Butaceae. 



Specimens of this species were first collected by the U. S. Exploring Expe- 

 dition on the Island of Oahu, on the Waianae range, in a ravine of Mt. Kaala. 

 This species is a typical dry district Pelea and is found on nearly all the islands 

 of the group in various forms, which do not differ much from the species. In 

 certain localities they are small trees or shrubs, while again in others they are 

 handsome trees with trunks of often a foot or more in diameter. The writer 

 has not collected the species on this island (Oahu), but has abundant material 

 from the other islands. 



Hillebrand's var. ft. with an olivaceous tomentum, and coriaceous leaves, the 

 writer collected on Maui in the dry gulches back of Makawao, on the northwestern 

 slope of Mt. Ilaleakala ; no. 8550, flowering and fruiting September, 1910. The 

 leaves in this variety are quite pale, with revolute margins and more or less 

 glabrous on both sides ; the peduncles are 3-flowered, the flowers are smaller 

 than in the species; the capsules are of a sulphur-yellow and are densely to- 

 mentose ; the tree is conspicuous on account of its leaves, which are whitish pale 

 underneath. Another variety, enumerated as y in Hillebrand's Flora, and de- 

 scribed as Pelea Hawaiiensis by Wawra in Flora (1873) 110, occurs in Hawaii 

 in the Kohala range, evidently in the dry districts near Mahukona, as this par- 

 ticular species has never been found in the rain forest, but always on ancient 

 lava flows or in kipiikas. 



To this variety evidently will have to be referred the various specimens col- 

 lected by the writer on the Island of Hawaii. At Puuwaawaa, North Kona, 

 Hawaii, on the ancient lava fields, it occurs quite plentifully (no. 10211). The 

 young shoots as well as the leaves are tomentose, but become glabrate when old; 

 the capsules are 2 cm in diameter, light ochra-yellow and densely tomentose; the 

 leaves are thick coriaceous, with prominent veins. In the Kipuka Puaulu, on 

 the slopes of Mauna Loa, near Kilauea Volcano, the writer met with the finest 

 trees of this variety, one of which is here figured. The capsules are of a darker 

 yellow and larger. The trunk of this tree is vested in a smooth pinkish, light 

 brown bark, which is about half an inch thick and of a dirty brownish yellow 

 color inside. (No. 10210, fruiting July, 1911.) Another form of this variety 

 was collected (no. 8774) in the same locality, with acute glabrous leaves and 5-15 

 or more flowered panicles ; petals elongate acute tomentose outside, four stamens 

 protruding, four half as long, filaments puberulous, as long as the petals (3.5 

 mm), anthers oblong, 1 mm, ovary hirsute. 



Hillebrand's var. 8 the writer collected on the lava fields of Puuwaawaa at an 

 elevation of 2000 feet. It is quite distinct from the variety found a thousand 

 feet higher. It differs mainly in the thinner perfectly glabrous acute leaves; 

 the peduncles in the writer's specimens are about 8 mm, each bearing a single 

 fruit ; follicles larger, 3 cm in diameter, covered with a reddish yellow velvety 

 lomentum. Collected June 6, 1909, fruiting (no. 3561). It is a shrub with 



239 



