

decimeters tall was seen in the fenced nature preserve at Auwahi, and a mature shrub was growing 

in Kula, along the road to Haleakala Crater some 

hundreds of meters above the junction with the 
18 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

Upper Kula Road at perhaps 1200 m elevation. 

It would seem to be still possible to eradicate this 

shrub if desired. The fleshy aril or caruncle of its 

seed probably assures its wide distribution by 

mynahs and other introduced frugivorous birds. 

Rubus L. 

Rubus eUiptb Smith 

Rubus ellipticus Smith, in Rees Cycl. 30, n. 16, 1815. 

SPECIMENS S~~~.-Hawaii I.: Wright Road Farm 

lots, just below Kilauea, 1140 m, Fosberg 41609 

(US, BISH, Fo). 

Rubus moluccanus L. 

Rubus moluccanus L., Sp. PI. 1197, 1753. 

In 1971, this plant was very locally established 

in pastures. It is not known how it was introduced. 

The plant is a rhizomatous, coarse, tangled prickly 

shrub, growing to a height of 3-4 m or more, and, 

in other countries, overgrowing small trees and 

bushes. It is found from Madagascar to New 

Guinea, Fiji, and Kusaie; in parts of this area, 

such as Mauritius and Madagascar at least, it is 

probably introduced. In Mauritius and Madagascar, 

it is regarded as a serious pest in forests. It should 

be eliminated from Kauai without delay, lest it 

get completely out of hand. The Kauai plant 

belongs to var. moluccanus. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Kauai I.: Lawai Valley, 200 m, 

3 April 1971, Fosberg 53650 (US, BISH, Fo, PTG). 

Crotalariu L. 

Crotalaria pallida Aiton 

Crotalaria pallida Aiton, Hort. Kew. 3:20, 1789.-Polehill, 

Crotalaria mucronata Desvaux, Dew. Jour. Bot. 3:76, 1814. 

Crotalaria striata de Candolle, Prodr. 2:131, 1825. 

Kew Bull. 22262, 1968. 

According to Polehill this widespread species, 

in recent years generally known as C. mucronata 

Desvaux, must be called C. pallida Aiton. Besides 

the more or less brown striate keel, which is the 

usual identifying mark, it may be distinguished 

from C. incana L. (a very similar species), by 

appressed pubescence on rachis and pods (rather 

than spreading, as in C. incana) and by narrower 

pods. 

Lotus L. 

Lotus hispidus Desfontaine ex Loiseleur 

Lotus hispidus Desfontaine ex Loiseleur, F1. Callica 2:4% 

491, pl. 16, 1807. 

This is a native of Eurasia and has been known 

from Hawaii since 1933. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Hawaiian Islands: s.l., Rip 

perton in 1937 (US). Hawaii I.: Kukaiau Ranch, 

slopes of Mauna Kea, 3500 ft [lo50 m], Rubtzofl 

2612 (US); Parker Ranch, Kaola, 2750 ft [850 m], 

Ewart 296 (BJSH), “planted in Hilo grassland 

1933.” “E. Hawaii,” Lyman in 1950 (BISH). 

Maui I.: “Makawao, Ulupalakua, Mohopilo,” 3200 

ft [975m], 1937, Hosaka 1714 (BISH); Makawao, 

Haleakala Br. Sta. 2100 ft [640 m], Hosaka 2672 

(BISH, 2 sheets); “Olinda, Makawao,” Hosaka 

3576 (US); N.W. slope of Haleakala Massif, east 

of Olinda, 3700 ft [1125 m], Zltis H-440 (US). 

PolygaIa L. 

Polygak paniculata L. 

Polygala paniculata L., Syst. ed. 10:1154, 1759. 

This widespread tropical weed has apparently 

not previously been reported from the Hawaiian 

Islands. A small colony was found on 15 April 

1974 near the north coast of East Maui. It is a 

slender herb with short linear leaves and paniculately arranged racemes of tiny white flowers. 

