FLORA VITIENSIS. 23 
Ordo XIV. STERCULIACEZ. 
I. Sterculia, Linn. Gen. n. 1086; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. p.217. Flores unisexuales v. poly- 
gami. Calyx 5-fidus v. 5-partitus, rarius 4-merus, sæpius coloratus.. Petala 0. Columna staminea 
apice antheras 15 v. rarius 10 inordinate congestas ferens. Ovarii carpella 5, subdistincta, 2—co- 
ovulata; stylus apice peltato- v. lobato-stigmatosus. Carpella matura distincta, stellato-patentia, 
nunc lignoso-coriacea intus rima tardius dehiscentia, nunc tenuiora folliculatim dehiscentia v. jam 
ante maturationem aperta. Semina in carpellis 1—o, nuda v. rarius alata; albumen bipartibile coty- 
ledonibus adherens, szepe cotyledones crassas simulans ; cotyledones plan v. parum undulatze, tenues ; 
radicula hilo contraria v. proxima v. intermedia.—Arbores ; foliis indivisis, lobatis v. digitatis; inflo- 
rescentiis paniculatis v. rarius racemosis, sæpius axillaribus; floribus terminalibus vulgo foemineis 
preecocioribus. 
1, S. (Firmiana) diversifolia, Seem. ; foliis cordatis integris v. apice 3- (quandoque 5- ?)lobis, 
lobis acuminatis; floribus ignotis; carpellis apertis oblongo-lanceolatis utrinque obtusis breviter 
stipitatis.—Firmiana diversifolia, A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, p. 185. t. 13.—Ovalau [and ? Vanua Levu] 
(U. S. Expl. Exped.). 
I have not seen specimens of this plant. Of the two Polynesian Sterculias enumerated by Forster, 
one is a new species.* 
2. S. Vitiensis, (sp. nov.) Seem. ; foliis digitatim 7-foliolatis, foliolis petiolatis elliptico-lanceo- 
latis acuminatis vix quadruplo longioribus quam latis, supra glabris, subtus stellato-puberulis ; fl. 
ignotis; carpellis ovatis v. obovatis apiculatis lignosis, extus dense tomentosis, l4-spermis; semi- 
nibus elliptico-cylindraceis nudis (nigris) nitidis.—5S. fætida, Forst. Prodr. n. 359? non Linn.— Viti 
Levu (Storck !). 
Closely allied to S. fætida, Linn., from which it differs in the leaves being stellate-pubescent below, 
and the carpels being densely covered with a short, light-brown tomentum. It may be identical with the 
Tana plant which Forster named 8. fetida, but there are no specimens or drawings of it at the British 
Museum. Petioles 12-16 inches long. Leaflets 10-12 inches long, and 3-34 inches broad, quite entire, 
having from 18-24 veins on each side of the midrib, arranged at unequal distances. Largest fruit 7 inches 
long, the smallest about the size of those of S. fætida, Linn. 
IL. Heritiera, Dryand. in Ait. Kew. ed. i. vol. iii. p. 546; Benth. et Hook. f. p. 219. Flores 
unisexuales, Calyx 5-dentatus v. 5-fidus. Petala 0. Columna staminea tenuis, sub apice antheras 
5 annulatim adnatas ferens, loculis parallelis. — Ovarii carpella 5, subdistincta, 1-ovulata; stylus 
brevis, stigmatibus 5 crassiusculis. Carpella matura lignea, indehiscentia, dorso carinato-subulata. . 
Semen exalbuminosum; cotyledones crassissimze; radicula hilo proxima.—Arbores; foliis indivisis, 
coriaceis, subtus lepidotis, penninerviis; floribus parvulis in paniculas axillares dispositis.— Balano- 
pteris, Gaertn. Fruct. vol. ii. p. 94. t. 98, 99. " 
l. Hi. littoralis, Dryand. in Ait. Kew. l. c.; foliis elliptico-oblongis ovalisve obtusiusculis.— 
Brown, in Bennett, Plant. Jav. p. 237. H. Fomes, Buch. in Sym. Ava, Willd. Sp. vol. iv. p. 972; 
have unfortunately no fruit,—they prove it to be a genuine Gossypium.  Leaf-blade 3 inches long. 
Peduncles (4-5 inches long) longer than the petioles. Bracts 14-2 inches long, and 1-14 inch broad. 
Petals 4-5 inches long. 
* Sterculia Forsteri, (sp. nov.) Seem. ; S. Balanghas, Forst. Plant. Escul. n. 22; Prodr. n. 358, non 
` Linn.; arborea, ramulis crassis glabratis; foliis confertis ovatis ovalibus v. obovatis breviter acuminatis 
integerrimis parallele venosis glabris; petiolis stellato-puberulis, demum glabris ; panieulis stellato-tomen- 
tosis; bracteolis lineari-subulatis, alabastris ovatis acutis; sepalis liberis (?) ; cmt. ign. Tana (Forster! 
in Mus. Brit.).—Petiole 1-11 inch long. Blade of leaf 3—4 inches long, 2-23 inches broad, with 9-10 
parallel veins on each side of the midrib. Sepals ovate-acute, very short and apparently free, but the buds 
are too young to make out this and several other points satisfactorily. 
