BOTAXY. 373 



MOXCECIA. TETRAXDRIA. 



Urtica argentea, vel BOCHMERIA albida. The leaves 

 of this shrub are rough with fine hairs, and dark green 

 on their upper surface and silvery beneath. The 

 flowers are of distinct sexes on the same plant, (monce- 

 ciow,J and are borne, in a sessile conglomerate form, 

 in the axillae of the leaves; the colour of the male 

 flower is red-brown, while the female has a white and 

 waxen appearance. 



The bark of this plant is used by the Sandwich Is- 

 landers for making their primitive cloth, or kapa. The 

 Society Islanders do not apply it to the same purpose, 

 but prepare from its fibres a superior kind of cordage. 



Society Isles ; native name romeha. Sandwich group, 

 mamdki. Marquesas. 



U. (Bstuans. This species resembles the sting-nettle 

 (U. dioicaj of Europe, but is much more delicate in its 

 growth ; its leaves are supported on long slender pe- 

 tioles. I could detect but very little stinging property 

 in the leaves ; although the natives considered them 

 unsafe to handle. 



Society and Marquesan Islands. 



MONCECIA. PENTANDRIA. 



Musa sapientum. Plantain or Banana. In its geo- 

 graphical distribution, this plant follows the cocoa- 

 nut palm very closely. It grows rapidly, and attains 

 the height of about fifteen feet. Its stalk is smooth 

 and succulent, and bears at its summit a tuft of long 

 drooping leaves, which are very entire, and of a 

 polished lively-green colour. A stout wooden foot- 

 stalk, arising from the centre of the leaves and re- 

 clining over one side of the trunk, supports nu- 



