102 



CHAPTER V. 



Obnamentax Plants — Starch — Spices — Clothing 

 — Mats — Pans — Cordage. 



In the vicinity of their dwellings, arid in their 

 burying- grounds, the Pijians cultivate several kinds 

 of flowering and foliage plants. Of the latter were 

 seen several kinds of fine crotons, 20 varieties of 

 beautiful draccenas, an immense number of coleus of 

 nearly all colours, the admirable amaranthus salici- 

 folius or tricolor, the pretty alternanthcra parony- 

 choides (in several varieties), called by the settlers 

 "Fiji grass," three or four kinds of acalyphas, two 

 or three varieties of panax, near p. fruticosus, dani- 

 dani, one or two species of euphorbia, a dwarf variety 

 of hibiscus tricuspis, vaudra, two kinds of orna- 

 mental grasses, one having reddish, and the other varie- 

 gated (green and white) leaves. Among flowering 

 plants were noticed some gay varieties of hibiscus, 

 near h. rosa-sinensis. Several double flowering sorts 

 of hibiscus are cultivated ; one, with bright scarlet 

 flowers about 6 inches in diameter, was very conspi- 

 cuous. Balsamins, gompliernas, and marvel of Peru, 

 :ommon favourites of the natives. The fragrant 

 white trumpet flowering brugmansia suaveolens, a few 

 varieties of roses, bauhinia richardsoniana, &c., are 

 also much coveted by t lie Pijians. The natives like 

 »wee1 smelling flowers growing near their 

 houses, Mich a- the bua (fagraea berteriana), one 