The roots smell strongly of wintergreen, as do 

those of many other species of Polygala. The genus, 

also, is not previously known from the state. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Hawaiian Islands: Maui: Kakipi Gulch, 6 km east of Haiku, 40 m, Fosberg 6. 

Sylva 55450 (US, UH, Fo, MO, L). 

Melochia L. 

Melochia umbellata (Houttuyn) Stapf 

Melochia umbellata (Houttuyn) Stapf, Kew Bull. 1913:317, 

Visenia umbellata Houttuyn, Handleidung 8309, 1777. 

1913.-Goldberg, Contr. U.S.N.H. 34 (5):220-222, 1967. 
NUMBER 21 19 

This species was apparently reported under this 

name first from the Hawaiian Islands by Neal 

(1948:503). Goldberg (1967:221) reports it only 

from Oahu in his monograph. He gives its indigenous range as India to New Guinea. It is probably 

the same plant reported from Hawaii by L. W. 

Bryan (1947334) as M. indica A. Gray. It has for 

a number of years been increasingly abundant 

along the lower stretches of the Volcano Road 

above Hilo and along the Stainback Highway. I 

saw it there in 1961, but did not collect it. It has 

been in the state at least since 1929 and was probably first introduced around Honolulu, possibly in 

the Manoa Arboretum. It is a very aggressive plant 

in disturbed or cleared areas and soon forms a tall 

secondary scrub. It has large hirsute cordate leaves 

and cymose panicles of pink flowers. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Oahu I.: Kapalama “Tip”, 

2000 ft [600m], Ewart in 1929 (BISH); Punaluu 

Valley, Judd in 1931 (RISH); near Puu Kaui, 

Kaunala, Koolau Range, 1500 ft [450m], Webster 

1197 (BISH); Kahuku Mauka, Degener et al. 

I5548 (US, BISH); Manoa Valley, Arboretum, 

Caum et al. in 1930 (RISH). Lanai, Waiakeakua, 

2300 ft [700m], Munro 270 (RISH) (undated), 

said to have been obtained from Haiku Board of 

Agriculture and Forestry Nursery. East Maui I.: 

Hamakuapoko, Crosby in 1939 (BISH). Hawaii I.: 

South of Glenwood, Mueller-Dombois H-I43 

(UH); Stainback Highway, 800 ft [250m], Herbst 

882 (RISH). 

Waltheria L. 

Waltheria indica L. 

Wartheria indica L., Sp. Pl., 673, 1753. 

This species was published by Linnaeus simultaneously with W. americana. The two were combined by R. Brown, as detailed below. Var. indica 

does not occur in Hawaii. 

Walthericr indica var. americana (L.) 

R. Brown ex Hosaka 

Waltheria indica var. americana (L.) R. Brown ex Hosaka, 

Waltheria americana L., Sp. P1. 673, 1753. 

Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus. 13:224, 1937. 

SPECIMEN SmN.--“Owhai-hee” (Hawaii) David 

Nelson (MO). 

This specimen, collected on Captain Cook’s 

Third Voyage, shows that this species is either 

indigenous in Hawaii or was brought by the 

Hawaiians (or the Spaniards, if they really visited 

Hawaii earlier than 1776). 

Hawaiian material agrees with that from America in being densely velutinous rather than thinly 

so, as is that from the western Pacific and southern 

Asia. The two forms are often regarded as belonging to one species for which Waltheria indica 

L. is the correct name, or to two distinct species. 

We are accepting the view that one pantropical species is involved. The rather conspicuous 

difference in density of indument may be recognized by maintaining var. americana for the predominantly American densely hairy form and var. 

indica for the more thinly pubescent Old World 

plant. Over its wide geographic range Waltheria 

indica produces many local forms distinguishable 

by other characters,. but these have usually not 

been afforded taxonomic recognition. 

