363 



ROLLANDIA- r.audichaud 



Calyx-tube adiiate. (ivdid-cloiijiate. tlii' limb tive-toothed nv lobrd, the lobes 

 imbricate in the bud, persistent ; corolla tubular falciform or sigmoid, laterally 

 compressed, gradually widening from the base and contracting towards the 

 mouth, with lobes subequal and spreading, short, not exceeding one fourth of 

 its length, the dorsal slit never extending to the base; staminal column glaln-ous 

 or pubescent, adnate to the corolla : stignui two-lobed, the lobes thick ovoid, with 

 a patch of hairs at their bases; berry rather dry, two-celled, obovoid; seeds 

 small, ovoid crustaceous. smooth and shining. — Woody or subherbaceous plants 

 with a simple stem, foliose at the apex ; leaves in the young plant often lobed 

 (save in ]i. avgiistifolia), those of the adult ones lanceolate, oblong or obovate or 

 linear elongate, entire or dentate with patent, callous teeth ; flowers alternate in 

 axillary racemes puri^lish red. or dark purple, the pedicels bibracteolate aliout 

 the middle. 



The genus linlJciKlia consists now of nine species and two varieties. Only one 

 single species has so far been reported off the island of Oalni; the remaining 

 ones are all peculiar to the latter island, where they inhabit the very wet or rain 

 forest from an elevation of 600 to 3000 feet. 



The genus is easily distinguished from the other genera in the adnate stam- 

 inal column. Asa Gray unfortunately confused the Hawaiian LubcUoidrac to a 

 great extent ; this was. however, due to the fragmentary and very poor her- 

 barium material which he had as a basis for his paper. For example, he remarks 

 that the adnate character of the staminal column in lioUandia is probably a 

 mistake. It is evident from the fact of his placing a young, plant of one of his 

 own species Cj/anea leptostcgia. to BoUaiidia lanccolata (his Ddissea Ddesserii- 

 ana) as a variety pinnatifida, what a conception he had of the Hawaiian Lobclio- 

 deae. This was, however; due to the miserable material with which he had to 

 work; and, second, he had never seen these superb plants in their environment. 



No Hawaiian Lobdioideac have been in such a state of confusion as those 

 belonging to the genus RoUandia. This was due to the naming of species from 

 miserable specimens — and some of the types of the old species consist of insect- 

 eaten leaves only. The drawings in the atlas of the T'ranie are very poor and do 

 not allow the recognizinir of species, while the drawings in the atlas of the Bonite 

 are excellent. Unfortunately no descriptions were issued with these jilates, 

 which accounts for the mistakes made by other authors. Not all doubt as to the 

 absolute identity of one or two species has been removed; this is due to the brief 

 original desciijitions and second to the miserable types extant, especially of 

 RolhDidia crispa and E. hniccolata. No type of R. HHiiiboIdfiaiia seems to occur 

 in any of the European herbaria. Rullaiidia Jaiicralafa is the type of the genus. 



* Dedicateil by Ch. Gaudichaiul to Mr. Eollanil, quartermaster cannonier of the Expedi- 

 tion; he had rendered great services in the science of ornithology. 



