NEAL. 
THE FLORA OF RAROTONGA. 269 
but I soon found that it is now impossible to decide whether many species are native or 
introduced, and as similar catalogues which have been prepared for other portions of 
Polynesia include all well-established naturalized plants, I have followed the course thus 
indicated. 
Altogether 334 species of vascular plants are enumerated in the catalogue. The 
orders most numerously represented are Filices with 67 species; Gramineae, 25; 
Leguminose, 23 ; Euphorbiacee, 16 ; Solanacee, 11; Composite, Rubiacee, and Malvacee, 
10 each; Urticacee, Cyperacee, and Orchidee, 9 each. The following 18 species appear 
to be endemic :— 
Xylosma gracile, Hemsl. Sclerotheca viridiflora, Cheesem. 
Pittosporum rarotongense, Hemsl. | Myrsine Cheesemani, Hemsl. & Mez. 
Eleocarpus rarotongensis, Hemsl. | Alyxia elliptica, Cheesem. 
Weinmannia rarotongensis, Hemsl. Cyrtandra rarotongensis, Cheesem. 
Homalium acuminatum, Cheesem. | Habenaria amplifolia, Cheesem. 
Meryta pauciflora, Hemsl. | Freycinetia, sp. n. 
Ixora bracteata, Cheesem. | Garnotia Cheesemanii, E. Hackel. 
Coprosma levigata, Cheesem. | Chioris Cheesemanii, E. Hackel. 
Fitchia speciosa, Cheesem. | Nephrodium leucorhachis, Cheesem. 
In the catalogue I have given a brief statement of the distribution of each species, so 
far as it can be done with the means at my command. For this part of the subject I have 
consulted Seemann's ‘Flora Vitiensis, Drake del Castillo’s ‘Flore de la Polynesie 
Francaise,’ Hemsley’s * Flora of the Tongan Islands,’ Burkill’s * Flora of Vavau'; also 
works of wider scope, as Hooker’s ‘Flora of British India” and Bentham's ‘Flora 
Australiensis, &c. Before summarizing the results, it seems advisable to eliminate from 
the total flora of 334 species all those which, so far as we can judge, have been introduced 
of late years through the direct or indirect agency of man. As already stated, this is no 
easy matter, and it is quite possible that some of the excluded plants may be truly 
native, although the balance of evidence appears to be against them. Altogether I 
have struck out 80 species on this ground, distinguished in the systematic catalogue by 
having an asterisk prefixed. A further deduction of 19 should also be made to include 
those species which in all probability have been introduced by the natives themselves 
prior to the arrival of Europeans, their names being as follows :— 
Cananga odorata, Hook. f. & Thoms. Codieum variegatum, Blume. 
Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis, Linn. : Acalypha tricolor, Seem. 
Spondias dulcis, Forst. Broussonetia papyrifera, Vent. 
Erythrina indica, Lam. Artocarpus incisa, Linn. 
Eugenia malaccensis, Linn. | Musa paradisiaca, Linn. | 
Lagenaria vulgaris, Seringe. Dioscorea alata, Linn. 
Gardenia taitensis, DC. | Dioscorea sativa, Linn. 
Cordia subcordata, Lam. | Colocasia antiquorum, Schott. 
Ipomæa Batatas, Poir. | Alocasia macrorhiza, Schott. 
Piper methysticum, Forst. | 
SECOND SERIES.—BOTANY. VOL. VI. 2Q 