Robert Brown (1818:484) said, “Waltheria indica 

L. I consider W. americana to be a variety of this 

sportive species, which seems to be common to all 

equinoctial countries.” Although this satisfies Article 57 of the International Code of Botanical 

Nomenclature on choice of name when two simultaneously published species are united, and, indeed, 

is cited as one of the examples to illustrate the 

application of this article, it does not constitute 

valid publication of the required combination for 

var. americana according to Article 33, as it does 

not indicate that the epithet indica is to be used 

in the combination W. indica var. americana. Apparently the first usage of this combination was by 

Hosaka as cited above. He did not cite the basionym 

but according to Article 33 this only seems to have 

been a requirement for valid publication of a new 

combination since 1 January 1953. Citation of R. 

Brown as author with “L.” in parentheses can be 

considered a sufficient indirect reference. 

Guillemin (1837:365) made the reverse reduction, making the combination “ Waltheria americana indica Linn. Spec. 941.” This was done 

later than Robert Brown’s publication, so may be 

disregarded except in .synonymy of Waltheria 

indica var. indica. 
20 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS To BOTANY 

FrankenM L. 

Frankenia grandiflora Chamisso & Schlechtendal 

Frankenia grandiflora Chamisso & Schlechtendal, Linnaea 1 : 

35, 1826. 

This is a depressed herb with small pink flowers, 

native to salt marshes of the Pacific Coast of North 

America. It is pubescent, has opposite obovate 

leaves with axillary fascicles, appearing verticillate, 

prismatic ribbed calyces and 5 free petals. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-French Frigate Shoals: Fern 

Island, “On crushed coral around the barrels in 

the “gas dump,” Herbst 1217 (US, UH). 

Dissotis Bentham 

Dissotis rotundifolia (Smith) Triana 

Dissotis rotundifolia (Smith) Triana, Trans. Linn. SOC. 28:58, 

Osbeckia rotundifolia Smith, in Rees Cycl. 25: 1813. 

Melastoma plumosa D. Don, Mem. Wern. SOC. 4:291, 1823. 

Heterotis plumosa (DoDon) Bentham, F1. Niger 348, 1849. 

Dissotis plumosa (D.Don) Hooker f., in Oliver, F1. Trop. 

1871. 

Africa 2:452, 1871. 

This is planted occasionally as an attractive 

ground cover. It forms a loose mat up to several 

decimeters high. The leaves are ovate and trinerved, the veins not prominent. The flowers are 

rose-pink and have 5 long purple anthers and 5 

shorter yellow ones. We hope it will not get out of 

hand as have several other Melastomaceae. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-Kauai I.: Lawai Valley, seen 

but not collected, planted as ground cover in 

Botanical Garden, 1974. Oahu I.: Foster Gardens, 

Potter in 1960 (RISH), Potter d- Neal in 1958 

(RISH); H. L. Lyon Arboretum, Manoa, Nagata 

399 (BISH). Maui I.: Kahului Airport, Fosberg 

50524 (US). 

Theuetia L. 

Thevetia peruviana ( Persoon) K. Schumann 

Theuetia peruviana (Persoon) K. Schumann, in Engler and 

Cmbera peruviana Persoon, Syn. PI. 1:267, 1805. 

Prantl, Nat. Pfl. 4(2):159, 1895. 

This species has long been known in cultivation 

in Hawaii, but does not commonly become naturalized. It is present here in substantial numbers, 

apparently naturalized. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Kauai 1.: Lawai Valley (Pacific Tropical Botanic Garden), “Big Valley,” 

3 Apr. 1971, Fosberg 53654 (US, Fo, PTG, BISH). 

Heliotropium L. 

Heliotropium anomalum Hooker & Arnott 

Heliotropium anomalum Hooker & Arnott, Bot. Beechey’s 

Voyage in Blossom, 66, 1832. 

This is certainly not the normal variety of 

Hawaii, but resembles var. mediale (Line Islands) or 

var. anomalum from southeastern Polynesia. It is 

only thinly strigose, leaves are linear-oblanceolate, 

cymes long-pedunculate. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-oahu 1.: Honolulu, tip of Laniloo Point, ‘/2 mile [.8 km] east of Laie, on bare 

rock, Zltis H-395 (US). 

