BY J. H. MAIDEN. 549 



VERBENACE-ffi. 



Premna taitensis, Schauer. — " Valo valo." ("Vallo vallo," 

 Finckh). The " Aloalo " of Samoa, and the "Awahlo" of Tahiti 

 (Solander, quoted by Seemann). 



It yields the favourite wood for getting fire by friction in 

 Funafuti. In Samoa the leaves are crushed and mixed with 

 coco-nut oil, which is rubbed on limbs affected with the preliminary 

 symptoms of elephantiasis. Possibly it retards, but it certainly 

 does not cure, this disease. 



Mrs. David states that valo-valo leaves are used in Funafuti 

 to scent coco-nut oil for anointing purposes. It is a gnarled tree 

 of about 25 feet. 



RiviNA LiEVis, Linn. 



A native of South America and the West Indies; largely 

 cultivated as an ornamental plant. The whole genus, consisting 

 of about 10 species, is from tropical and subtropical America, 

 but has been introduced into tropical Asia and the African 

 Islands, according toBenthamand Hooker's 'Genera Plantarum.' 

 It may have spread from tropical Asia to the South Sea Islands. 

 Recorded from Tonga by Hemsley.* Mrs. David says: "Fruit 

 brilliant scarlet and falls off readily when ripe. Abundant; a 

 common weed." 



amarantacej:. 



ACHRYANTHES ASPERA, Linn. — " Polo." 



Found at Fuafatu. 



NYCTAGINE^. 



BoERHAAViA DIFFUSA, Linn. — "Kalisi-lisi." Called "Kisi" by 

 some. 



It is apparently piit to no use in the island. In Australia it 

 is a useful fodder plant for sheep. Mr. Finckh's note, "Creeper; 

 they say imported." 



* Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. xxx., 189. 



