41 
THE CUCURBITACEJE OF TROPICAL POLYNESIA. 
By BERTHOLD Seemann, Pu.D., F.L.S. 
The Cucurbitacee of tropical Polynesia are involved in considerable 
confusion, owing to Forster having admitted into his ‘ Prodromus, 
several: species named by Solander, but of which no description has 
been published. The authentic specimens and manuscript descriptions 
of Solander, together with Sidney Parkinson’s drawings, all preserved 
at the British Museum, have enabled me to clear up the synonymy of 
these plants. To set this matter finally at rest, it will be advisable to 
enumerate all the Cucurbitacee hitherto found in the region alluded 
to, including the species generally cultivated. 
1. Melothria Samoensis, A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, p. 641.—Samoan Is- 
lands (United States Expl. Exped.). 
2. Zehneria. Baneriana, Endl. Fl. Norf. n. 126.—Norfolk Island 
(Bauer, fide Endl.). 
3. Karivia Samoensis, A. Gray, Bot. Wilkes, p. 643.—Cucumis 
Maderaspatanus ?, Sol. Prim. Fl. Insul. Pacif. p. 331, ined. ; Parkinson's 
Drawings of Tahitian Plants, t. 111, ined.—Samoan Islands ( United 
States Expl. Haped.); Society Islands (Banks and Solander !, in Brit. 
Mus.).—Nomen vernaculum ‘Tahitense, teste Pritchard, ** Tavivi”’ (i.e 
twiner) ; teste Solander, “ Tahwihwi, vel Tawhiwhi ;” Raiatense, teste 
Solander; ** Hoohove " v. “ Huhue.” 
CE take A. Gray's Karivia Samoensis, from the Samoan group, to be 
the same plant which Banks and Solander gathered in the Society Is- 
lands, which Solander in his unpublished Prim. Fl. Insul. Paeif. describes 
as ‘Cucumis Maderaspatanus ?,” and for which he quotes Parkinson’s 
drawings, t. 111, with his own manuscript name attached. Solander 
describes the female flowers. as growing in the same axils as the male, 
and: on. isolated, thin; and 1-florous peduncles. The fruit he has not 
seen, nor do his specimens exhibit any trace of either female flowers or 
uit: . The male flowers are racemose, the pedicels being arranged in 
whorls, which, when the racemes are just beginning to blossom, 
gives them the appearance of small umbels or cymes, as stated by A. 
Gray. The racemes are either simple or fureate, 4-5 inches long; the 
corolla eream-coloüred. The upper surface of the leaves is generally 
covered with minute white dots, which are not noticed by A. Gray, nor 
