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FLORA VITIENSIS. 83 
by the natives: it is said to be rather insipid, but I did not see it when ripe; the largest I saw was about 
4 inches long and 1} inch across, the angles very much subdued. Easily distinguished from the following 
species by its tomentose rachis, pedicels, and calyx. An imperfect specimen of Barringtonia from Lizard 
Island, east coast of New Holland (Banks!), would seem to belong to this species. 
8. B. racemosa, Blume in DC. Prodr. vol. iii. p. 288; fruticosa v. arborea; foliis cuneato- 
oblongis acuminatis crenatis v. obscure serratis; racemis elongatis pendulis, rachi pedicellis calyci- 
busque glabris; sepalis 2 ovato-rotundatis acutis mucronatis, venis primariis 2 ; petalis (albis) obovatis 
obtusis; fructu ovato 4-angulato—Eugenia racemosa, Linn. Spec. 673, et Forst. Prodr. n. 221. 
Nomen vernac. Vitiense, “ Vutu ni wai” (ie. Water Vutu).—Common on running streams and on 
the seabeach, Taviuni, and the larger islands (Seemann! n. 149). Also collected in New Caledonia 
(Forster !). 
The fruit of this species is considered poisonous by the natives. Barclay collected an allied species, 
with crenate leaves and tomentose rachis and 3-leaved calyx, in Tana, New Hebrides, which has been 
referred by Bentham to B. excelsa, Blume. 
4. B. sp.; fructu eduli.—Vulgo * Vutu dina." 
"This species I only know from the description given me by the natives. It is said to have an edible 
fruit like B. edulis, but to be superior,—hence it is named * Vutu dina," 4e. the genuine Vutu; but 
whilst the fruit of the * Vutu kana” has a soft outside, that of this species is so hard that, say my infor- 
mants, it requires the application of a knife or some other sharp instrument before the edible portion can 
be got at. 
V. Metrosideros, R. Brown in Flinders’ Voy. vol. ii. p. 547; Endl. Gen. n. 6303. Flores 
axillares v. terminales, pedunculati v. sessiles. Calyx tubo campanulato, cum ovario plus minus 
connato, limbo 5-fido v. 5-dentato. Petala 5, rotundata, annulo calycis faucem marginanti inserta, 
ejusdem laciniis alterna. Stamina 20-100; filamenta filiformia, longissime exserta, libera; anthers 
2.loculares. Ovarium inferum v. semi-inferum, 3-loculare, loculis oc-ovulatis. Stylus cylindricus ; 
stigma simplex v. eapitatum. Capsula intra calycis tubum libera, accreta, 3-locularis, apice v. ad 
medium loculicide dehiscens, rarius lateraliter. Semina oo, irregulariter rupta, linearia, aptera.— 
Arbores v. frutices ; foliis oppositis v. alternis exstipulatis integerrimis; floribus axillaribus termina- 
libusque, coccineis rubris luteis v. albidis. 
This genus is in a fair way of becoming in Polynesia what Rubus is in Europe; it is very much given 
to variation, and it is very difficult to find out the limits of the different species. I am inclined to regard 
all the Metrosidera, with the exception, perhaps, of M. macropus, hitherto discovered in tropical Polynesia, 
as one species, for which Gaudichaud's name, M. polymorpha, might be adopted. At the British Museum 
there is a most extensive set of specimens, more than 100, from all parts of Polynesia. The greatest 
number of forms exist in the Hawaiian Islands, and all of them are represented in the Society Islands, 
with the exception of the extreme tomentose. Solander (Prim. Fl. Ins. Pacif. (ined.) p. 263) enumerates 
four Tahitian varieties of what he termed M. spectabilis, one of which, founded upon sterile specimens, 
has square branches. The colour of the flowers can scarcely be relied upon as marks of specific difference. 
The yellow flowering-plant of the Hawaiian Islands is undoubtedly a form of the variable M. polymorpha. 
In Viti one of the narrow-leaved forms has also yellow flowers, and the other scarlet. Both are so much 
alike that they cannot be otherwise distinguished; and in foliage they agree exactly with some of the 
Hawaiian forms. | T. 
1, M. polymorpha, Gaud. Bot. Voy. Freyc. p. 99 et 482, t. 108, 109; arborea, erecta, 
glabra villosa v. tomentosa ; ramulis teretibus v. 4-angulatis ; foliis oppositis decussatis, brevipetio- 
latis ellipticis oblongis, ovatis v. suborbiculatis acutis v. obtusis, basi acutis rotundatis v. cordatis ; 
supra levibus v. rugosis ; cymis terminalibus simplicibus v. thyrsoideis; floribus pedicellatis v. sub- 
sessilibus (rubris v. luteis); capsula semisupera 3-loba 3-valvi.—M. lutea, A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, 
p. 560. t. 69 M. M. rugosa, A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, p. 561. t. 69 A. M. collina, A. Gray, Bot. 
— Wilkes, p. 558. t. 68. M. villosa, Smith in Trans..Linn. Soc. vol. iii. p. 268. M. spectabilis, 
Gertn. Fruct. vol. i. p. 172. t. 34. f. 9; Sol. Prim. Fl. Ins. Pacif. p. 263 (ined.), et in Parkins. 
M2 
