FLORA VITIENSIS. 39 
spinescentibus sspe armatz; folis alternis integerrimis subcoriaceis, swpe fasciculatis ; floribus 
albidis, in cymas breves axillares dispositis v. rarius solitariis—Heymassoli, Aubl. Guian. 324. 
t. 125. 
l. X. elliptica, Forst. Prodr. n. 162, et Icon. (ined.) t. 113; fruticosa, inermis; foliis ellipticis 
v. oblongis; pedunculis multifloris; drupis (aurantiacis) globosis.—Labill. Sert. Austr. Caled. t. 37. 
—X. exarmata, F. Muell. in Trans. Phil. Inst. Vict. vol. iii. p. 22. Nomina vernac. Vitiensia, 
“ Somisomi, Sosomi, Tomitomi, et Tumitumi."—Common on the seaside (Seemann! n. 88; Barclay ! 
n. 3462). Also collected in New Caledonia (Forster! Anderson!), Java (Horsfield !), N. Australia, 
Abyssinia (Hochstetter !), and Rio de Janeiro (Miers !). 
Bentham may possibly be correct in uniting this species with the thorny X. Americana, Linn., but all 
the Polynesian specimens I and others have seen are unarmed, and they are thus described and figured by 
Forster and Labillardiére. In collecting my specimens I did not notice the fragrance so powerful in 
X. Americana, which I gathered on the Isthmus of Panama. 
X. elliptica, termed * Somisomi," ** Sosomi," * Tomitomi," or * Tumitumi " in the different dialects of 
Viti, is a seaside shrub, about 12 feet high, with perfectly spherical fruits, which emit, especially whilst 
green, a most powerful smell of essential oil of almonds, and, when ripe, they are orange-coloured, and have 
a tart, though not a disagreeable flavour. The natives show a partiality for it in common with the wild 
pigeons, which flock to it in numbers. The wood. of the shrub is very hard, and used for making those 
peculiar pillows (Kali) of the country which the Fijians doubtless invented to prevent the derangement of 
their enormously large heads of hair, eurled and dressed as they are with infinite care. 
Orpo XXV. ICACINEZE. 
I. Stemonurus, Blum. Bijdr. 648. Flores hermaphroditi v. polygami. Calyx cupulatus, 
minute 4—5-dentatus v. 5-lobus. Petala 4—5, disco hypogyno brevissimo inserta, valvata. Stamina 
5, hypogyna, petalis alterna iisque basi coherentia, filamentis apice pilosis; antherz ab apice fila- 
menti introrsum pendule. Ovarium 1-loculare; stigma subsessile, late discoideum v. minutum; 
ovula 2, pendula. Drupa oblonga, putamine crustaceo. Semen pendulum; embryo intra apicem 
albuminis carnosi indivisi parvus.—Arbores glabre v. pubescentes; foliis integerrimis, subcoriaceis ; 
floribus capitato-cymosis; cymis axillaribus supra-axillaribus lateralibusve.—Lasianthera, P. de 
Beauv. Fl. Ow. et Ben. vol. i. p. 85. t. 51. Gomphandra, Wall. in Lindl. Nat. Syst. ed. vol. ii. 
p. 489; Miers, Contrib. t. 13 ad 15. Medusanthera, Seem. Journ. of Bot. 1864, p. 74. 
1. S. Vitiensis, (sp. nov.) Seem. (Tab. XIL); subglabra; ramis pendulis; foliis petiolatis 
ovato-oblongis longe acuminatis; cymis axillaribus 2-3-chotomis, bracteolis minutis; floribus her- 
maphroditis; calyce cupuliformi, 5-dentato, ciliolato; petalis obovatis (albis) incurvis; filamentis 
compressis, apice ad latus interius in ramos 8 longissimos clavatos dilatatis; ovario ovato-conico ; 
cet. ign.— Medusanthera Vitiensis, Seem. Journ. of Bot. 1864. p. 74. Nomen vernac. Vitiense, 
* Duvu,” fide Storck.— Bureta, Island of Ovalau (Storck! n. 877). 
A middle-sized tree, with terete, pendulous branches. Leaves 3 inches long, 1 inch broad; petiole 4 of 
an inch long.  Peduncles longer than the petiole. Pedicels with minute hair. Flowers small. Fila- 
ments compressed, widening towards the top; branches (or hair) twice as long as the anthers. Petals 
glabrous, almost cucullate at the apex, and without apparent veins. 
EXPLANATION oF Pirate XII.—Fig. 1, an entire flower; 2, the same opened; 3, stamen; 4, ovary :— 
all magnified. 
Orvo XXVI. ILICINEA. 
I. Mex, Linn. Gen. n. 172; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. p. 356. Flores sepius hermaphroditi. 
Calyx parvus, persistens, 4—5-fidus. Corolla rotata, 4- rarius 5-6-partita, laciniis obtusis. Stamina 
