Myrsinaceae. 



In Niu Valley, Oahu, occurs a small tree which belongs to this variety. In 

 specimens from the latter locality the fruits are densely clustered along the 

 branchlets, especially on defoliate ones, making them appear like axillary 

 racemes. 



Collected flowering (no. 1217)) January 23, 1909, AVaikane Mts., Oahu, and 

 Niu Valley, fruiting Aug. 22, 1909 (no. 4807), and Feb. 8, 1913, fruiting (no. 

 10232), same locality. 



Suttonia Lessertiana (A. DC.) Mez. 



Kolea. 

 (Plates 149, 150, 151.) 



SUTTONIA LESSERTIANA (A.DC.) Mez Das Pflzenreich 9. IV. 236. (1902) 336; Pax 

 in Engl. et Prantl Pflzfam. Nachtr. IV. 1. (1908) 278. Brigham Ka Hana Kapa 

 in Mem. B. P. Bish. Mus. (1911) 148. fig. 89. Myrsine Lessertiana A. DC. in 

 Ann. Sc. Nat. 2. Ser. XVI. (1841) 85 et in DC. Prodr. VIII. (1844) 96; Gray 

 in Proc. Am. Acad. V. (1862) 331; Seem. Fl. Vit. (1866) 149; Mann in Proc. 

 Am. Acad. VII. (1866) 188; Hbd. Fl. Haw. Isl. (1888) 279; Del Cast. 111. Ins. 

 Mar. Pac. VII. (1892) 227; Heller in Minnes. Bot. Stud. IX. (1897) 874. 

 Myrsine Gaudichaudii Wawra (non DC.) in Flora (1874) 523; Gray 1. c. 331; 

 Seem. 1. c.; Mann 1. c. 188; Hbd. 1. e. 280; Heller 1. c. 873. Myrsine 

 Fauriei Levl. in Fedde Kepert. X. 10-14. (1911) 154. Suttonia Fauriei Levl. in 

 Fedde Eepert. X. 24-26. (1912) 373. Suttonia cuneata Levl. et Faurie in Fedde 

 Repert. X. 27-29. (1912) 443 ; Suttonia pukooensis Levl. 1. c. 444. 



Branches thick or very thick, quite glabrous, old ones verrucous; leaves very shortly 

 petioled or often broadly sessile, broad or narrow elliptical, or elliptical-lanceolate or 

 obovate, somewhat obtuse at both ends or rounded at the apex, often acut at the base, of 

 variable length and width, coriaceous, the adult leaves densely and minutely punctulate 

 above with black dots, the veins little prominent and connected by a straight marginal 

 nerve; flowers in the axils of the oldest leaves and all along the branchlets and on pro- 

 jecting spurs of the bare branches, in fascicles of 3 to 7 or more, pedicels slender, glabrous, 

 5 to 6 mm with flowers, and longer with fruits; flowers 3 to 3.5 mm long, glabrous, sepals 

 shortly (1/5) united at the base, lobes 5 to 7 ovate somewhat acute, the margins very 

 shortly fimbriate; petals broadly elliptical twice the length of the calyx, yellowish with 

 reddish dots, apex obtuse, the margin papillose; stamens little shorter than the petals, 

 anthers ovate, apex papillulose, emarginate at the base; ovary ovoid-conical, stigma sessile 

 or on a short style, capitate, fimbriate or 5-laciniate on the fruit; drupe globose, reddish 

 or black, 4 to 6 mm with chartaceous pyrena. 



This species is one of the most variable ones in the genus, and that to such 

 an extent that hardly two trees are alike. The leaves are the most variable 

 part of the plant ; also shape and branching habit vary greatly. It certainly is a 

 graceful tree in the rain forests of Oahu and Hawaii, as well as on the other 

 islands of the Hawaiian group. Should one undertake to describe all the vari- 

 ous forms as new species, as H. Leveille did, one would certainly be naming 

 individuals, and swell the synonyms of Suttonia Lessertiana, into which most 

 of II. Leveille species have wandered to remain there forever; the remaining 

 ones are synonyms of S. sandwicensis. 



As already stated the species occurs on all the islands of the group in many 

 forms which are too numerous to cite, but have been incorporated in the de- 

 scription to some extent. The trees reach often a height of 60 feet or so, 

 with a trunk of one to two feet in diameter, and clothed in a gray bark which 



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