MR. J. MIERS ON THE BARRINGTONIACE Ж. 63 
thirteen years, growing to the height of 8 feet; and it became necessary to cut off its 
top for the length of a foot, which cutting, when planted in a pot, grew rapidly, and 
produced a terminal thyrsoid inflorescence 22 inches long, from which the drawing of one 
of the flowers of the natural size, together with its floral leaf, was published by Paxton in 
1845. This terminal inflorescence was 18-24 in. long, with axils about 1 in. apart. Тһе 
floral leaf is figured as 9 in. long, 3 in. broad, almost sessile; in the axil of each leaf a 
single large pedicellated flower originates. The lower pedicels of the full-grown flower 
аге 2 in. long; these gradually diminish in size to 3 in., supporting the young buds: 
the pedicels are stout and erect, each bearing on its summit the inferior ovary, crowned 
by the limb of the calyx, divided into two concave lobes nearly 13 in. long. It has 4 white 
petals, 2-22 in. long, 11—11 in. broad, attached by their claws to the staminiferous tube ; 
the filaments, of a sanguineous purple, are 3-43 in. long ; the style is 4—5 in. long. Only 
one flower blossomed at one time, which fell off next morning, when it was followed by 
others in succession. This account was published in * Paxton's Magazine.’ 
Van Houtte in 1848 copied the two drawings of Paxton in his ‘ Flore des Serres’ 
without acknowledgment, leading us to suppose they were made from a plant cultivated 
in Belgium. He omitted all the interesting observations of Paxton, but gave a description 
of it, copied word for word from Rumphius’s account of his Bufonica, also without the 
least mention of the source from which it was taken. 
This plant was introduced into the island of St. Helena prior to 1780, where it 
flourished in the garden of the Governor, and probably still exists there, as we know it 
was living a few years ago. 
The fruits in our museums are without localities; but those of this species are recog- 
nizable from those of A. indica by their larger size, their more regular pyramidal quadrate 
form with rounded angles, and more truncated (not cordate) base. The largest specimens 
I have seen are 41 in. long, 31 in. broad at the sides; others are 3} in. long: the peri- 
carp is polished, and of a pale colour, is very thick and spongy ; the endocarp is coriaceous, 
and is covered outside by ligneous fibres, which extend from the style to the top of the 
pedicel; a large exalbuminous embryo fills the cell, is 22 in. long, 13 in. broad, and in a 
transverse section shows a vacant space between the exorhiza and neorhiza. 
Seemann states that these large fruits are used by the natives of Fiji in their games, 
and that they serve as floats for their fishing-nets. As in the preceding species, they are 
poisonous, and are used to catch fish by stupifying them. In Fiji these fruits are called 
Уши, in the Tonga islands Futu, in the Pacific islands Hutu, Hootu, in Amboyna 
and Java Huttwm. Seemann adds that this species in Fiji is a magnificent sea-side tree, 
and that it furnishes the material liku, of which the women’s dresses are made. 
The analysis of the flower and fruit of this species is shown in Plate XII. 
3. AGASTA INDICA, nob.: Barringtonia speciosa, W. & А. (non Forst. nec Roxb.), 
Prodr. Fl. Penins. p. 333 (excl. syn.); Wight, Icon. tab. 547 (excl. fig. fruct.) ; 
Thwaites, Enum. p. 119; sime nomine in Hermann, Icon. ined. tab. 241: arbor, 
ramulis crassis, cicatricatis, 4-angulatis, pallide brunneis, fistulosis; foliis ob- 
longis, apice gradatim obtusis, infra medium angustioribus, imo anguste rotundato- 
truncatis, marginibus cartilagineis integris, chartaceis, supra lucentibus vel sub- 
K 2 