Stenogyne Bentham 

Stenogyne scrophukzrioides Bentham 

Stenogyne scrophularioides Bentham, Bot. Reg. 15, no. 1292, 

n. 88, 1830. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: Hilo, in woods, 28 

Feb. 1887, Rev. T. S. Lea (BM). 

This sterile sheet is of a slender herbaceous 

climber, tending to root at the nodes, with opposite exstipulate leaves, palmately tripartite to 

the base, the segments deeply lobed and the lobes 

of the lateral segments lobed again; stems squarish, 

pilose in lines. The long petioles conspicuously 

hirsute pilose, blades pilosulous and beset with 

sessile glands, At first this specimen was not placed 

even to family, but on a hunch was compared with 

Stenogyne. At Kew a specimen, Hillebrand 351, 

shows a series of stages from having the leaves 

ovate and undissected, with crenate-serrate margins, 

to almost as dissected as those of the Lea specimen, 

indicating that the latter is probably a juvenile 

plant of S. scrophularioides. 
NUMBER 21 

SoZunum L. 

21 

Tetranema Bentham 

Solanum repandum Forster f. 

Solanum repandum Forster f., Prodr. 18, 1786. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: s. I., Hillebrand 112 

This specimen has leaves narrower than is 

usual for this species and more unequal at base, 

but otherwise seems to match New Zealand material of this species. It has not recently been found 

in Hawaii, at least no material was found in the 

Bishop Museum herbarium in 1971. It was described from the Marquesas and Society Islands. 

(4 

Parentucellia Viviani 

Parentucellia uiscosa (L.) Caruel 

Parentucellia uiscosa (L.) Caruel, in Parlatore, F1. Ital. 6:480, 

Bartsia uiscosa L., Sp. P1. 602, 1753. 

1885. 

This is a Eurasian species but introduced into 

Oregon and various other cool parts of the world. 

It has apparently not been found previously in 

Hawaii. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: Kukaiau Ranch 

north slopes of Mauna Kea, 4800 ft [1450 m], 

Rubtzofl 2609 (US). 

Tetranemu mexicanum Bentham 

Tetranema mexicanum Bentham, Bot. Reg. 29, t. 52, 1843. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-oahu: Old Pali Road, Neal 

in 1953 (BISH); Clay in 1956 (BISH); Manoa, 

Neal in 1940 (BISH). (This sheet is named by the 

collector Mazns japonicus). 

These three specimens are identical and certainly seem to be Tetranema, rather than MUUS. 

Apparently the Manoa specimen is the only basis 

of Neal’s (1965:158-159) report of Mazus japonicus from Hawaii. Therefore, Mazus should be 

deleted from the flora unless other material exists. 

The leaves are in rosettes, obovate, crenulate, 

with scapes up to 15-20 cm, inflorescence umbelloid with proliferations, corolla violet with the 

three large lobes whitish at least at tips. It is a 

native of Mexico. 

Plantago L. 

Plantagos found in ruderal situations and pastures in the Hawaiian Islands are almost certain 

to be introduced species. Of these there are at least 

5 species which may be distinguished by the following key: 

Key to the Introduced Species of Plantago in the Hawaiian Islands 

1. Leaves linear, bracts linear, stiff, straight, ascending, conspicuously protruding from spike 

1. Leaves broader, bracts not as above. 

2. Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate. 

P. mistata Michaux 

3. Spikes short, cylindric, very densely flowered, on long peduncles, leaves entire 

P. lanccolata L. 

3. Spikes slender, long, sparsely flowered, peduncles relatively short, leaves remotely lobed 

P. debilis R. Brown 

P. major L. 

P. australis Lamarck 

to subentire 

4. Plants essentially glabrous, seeds 6 or more 

4. Plants more or less pubescent, seeds 3 

2. Leaves ovate. 

Plantago aristata Michaux Plants very large for this species, up to 35 cm 

tall, leaves erect, linear, spikes to 9 cm long, on 

peduncles to 20 cm long. These plants are more 

caulescent than is usual in the eastern U.S., where 

the species is usually acaulescent. Here they have 

above-ground stems several centimeters long. 

