BY J. H. MAIDEN. 713 



AMARANTACE^. 



89. AcHYRANTHES ARBORESCENS, R.Bi'., Endl., Prod. ISTorf. 89. — 

 A scrambling tree of 20 or 30 feet, with a stem diameter of 1 foot. 

 Called " Softwood " by the islanders, and its timber is indeed 

 about as hard as a tough turnip. 



90. AcHYRANTHES ASPERA, Linn., Spec. Plant. 204, 1735; 

 F.V.M., Fragm. ix. 169; B.Fl. v. 246. (Syn. A. canescens, R.Br., 

 Endl., Prod. Norf. 90 : A. aspera, Linn. \ ar. canescens.) — Same 

 as the Lord Howe Island plant. 



POLYGON ACEiE. 



91. RuMEX Brownii, Campd. — New for the Island. 



92. MuEHLENBECKiA AUSTRALis, Meissn., Gen. Comm. 227. 



(Syn. Polygonum australe, A. Rich., Endl,, Prod. ISTorf. 86: Cocco- 



loha australis.) — Called " Shrubby Creeper " by some people on 



the Island. Recorded by Allan Cunningham from Phillip Island 



also. 



PIPEIlACE.ff:. 



93. Piper excelsum, Forst., Prod. No. 20. — " Ins. Norfolk, 

 Cunningham ! in h. Ivew." C. De Candolle in DC. Prod. xvi. (1), 

 p. 335 : "P. psiUacoru?n, foliis majoribus 0'12 longis. In ins. 

 Norfolk (Cunningham! Htigel ! Endlicher ! in h. Vindob. ) : 

 3Iacropipe7' psittaco7'U7n^ Endlich. ! prod. Norfolk, p. 37, Bauer pi. 

 Norf. t. 37, fide Endlich. I.e. (C. De Candolle, loc. cU.).'' 



It would thus appear that the typical form, as well as a variety, 

 occurs on Norfolk Island. The variety has been recorded by 

 Allan Cunningham from Phillip Island. 



" The Norfolk Island Pepper, Piper psittacormn, which produces a yellow, 

 pulpy, pendent, cylindrical fruit, of a spicy, sweetish taste, is everywhere 

 plentiful in the woods. It rises with a few, jointed, cane-like, green stems, 

 to from four to ten feet high, bearing large, heart-shaped leaves " (Backhouse, 

 p. 271). 



A manuscript states : — 



*' The Norfolk Island Spice [Piper psittacorum) attains the height of 10 

 feet, and has heart-shaped leaves; it produces a cylindrical fruit of a spicy, 

 sweetish taste, which is an excellent preserve, and if gathered green it is 



