118 FLORA VITIENSIS. 
pallidioribus; petalis ovato-triangularibus; ovario 12-16-loculari; stigmate obscure oo-radiato, in 
floribus foemineis depressis, in fl. masculis stylopodio conico imposito; drupa obovata obscure 12-15- 
costata.— Viti Levu (Seemann! n. 208). 
I have named this second species in honour of the illustrious founder of the genus, Professor Asa 
Gray. Itis a small tree. Petioles about a foot long, petiolules 1} inch long, or even shorter. The largest: 
(upper) leaflets 6-7 inches long, and 23 inches broad. Flowers greenish, the umbels on very long (l-14 
foot long) peduncles, the whole inflorescence forming a gigantic compound umbel. 
EXPLANATION OF Prare XXII., representing Plerandra Grayi.—Fig. 1, a male flower, the calyptrate 
petals just pushed off; 2, ovary; 3 and 4, sections of ovary :—all, except Fig. 1, slightly magnified. 
The singular genus Meryta, Forst., which was shown by me (Bonplandia, 1862, p. 294) to be identical 
with Botryodendrum, Endl., will probably be found in Viti, as it has been met with in New Zealand, Nor- 
folk Island, the Isle of Pines, the Tongan, Samoan, and Society Islands. The position of Meryta in the 
Natural System is as yet undecided. Most authors, following Endlicher, refer it to Araliacee. Agardh 
(Theoria Syst. Plant. p. 231) is inclined to regard it as a separate Natural Order, analogous to Juglandee 
and Hippomanee, and closely allied to Araliacea, of which, he says, it is a lower, diclinous, and apetalous 
type. We have diclinous genera in Hederacee (Oreopanax for instance), but all the genuine Hederacee 
have a polypetalous corolla, and thus Meryta, if admitted, would be the only apetalous genus. Another 
peculiarity of Meryta is its highly-developed and valvate calyx, which removes it entirely from Hederacea, 
and shows it to be a member of the Natural Order Haloraginee. The two Forsters placed Meryta in 
Diecia Triandria and Solander, who, in his unpublished Flora, gave it the name * Neara," in Diccia Te- 
trandria. In the male flower there seem to be normally 4 calyx-lobes, and opposite to them 4 stamens; in 
the female flowers 8 calyx-lobes and 8 stigmas; but these numbers vary by abortion or excess. The generic 
charaeter would thus be remodelled :— 
Meryta, Vorst. Char. Gen. t. 60 (Botryodendrum, Endl. Fl. Norf. p. 62; Gen. Plant. n. 4563. Neara, 
Sol. Prim. Fl. Ins. Pacif. (ined.) p. 339). Flores polygamo-dioici. Masc.: Calyx 3—4-partitus, laciniis 
wstivatione valvatis. Stamina 3—4, toro glanduleformi inserta, calycis laciniis opposita; filamenta fili- 
formia; anthere 2-loculares, introrse, longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarii rudimentum nullum. Her- 
maphr.: Calyx tubo eum ovario connato, limbo supero, supra ovarium producto 5-9-, vulgo 8- partita, 
patente. Corolla 0. Stamina 5-9, disci epigyni margini inserta, calycis laciniis opposita, iisdem breviora, 
patentia. Ovarium inferum, 5-9-, vulgo 8-loculare. Ovula in loculis solitaria, pendula, anatropa ; rhaphe 
ventrali, Styli 5-9, vulgo 8, intus stigmatosi, stellatim patentes. Drupa baccata, ovoidea v. oblonga, 
calycis limbo coronata, 5-9-locularis, loculis 1-spermis. Semina inversa. Embryo in axe albuminis cylin- 
draceus, curvatus; radicula supera.— Arbores mediocres, trunco elato simplici gracili, apice in ramos sim- 
plices diviso; foliis in apieibus ramorum alternatim approximatis, simplicibus penninerviis, capitulis florum 
involueratis in panieulum terminalem dispositis. 
l. M. lanceolata, Forst. Char. Gen. p. 120. t. 60; Prodr. n. 558; Icon. (ined.) t. 299; Guill. Zeph. 
Tait. p. 76. Neara longifolia, Sol. Prim. Ins. Fl. Pacif. p. 339 (ined.). Botryodendrum Taitense, Guill. 
Zeph. Tait. p. 55 (sine char.) ; Nouv. Ann. Science. Nat. vol. vii. p. 349; A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, p. 731, tab. 
96. B. cerberoides et lancifolium, Rich in Herb. U. S. Expl. Exped.—Nomen vernac. Tahitense, teste 
Guillemin, “Toe Oë Phepara;" teste Solander, * Epuluwhi."— Tahiti (Forster! Banks and Solander! in 
e Brit.).—It may be useful to subjoin Solander's description of this plant, extracted from his MS. 
ora :— i ; à; 
" NEARA (Neapós,—recens, novus). Diacia Tetrandria. Mas.: Cal. nullus. Cor. petalula quatuor, 
oblonga, plana, acutiuscula, qualia. Stam. filamenta quatuor, filiformia, corolla longiora, divaricata. An- 
there oblongæ, erecte. Femina in distincta planta. Cal. perianthium octo-dentata: dentibus ovatis, acutis, 
parvis, subzequalibus. Cor. nulla. Pist. germen inferum, subrotundo-ovatum, magnum. Styli nulli. Stig- 
mata octo, reflexa, supra canaliculata. Per. subrotundum, glabrum, carnosum ? octo-loeulare.. Sem. ib: 
taria de apice loculamentorum pedicello dependentia. Fructificatio hujus generis precipue quoad fructum 
melius extricanda. 3 
Nzama longifolia, ms. p. 1451. “Epuluw’hi,” Tahitensibus. Hab. in Tahiti. Frutex altus, totus. 
glabratus, Nerii seu Plumieri facie. Folia numerosa, circa apices ramorum sparsa, petiolata, oblan- 
ceolata, acuta, integerrima, glaberrima, coriacea, pedalia et longiora; rachi lata, parum convexa, utrinque 
simili. Pefioli palmares, rotundato-depressi. Panicule terminales, erecte, pedunculatz, florum mascu- 
lorum magne, ramosissime ; femineorum longs, angustiores: ramulis apice florigeris. Pedunculi crassitie 
digiti minimi, palmares. Masculi flores circiter octo vel decem, aggregati inter singulam squamam seu brac- 
team late ovatam acutam carnosam carinatam, in medio etiam carina transversali rugulosa preditam; his 
bracteis ramuli panieule fere cooperti. Calyx nullus. Corolla campanulata, interdum compressa, tetra- 
* 