Plantago arislata Michaux, F1. Ror. Am. 1:95, 1803. 

SPECIMEN SEEN.-Hawaii I.: Kapapala, rare in 

pasture, dry locality, 5000 ft [I500 m] 19 June 1941, 

HOSU~Q 2595 (BISH). 
22 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

Plantago australis Lamarck 

Plantago australis Lamarck, Tabl. Encycl. Genres 1:339, 1792. 

Examination of the Hawaiian material that has 

been generally called Plantago virginica L. shows 

that it has 3 seeds in a capsule, rather than 2 as in 

P. virginica, and is generally less hirsute. In general 

aspect it is much like P. virginica. Of Pacific Island 

plants this resembles very much a species in New 

Zealand referred to the American P. australis. 

The latter is found in many slightly differing 

forms, from Mexico to Chile and Argentina. Many 

of these have been given names. Rahn (1964) has 

described a number of them as subspecies, but has 

provided no key to them. Until he does the 

Hawaiian plants can be called P. australis Lamarck, 

sensu lato. Several of the specimens cited below in 

the Bishop Museum herbarium bear undated annotations as P. australis by M. F. Tessene, 

showing that he arrived independently at this 

determination. 

Two quite distinguishable forms can be recognized, one from Hawaii, one from Maui. 

The Hawaii form has elliptic to oblanceolate 

leaves on winged petioles 1-8 cm long, blade ovate 

remotely denticulate, glabrous to somewhat appressed hirsute; peduncle elongate in maturity to 

as much as 22 cm, appressed hirsute, especially 

above to almost glabrous, especially below, floriferous part of spike 10-15 cm long, rachis loosely 

woolly; corolla lobes erect, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate or mucronate, capsule oblong-ellipsoidal, 

circumscissile just below middle, seeds 3, dull 

black. The Maui speciinens are larger and much 

more robust, with leaves up to 38 cm long, spikes 

more conspicuously woolly, peduncles to 36 cm 

long, spikes to 45 cm, denser, flowers tending to be 

subverticillately arranged. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.-HaWaii I.: Kohala Mts., 

Kahua Ranch, 3900 ft [1200 m], Rubtzofl 2726 

(US); Parker Ranch Paauhau, Kauahi’okaoka, 

Rock 3138 (BISH), Rock 3139 (BISH); Parker 

Ranch, Puu Kapu, 2700 ft [825 m], Ewart 265 

(BISH); Halealoha, Forbes 799.H (BISH); South 

Kohala, Puukapu, Waimea, Hosaka 2140 (BISH); 

Volcano Kilauea, Forbes el al. in 1908 (BISH); 

Kilauea, Kipuka Puaulu, 4000 ft [I220 m], Meebold in 1932 (BISH); 1-3 miles [1.5-5 km] to left 

of Chain of Craters Road about 4 miles [6.5 km] 

down, Newel1 241 (BISH); Paauhau No. 1, Rock 

3246 (BISH); Paauhau No. 2, Rock in 1909 

(BISH); E. of Humuula below Kalaeeha, 6200 ft 

[I900 m], Neal 6 Hart 691 (BISH); Volcano 

Road, Forbes 1042.H (BISH); top of Kulani, 

Forbes 984.H (BISH). Maui I.: Kaupo Gap, 

Crater of Haleakala in 1919, Forbes 1249.M 

(BISH); Ukulele, Forbeb 169.M (BISH); ’/4 mile 

[.4 km] south of Paliku Cabins, Haleakala Crater, 6200 ft [I900 m], Henrickson 38936 (US, 

BISH); Waikomoi, 4250 ft [1300 m], Neal 6 

Hartt in 1933 (RISH); along Olinda Flume, 

Waikamoi, 4000 ft [I220 m], Crosby 6 Anderson 

1783 (BISH). 

Pluntago debilis R. Brown 

Plantago debilis R. Brown, Prodr. 425, 1810. 

