. _ FLORA VITIENSIS. 269 
Orvo XCII.—PALMEJZE, | 
Besides the genera of this Natural Order represented in Viti, we have in tropical Polynesia two others, 
viz. Clinostigma, Herm. Wendl. in Seem. Bonplandia, 1862, p. 196, with one species (€. Samoénse, Herm. 
Wendl. 1. c., collected by the United States Exploring Expedition in the Samoan or Navigation group), and 
Teysmannia, Zoll, also with one species, viz. T. altifrons, Zoll, Blass in Seem. Bonplandia, 1858, p. 322 
(= ? Pholidocarpus Thur, Blumes Borassus (?) Ihur, Giesecke; Livistona (?) Diepenhorstit, Hassk.), of 
which M*Gillivray collected in New Caledonia fruits, preserved.at the British Museum. 
The Fijians have specific names for all the Palms inhabiting their islands, and they are, besides, the 
only people who in their bagbarous state had a collective term, “ Niu,” for them, viz. :— 
Niu dina — Cocos nucifera, Linn. 
Niu sawa — Veitchia Joannis, Herm. Wendl. 
Niu niu = Cagicake = Ptychosperma filiferum, Herm. Wendl. 
Niu soria = Sogo = Sagus Vitiensis, Herm. Wendl. 
Niu massei = Sakiki = Viu = Pritchardia pacifica, Seem. et Herm. Wendl. 
Niu Balaka = Ptychosperma Seemanni, Herm. Wendl. 
The word “Niu” is common to most Polynesian languages, often taking the form of * Nia" and 
“ Niau ;” the New Zealand “ Nikau,” by which the Maoris designate their indigenous Palm (Kentia sapida, 
Seem.), does belong, and perhaps even “ Nipa,” the Philippine name of Nipa fruticans, may belong to the 
same group of words. We further trace the Fijian “ Niu,” or with the article “a” (a niu) before it, in the 
names Anao, Anowe, Anau, and Nu, by which a sugar-yielding Palm, the Arenga saccharifera, is known in 
different parts of the Indian Archipelago. The existence of a collective term for “ Palms” never having 
been pointed out, the passage in John xii. 13, “ Took leaves of the Palm-trees,” is rendered both in the Viwa 
and the London edition of the Fijian Bible, * Era sa kauta na drau ni balabala,"—literally, ** Took leaves of 
the Tree-fern," for the Balabala is a Tree-fern. “Niu” is the term that ought to have been used, there 
being in Syria two kinds of real Palms, but no Tree-ferns. 
Only one of all the Palms as yet discovered in Fiji is a Fan-palm, the rest having pinnatifid leaves. 
I. Kentia, Blume in Bull. Neerl. 1838, p. 66; Rumphia, t. 106; Endl. Gen. Supp. vol. i. p. 
1371. Flores monoici, in eodem spadiée fasciculato-ramosi, spatha 3-plici interiori incompleta cincti, 
in scrobiculis sessiles, bracteis haud distinctis cum rhachi coalescentibus, ¢ 2, 9 1 stipantes. Fl. g: 
Calyx 3-partitus, laciniis carinatis, haud imbricatis. Corolla 3-petala, petalis sestivatione valvatis. 
Stamina 6; filamenta brevissima, basi connata ; anthers lineares, basifix:e. Ovarii rudimentum. Fl. 9 : 
Calyx 3-phyllus et corolla 3-petala dissimilis, æstivatione convoluta. Staminum rudimenta 0. Ova- - 
rium l-loculare, ovulo in fundo affixo. Stylus brevissimus; stigmata 3, distincta. Bacca parce 
fibrosa, l-sperma. Albumen equabile. Embryo basilaris.—Palme elate ; caudice gracili, annulato, 
lzvigato, infra petiolorum partem basilarem cylindricam longe vaginantem subincrassato, frondibus 
omnibus terminalibus, pectinato-pinnatisectis, segmentis reduplicatis, apice subbifidis, spadicibus 
infra frondes verticillatis v. solitariis, spathis coriaceis deciduis duplicato-ramosis, ramis arrecto- 
fastigiatis, ramulis undique in scrobiculis superficialibus, flore unico femineo minore binis masculis 
majoribus lateralibus stramineis obsesso, fructibus ellipsoideis parvis. | 
This genus is numerously represented in Polynesia. The most southern species are K. sapida, Seem. 
(Areca sapida, Sol.), of New Zealand, and K. Baueri, Seem. (Areca Baueri, Hook. f.), of Norfolk Island. A 
third (P) species, from the New Hebrides, is enumerated by Forster (Prodr. n. 488), under the names of 
“ Areca oleracea (? ?) foliolis integerrimis ; forte ad Arecam sapidam referenda ;" but nothing more is known 
of this doubtful species, which of course has nothing to do with the genuine Areca oleracea, of Linnzus. 
Six species have been discovered in New Caledonia, viz. K. elegans, Brongn. et Gris. ; K. oliveformis, Brongn. 
et Gris.; K. Vieillardi, Brongn. et Gris.; K. Deplanchei, Brongn. et Gris. ; K. gracilis, Brongn. et Gris, 
and K. Pancheri, Brongn. et Gris. 
1. K. exorrhiza, (sp. nov.) Herm. Wendl. in Bonpl. vol. ix. p. 190 (Tab. LXXVIII.) ;. radicibus 
epigzeis, segmentis frondium lanceolatis longissime acuminatis rigidiusculis; fl. d phyllis perigonii 
[PUBLISHED JULY 31, 1868.] 2 N 
