BOTANY. 335 



P. (near natans.) Inhabits taro-ponds, Sandwich 

 Isles. 



PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 



Cordia Sebestena. Sebesten Plum. This is a lofty 

 and elegant tree, with foliage like that of our common 

 poplar. The flowers are large, monopetalous, and of 

 a bright-yellow colour, which, together with the pro- 

 fusion in which they are borne, gives the tree a very 

 imposing appearance. The wood is fine-grained, and 

 well adapted for joiners' work. The species inhabits 

 the lowlands, near the sea- side. 



Society Isles, native name ton ; Sandwich group, 

 kou ; Marquesas, ko. 



C. Sp. A littoral tree. Flowers small and borne in 

 clusters, but not expanded in the examples obtained. 

 Tahiti ; native name pea-tea. 



Morinda citrifolia. Indian Mulberry. The leaves 

 of this shrub are broad, entire, and of a light-green 

 colour. The flowers are small, white, monopetalous, 

 and without odour. The fruit is the size of a hen's 

 egg, conical, and composed of an aggregation of drupes ; 

 it is, when ripe, of a pale-yellow colour, the pulp is 

 white and juicy, and the seeds black ; notwithstanding 

 that it has an astringent and acrid taste, it is some- 

 times eaten in the raw state by the natives of the 

 Society Islands. The root, infused in water, yields 

 a bright-yellow dye, which is used by the natives to 

 stain their bark- cloth. 



Habitat. Plains and low hills, Society Isles; native 

 name nono or adri ; Sandwich Isles, noni : Marquesas. 



M. umbellata. This is a tree of respectable size. 

 The Malays employ the root as a yellow dye for their 

 cotton-yarn. 



Island of Timor. 



