FLORA VITIENSIS. 271 
ments are 7 dm. long, and from 5-8 em. broad; they are coriaceous, glabrous on both sides, much folded 
towards the base, and furnished with three prominent longitudinal ribs, the two lateral ones of which are 
close to the margin of the segment. Between the midrib and the lateral ribs is a secondary rib, which is 
closer to the lateral rib than the midrib, and only prominent on the under side of the segment. The spadix 
resembles that of Cocos nucifera with regard to its size and ramification; it is about 8 dm. long, much and 
repeatedly branched ; its peduncle is 1-2 dm. long, and shows three cicatrices (equidistant from each other), 
indicative of three spathes, of which the upper one was probably not at all or but imperfectly developed. 
The principal branches are 3-angular, the lower having as many as 12 branchlets, the upper less. Each 
branchlet is 4-5 dm. long, on the lowest part (about 1 dm. long) irregularly angular, very flexuose, 
and bears 4-6 female flowers. The other part of the branchlet is terete, and densely covered with deep 
foveole, arranged into 7 straight lines, and each foveola bears 2 male flowers. These 2 male flowers are 
superposed, and the lowermost seems to open only after the upper has done flowering; each is sup- 
ported by a small membranaceous bract ; the calyx is 3-sepalous, the sepals being oblong-round, one over- 
lapping the other, and they have an irregularly denticulate margin, with downwards-bent teeth ; the corolla 
is 3-petalous, the petals being oblique, rotundate, or oblong, valvate in sstivation ; the stamens are 6 in 
number and as long as the petals, their filaments being very short, lancet-shaped, and their anthers 
elongated; the rudiment of the ovary is columnar. At the side of.the upper part of each female flower 
there are two male flowers. The feniale flowers are surrounded by 2 cup-shaped bracts, not quite closed ; 
their calyx and corolla are 3-phyllous, the sepals and petals resembling each other very much, being oblong- 
rotundate, and having an irregularly fimbriated margin. The ovary is oblong-rotundate, with obseure 
stigmas, surrounded by 6 broad ovoid staminodia, 1-ovulate, the ovule being hemianatropous and adhering 
nearly throughout its length. The fruit (including the flower organs adhering to it) is about 5 em. long, 
and 25 mm. in diameter; it is ellipsoid, with a slender blunt taper; it appears to be yellowish or reddish- 
yellow when ripe. The mesoearp consists of numerous delicate fibres, the lower layers of which forming a 
rather woody mass, and being more firmly attached than those of Areca Catechu, with which the fruits of 
the different species of Veitchia have much outer resemblance.” —Herm. Wendl. mss. 
ExPrLANATION or Prats LXXXI., representing Veitchia Storckii, Herm. Wendl. Fig. 1, miniature 
portrait of entire plant; 2, leaf segment; 3, portion of spadix; 4, bud of male flower; 5, male flower open ; 
6, female flower, far advanced towards fruit; 7,ovary ; 8, ripe fruit; 9, fruit cut longitudinally ; 10 and 11, 
seed; Figs. 4 and 5, magnified ; Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, nat. size. 
2, V. Joannis, (sp. nov.) Herm. Wendl. mss.; fructibus ovoideo-ellipsoideis ; seminibus fructibus 
conformibus in apicem erectum productis porphyreis ; raphi angusta ejusdem ramis apice parallelis 
basin versus magis reticulatim anastomosantibus.—Nomen vernac. “ Niu sawa.’’—Moturike, Viti 
Levu, and Ovalau (Seemann! Veitch!) Cultivated in European and Australian gardens. 
« This Palm was discovered by Dr. Seemann, who brought young plants of it to Sydney, where some 
of them were placed in the Botanic Garden of that place, but the others perished during the voyage 
to England. Mr. J. Veitch, more fortunate, sueceeded in introducing the species into our European 
gardens. The fruits were first described by me in the ‘ Bonplandia’ as those of Kentia exorrhiza, a mistake 
for which the discoverer assumes the responsibility. Seedlings have, from the first, a straight stem, their 
sheath, petiole, and rachis being of a dark blood-colour, and covered, when young, with a grey tomentum, 
whieh is interspersed with lancet-shaped, thin, dark-red lepida. The leaf-segments are at the point obliquely - 
truncate, minutely dentate, and their midrib terminates in a small eurve. The fruit is b ag an 
6 em. long, and 3 em. in diameter, surrounded at base by inerassate and enlarged remnants of the flower, 
glabrous and bright-orange-coloured. The mesocarp is rather thick, and consists of a, number of delicate 
fibres. The endocarp is as in V. Storckii. The kernel is ovoid-ellipsoid, tapering into a rather blunt point, 
30-35 mm. long, and 2 em. in diameter, and is attached, from the base to the apex, to the endocarp by 
means of the raphe, from which rise a number of delicate white vascular bundles, which are at the base 
placed paralle! to each other, and towards the point overlying each other. The albumen, surrounded by a 
porphyr-coloured skin, is hard, white, even, and on the lower part encloses a straight embryo." — Herm. 
Wendl. mss. : ; 
- This Palm is found all over Viti; and there is reason to believe that it is also found in the Tongan 
group, where, as in Fiji, it is known by the name of * Niu sawa," I am told; “ sawa," signifying y red 2 
in Tonguese (and having no meaning in Fijian), doubtless in allusion to the fruit, which merges from 
bright orange into red. The spadix, on which the minute moneecious green flowers are inserted, is much 
: branched, and the branches forming large bunches, which, when loaded with ripe fruit, are rather weighty. 
As many as eight of these bunches are often seen on a tree at one time in various stages of development. 
The fruit is about the size of a walnut. At first green, it gradually changes into bright orange, and 
° 2N2 