Apparently not reported from the Hawaiian 

Islands previously. Matches Australian material 

reasonably well but lobes on the Degeners’ specimen much more developed. Leaves oblanceolate 

to elliptic with remote blunt lobes, spike very 

slender, rather sparsely flowered. This material 

has previously mostly been confused with P. major 

and P. virgininnu. 

SPECIMENS SEEN.- Oahu I.: Waialua, “locally 

naturalized weeds,” Degener 6- Degener 30730 

(NY); Honolulu, Bishop Museum grounds, Byyan 

in 1952 (BISH). Anderson in 1949 (BISH); 

H.S.P.A. Experiment Station grounds, s. coll. in 

1934 (BISH). 

Plantago lunceoluta L. 

Plantago lanceolata L., Sp. P1. 113, 1753. 

Known from all the major islands and Midway. 

Very common in lawns and weedy places generally. 

Pluntago major L. 

Plantago major L., Sp. Pl., 112-113, 1753. 

This species is found occasionally, in places 

abundantly, in paths, lawns, roadsides, and disturbed places generally, even on Midway Island, 

Meagher in 1933 (BISH). A specimen from Maui, 

Puu Ouli, south slope of Haleakala, 6 April 1920, 

Forbes 21h3.M (BISH), looks like a giant P. major 
NUMBER 21 23 

with leaf blades up to 18 X 11 cm, on broadly 

winged petioles to 18 cm long, spikes a little 

shorter than leaves, peduncles ephemerally 

appressed-pilose, with several scattered bracts below the main part of the‘spike, the lowest of these 

1 cm long, obtuse. The fruits are too young to have 

any seeds. The corolla lobes are triangular 

lanceolate. 

Pluntago psyllium L. 

Plantago psyllium L., Sp. P1. 115-116, 1753. 

This plant was mentioned by Neal (1948:694, 

1965:791) as used medicinally. Careful reading 

suggests that she did not intend to imply that this 

species was found in Hawaii, nor have we found 

any Hawaiian specimens. It should be deleted from 

lists of the Hawaiian Flora. It is a bushy branched 

plant, not easily confused with ordinary plantains. 

Hedyotis L. 

Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lamarck 

Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lamarck, Tabl. Encycl. 1:272, 1792. 

Oldenlandia corymbosa L., Sp. P1. 119, 1753. 

The drawing of Heyolk biflora (L.) Lamarck 

in Haselwood and Motter (1966:370-371) is certainly H. corymbosa (L.) Lamarck. The latter 

species was hitherto known from the Hawaiian 

Islands only from a collection from the 1955 lava 

flow in Puna, Fosberg 46025, but apparently occurs 

elsewhere in the islands, according to Haselwood 

and Motter. Hedyotis biflora is not, to the best of 

our knowledge, found in the State of Hawaii, 

though it is common in the western Pacific. The 

shall axillary 3-flowered cymes and linear oblong or linear lanceolate leaves distinguish H. 

corymbosa. 

Literature Cited 

Brown, F. B. H. 

1935. Flora of Southeastern Polynesia, 111: Dicotyledons. 

Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin, 130: 1-386. 

Observations . . . on the Herbarium Collected by 

Professor Christian Smith, in the Vicinity of the 

Congo. Pages 420-485 in Captain Tuckey . . . Narrative of an Expedition to Explore the River Zaire. 

London. [Reprinted in R. Brown, 1866, Miscellaneous Botanical Works, Volume 1, pages 97-173, 

London: Hardwick.] 

Twenty-five Years of Forestry Work on the Island 

of Hawaii. The Hawaian Planters’ Record, 51 (1): 

Brown, R. 

1818. 

Bryan, L. W. 

1947. 

1-80. 

Cheeseman, T. F. 

1903. The Flora of Rarotonga, the Chief Island of the 

Cook Group. Transactions of the Linnenn Society, 

series 2 (Botany), 6:261-313. 

