Tab. 5839. 



HERNANDIA mgerenhoutiana. 



Tahitian Hernandia. 



Nat. (3rd. Hernandiacejj:. — Moncecia Tkiandria. 



Gen. Char. — Flores monoici, intra involucrum tetraphyllum terni, laterales 

 masculi, breviter pedicellati, nudi, intermedius femineus sessilis, calyculatus. 

 Masc. Perigonium corollinurn, 6-10-partitum ; laciniis biseriatis, interioribus 

 majoribus. Stamina 3-5, perigonii laciniis exterioribus opposita, filamentis 

 brevibus erectis basi dilatatis glandulis pedicellatia stipatis ; antheraa bilo- 

 culares, loculis connectivum latiusculum marginantibus, longitudinaliter 

 extus valvis dehiscentibus. Fem. Perigonii tubus cylindricus v. urceolatus, 

 limbi 8-10-partiti decidui laciniis biseriatis, exterioribus rudioribus. 

 Stamina rudimentaria. Ovarium uniloculare ; stylus terminalis, simplex, 

 apice clavatus, stigmate infundibuliforme v. discoideo ; ovulum unicum, ex 

 apice cavitatis pendulum, anatropum. Drupa monosperma, octo-costata, 

 testa Crustacea, rbaphe annulari ; embryo exalbuminosus, orthotropus; 

 cotyledonibus maximis, lobatis, torulosis, radicula brevi supera. Arbores in 

 Asia et America tropica indigent, excelsas, dense ramosce, foliosat ; rami* 

 teretiusculis, sparsis. Folia alterna, petiolata, subpeltata, integerrima ; stipuhs 

 nullis. Flores axillares corymbosi. 



Hernandia Marenhoutiana ; foliis coriaceis e basi rotundata ovali-oblongis 

 v. ovato-cordatis obtusis 3-5-nerviis supra glabris subtus secus nervos 

 basin versus villosulis, corymbo simplici cano-tomentoso, floribus masc. 

 4-5-meris. 



Hernandia Moerenhoutiana, Guillem. Zephyrit. Taitens. in Ann. sc. not. 

 2nd. ser. v. 7, p. 189 ; Meissn. in DC. Prodr. v. 15, pt. 1, p. 264. 



This very singular and little known plant has long been 

 in cultivation in the Palm House of the Royal Gardens, and 

 is a native of the Pacific Islands. It is closely allied to the 

 well-known Hernandia sonora of the East and West Indian 

 Islands, the juice of which has the property of destroying 

 the hair without pain, when applied to the head ; and the 

 light wood of which is used for floats for fishing nets, and is 

 said to take fire from a flint and steel, like German tinder. 

 The genus is of doubtful affinities ; being placed by some 



may 1st, 1870. 



