FLORA or THE ISTIDIUS OP PANAIU. 197 
eat it will always be considered an acquired taste ; even in Polynesia itself, where the fruit arrives at per- 
fection, it is by no means generally liked ; tbe Sandwich Islanders, for instance, never touch it. In the 
Isthmus the people merely use the seeds, which, after being toasted, as we do chestnuts, are eaten. There 
are, however, some trees which always bear sterile achsenia." — Ji. S. 
CELTIDEiE. 
889. Spoxia canescem, Dene. Wlprs. Ann. vol. iii. p. 406. Southern parts of Daricn. 
I have two or three forms of this species ; they can hardly be considered as varieties, as, according to 
the locality in which the plant grows, the leaves arelarger or smaller, and the flowers more or less contra^Ud. 
CUPULIFERiE. 
890. QuERCus aristata, Hook, et Arn. Bot. Beech, p. 444. Volcano of Cbiriqui, Vcraguas. 
891, QuERcus ylahrescem ? Beuth, Plant. Hartweg. p. 56. Volcano of Cliiriqui, Vcraguas. 
In the absence of fruit, it is impossible to be quite positive about the determination of this species. 
BETULACE.E. 
892. Alnus Mirbeliij Spach, Ann. dcs Sc. Nat. 2dc Sericj vol. sv. p. 204, Volcano of Chiriqui, 
Vcraguas. 
POUOSTEMEjE. 
893. Ma-ratr-rv^,! fosniculaceum^ H. B. ct K., Plant. ^Equinoct. vol. i. p. 40. t. 11. — M, oxycar- 
pum, Tulasne, Podost. p. 76 ! — Nomen vemacul. " Pa^sc came." In all the rivers of Veraguas, and 
Western Panama. 
This plant grows on the stones of the rivers, and produces abundance of leaves during the wet season 
of the year, when the water in the beds is high, and it is quite submersed ; during the dry season, when 
the water is low, and the plant itself not submersed, it is almost without leaves, and at that period bears 
flowers. In Veraguas the stalk of the leaves is boiled and eaten, having the taste of French beuii::!, and 
being so much appreciated by the inhabitants that they have called the plant Passe came, t, e. surpasses 
meat. My specimens in Hooker's Herbarium were referred by M. Tulasno to two different species, although 
they were gathered from the same plant ; the leaves he put with M. fceniculaeeum, H. B. K., the flowers 
with M. oxycmyum, Tulasne. I must add that M. ocoycar^um, Tul., was founded upon specimens collected 
by me, not by Lehmann, as is stated, by a typographical error, in Tulasne's monograph. 
PIPERACEiE. 
{Auctore F, A, W. Miquel.) 
894. Peperomia pellucida, H, B. K., Miq. Syn. Pip. p. 79. On walls and rocks, common about 
Panama; Chagres (Fendler, no. 303). 
895. Peperomia quaternata, Miq.; ramosa, succulenta^ ramis tetragonis cnm pctiolis foliisque 
subtus longiuscule baud dense pilosis, foliis brevissime petiolatis quaternis obovato- vcl cUiptico- 
rotundatis utriuque obtusis^ marginc incnrvulis, nitidis, supra glabris et impresso-punctatis (per- 
foratis) , subtus trinerviis, amentis . . . > Volcano of Chiriqui, Veraguas. 