Flora Hawaiiensis, or New Illustrated Flora of the 

Hawaiian Islands. Honolulu. [A continuing, looseleaf flora, systematically and alphabetically arranged, each leaf separately printed and dated, 

begun in 1932.1 

Degener, 0. 

1939. 

Drake del Castillo, E. 

1892. Flore de ln Polynisie franqaise. xxivi-352 pages. 

Paris. 

Fernald, M. L. 

Gray’s Manual of Botany. 8th edition, 1632 pages. 

New York. 

1950. 

Fernald, M. L., and B. G. Schubert 

1948. Studies of American Types in British Herbaria. 

Rhodora, 50:149-176. 

Fosberg, F. R. 

1936: 

1937. 

1942. 

1943. 

1948. 

1962. 

Miscellaneous Hawaiian Plant Notes-1. Occasional 

Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 7(15): 

1-1 1. 

Immigrant Plants in the Hawaiian Islands, I. University of Hawaii Occasional Papers, 32:l-11. 

Miscellaneous Notes on Hawaiian Plants-2. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 

Notes on Plants of the Pacific Islands-111. Bidletin 

of the Torrey Botanical Club, 70:386397. 

Immigrant Plants in the Hawaiian Islands, 11. University of Hawaii Occasional Papers, 46:l-17. 

Miscellaneous Notes on Hawaiian Plants-3. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, 

23:29-44. 

16:337-347. 

1966a. Critical Notes on Pacific Island Plants, 1. Micronesica, 2:143-152. 

1966b. Miscellaneous Notes on Hawaiian Plants4. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Rishop Museum, 

1968. Critical Notes on Pacific Island Plants, 2. Micronesica 4:255-259. [Actual year of publication is 

1969.1 

1969. Miscellaneous Notes on Hawaiian Plants-5. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museitni, 

23:129-138. 

24: 9-24. 
24 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOTANY 

Goldberg, A. 

1967. The Genus Melochia L. (Sterculiaceae). Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, 

341191-361. 

Grant, M. L., F. R. Fosberg, and H. M. Smith 

1974. Partial Flora of the Society Islands: Ericaceae to 

Apocynaceae. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 

17 : 1-85. 

Guillemin, J. B. A. 

1837. Zephyritis Taitensis. Enumeration des plantes decouvertes par les voyageurs, dans les Iles de la 

Societe, principalement dans celle de Tahiti. Annales 

des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, series 2, 6 (1836): 

297-320; 7 (1837):177-192, 241-255, 349-370. [Reprinted in Paris, 1837, and repaginated, pages 1-84.] 

Handbook of Hawaiian Weeds. 479 pages. Honolulu: 

Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association. 

Loganiaceae. Pages 293-387 of volume 6 in C. G. 

G. J. van Steenis, editor, Flora Malesiana. Leiden. 

In Gardens of Hawaii. 805 pages. Honolulu. 

In Gardens of Hawaii. Revised edition, 924 pages. 

Honolulu. 

The Convolvulaceae of Malaysia, 111: The Genus 

Ipomoea. Blumea, 3:481-582. 

Haselwood, E. L., and G. G. Motter 

1966. 

Leenhouts, P. W. 

1962. 

Neal, M. C. 

1948. 

1965. 

Ooststroom, S. J. van 

1940. 

Raddi, G. 

1825. Plantarum Brasiliensium Nova Genera et Species 

Novae, uel Minus Cognitae. 101 pages, 84 plates. 

Florence. 

Plantago sect. Novorbis Subspecies et Combinationes 

Novae. Botanisk Tidsskrift, 60:47-57. 

List and Summary of the Flowering Plants in the 

Hawaiian Islands. 519 pages. Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. 

1933. Vaccinium cereum (L.fi1.) Forst. and Related Species. Acta Horti Gotoburgensis, 8:83-102. 

1934. Additional Notes on Santalum and Vaccinium from 

the Pacific. Acta Hod Gotoburgensis, 9:185-192. 

Rahn, K. 

1964. 

St. John, H. 

1973. 

Skottsberg, C. 

