50 Transactions. 



plates 151 and 152 of his Historia naturalis Palmarum, reproduced from 

 Bauer's drawings, represent only Areca (Rhopalostylis) Baueri. 



The name of Areca sapida Solander appears for the first time, I believe, 

 in the work of Georg Forster, De Plantis esculentis insularum Oceani australis 

 Oommentatio botanica, 1786, p. 66, n. 35 ; but apparently Solander has never 

 given a description of that palm, and Forster evidently considers the New 

 Zealand palm the same as that growing in Norfolk Island, as he writes of 

 A. sapida, " Reperitur spontanea in Nova Zelandia usque ad aestuarium 

 Gharlottae reginae, et frequens in Norfolciae insula deserta." 



H. Wendland, in the " Enumeration of all Known Palms," published in 

 the work of Oswald de Kerchove de Denterghem, Les Palmiers, considers as* 

 Rhopalostylis sapida Wendl. et Drude only that which goes by the horticultural 

 name of Kentia sapida, figured in the Botanical Magazine in plate 5139, 

 under the name of Areca sapida. To Rhopalostylis Baueri he refers A. Baueri 

 Hook, of the Botanical Magazine (plate 5735), Areca sapida Sol., Kentia 

 sapida Mart., A. Banksiia A. Cunn., and Seaforthia robusta Hort. 



I have not now the leisure to clear up the exact synonymy and to 

 adduce the entire relative literature of these two palms. It is sufficient for 

 me at present to establish the fact that these two palms are quite distinct, 

 and that (1) Rhopalostylis sapida is now generally considered to be the 

 species growing in New Zealand ; (2) the palm indigenous to Norfolk 

 Island is R. Baueri. Of the first I collected specimens myself in its native 

 land ; of the second I have examined fruiting specimens forwarded to me 

 many years ago by my lamented friend Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, and 

 collected in Norfolk Island by Mr. Isaac Robinson. 



The three species of Rhopalostylis are characterized as follows : — 



1. Rhopalostylis sapida Wendl. et Drude in Kerch., Les Palmiers, p. 255. 



Areca sapida (Sol.) Hook, f., Fl. Nov. Zel. i, 262, t. 59, 60; Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5139. 



A middle-sized palm, 5-6 m. high. Spadix 30-40 cm. long or less. 

 Fruit ovoid or ovoid-elliptical, 12-14 mm. long, 7-8 mm. through. Seed 

 ovoid, with light-coloured polished surface and marked with a broadly 

 linear hilum. Fruiting perianth cupular-campanulate, 6-7 mm. high. 



Hdb. — New Zealand, from 35° to 38° S. latitude. 



2. Rhopalostylis Baueri Wendl. et Drude in Linnaea, xxxix (1875), 180 et 



234, t. 1, f. 2. Areca Baueri Hook. f. in Fl. Nov. Zel. i, 262, in obs. ; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 5735. A. sapida Mart., Hist. Nat. Palm, hi (partly, as 

 to description), t. 151-52. 



A tall palm. Spadix 60-90 cm. long. Fruit ovoid-elliptical, 15-17 mm. 

 long, 12 mm. through. Seed with dull-brown surface ; hilum linear but 

 slightly narrowing towards the base. Fruiting perianth cupular-campanu- 

 late, 6-7 m. high. 



Hob. — Norfolk Island. 



3. Rhopalostylis Cheesemanii Becc. n. sp. 



A tall palm, about 18 m. high. Spadix in fruit about 60 cm. in diameter. 

 Fruit globose, 11-13 mm. in diameter. Seed globose, with light-coloured 

 polished surface ; hilum broad and suborbicular above, narrowing con- 

 siderably towards the base. Fruiting perianth almost explanate. 



Hab. — Kermadec Islands. 