Smith, A. C. 

1973. Studies of Pacific Island Plants, XXV: The Myrsinaceae of the Fijian Region. Journal of the Arnold 

Arboretum, 54: 1-292. 

Smith, A. C., and B. C. Stone 

1962. Studies of Pacific Island Plants, XVII: The Genus 

Geniostoma (Loganiaceae) in the New Hebrides, 

Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Contributions from the 

United States National Herbarium, 37: 141. 

Caroli a Linne Species Plantarurn . . . . 4th edition, 

volume 5, part 1, 542 pages. Berlin. 

Willdenow, C. L. 

1810. 

ADDENDUM 

Of the specimens cited by Brown under his Rapanea myricifolia f. marquesensis, we have referred Brown 496 to Myrcinsine adamsonii Fosberg & Sachet 

(p. 4) and Brown 915 and Mumford and Adamson 492 to Myrsine grantii Fosberg & Sachet var. grantii (p. 7). 
Index 

(Names in italics arc thosc of new taxa or new combinations) 

Adiantum raddianum Presl, 16 

Bocconia frutescens L., 17 

Carex ovalis Goodenough, 16 

Crotalaria pallida Aiton, 18 

Cyperus nigcr Ruiz & Pavon, 16 

Dianthus L., 17 

armeria L., 17 

prolifer L., 17 

Dissotis rotundifolia (Smith) Triana, 20 

Frankcnia grandillora Chamisso & Schlechtendal, 20 

Geniostoma J. R. & G. Forster, 11 

astylum A. Gray, 12 

hallei Sachet & Fosberg, 13 

gundratzgulare Fosberg, 13 

Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lamarck, 23 

Heliotropiirm anomalum Hooker & Arnott, 20 

Ipomoea tiliacea (Willdenow) Choisy, 14 

var. tnerremioides Foshcrg, 14 

var. stnithii Fosberg, 15 

Lotus hispidus Desfontaine cx Loiseleur, 18 

Melochia umbcllata (Houttuyn) Stapf, 18 

Myrsine L., 3 

adamsonii Fosberg & Sachet, 4 

nndersonii Fosberg & Sachet, 4 

brownii Fosberg & Sachet, 5 

cheesernanii (Me7) Fosbcrg & Sachet, 5 

collina Nacleaud, 6 

falcata Nadeaud, 6 

fasciculatn (Moore) Foshcrg & Sachet, 6 

fima (Moore) Fosbcrg & Sachet, 6 

graci[issima Fosbcrg & Sachet, 6 

granlii Foslierg & Sachet, 7 

var. grantii, 7 

var. toniien.iis Posberg tk Sachet, 8 

hartii (Grant) Foslxrg & Sachet, 8 

longifolia Nadeaud, 8 

niauensis Fosberg & Sachet, 8 

nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet, 9 

obovata (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 9 

orohenensis (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 9 

ovalis Nadeaucl, 9 

raiateensis (Moore) Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

rapensis (F. Brown) Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

ronrciensis (Grant) Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

st.-johnii (Grant) Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

Lahuatensis Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

taitensis A. Gray, 11 

vescoi Drake del Castillo, 11 

var. wilderi Fosberg & Sachet, 10 

Parcntucellia viscosa (L.) Caruel, 21 

Plantago L., 21 

aristata Michaux, 21 

australis Lamarck, 22 

debilis R. Brown, 22 

lanceolata L., 22 

major L., 22 

psyllium L., 23 

Polygala paniculata L., 18 

Rubus I.., 18 

ellipticus Smith, 18 

moluccanus I.., 18 

Salicornia virginica L., 17 

Solanum repandrim Forster f., 21 

Stcnogyne scrophularioides Rentham, 20 

Tetranema mexicanum Bentham, 21 

Thevetia peruviana (Persoon) K. Schumann, 20 

Vaccinium cereum (I<.f.) Forster f., 1 

Walthcria indica L., 19 

var. amcricana (I,.) R. Brown ex Hosaka, 19 

* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: IS75-586-377/10 

25