Heller : plants of the Hawaiian islands. 805 



Hillebrand unites this species with A. veratroides Gaud., but 

 with very little reason, merely saying that "the forms with 

 more or less glabrate leaves — A. menziesiana Sm. — are chiefly 

 found at lower elevations," thus leaving one under the impres- 

 sion that the two plants are very similar, when in fact they are 

 totally unlike in size, habit and habitat. I saw at once that my 

 plant was neither veratroides nor Waialealae, and distributed it 

 as Astelia argyrocoma n. sp. (No. 2752). Lately upon having 

 access to Wawra's publications in Flora, I find that he has very 

 clearly described A. menziesiana in Flora, 58:242. 1875, and 

 that my specimens undoubtedly belong there. It was found on 

 the Island of Kauai only, in wet woods, at elevations of 3000 to 

 4000 feet, growing on the reclining trunks of moss-covered 

 trees. Sometimes hundreds of plants can be found on a single 

 trunk. It is common on the ridge west of the Hanapepe river, 

 and on the plateau above Waimea. Wawra records it from 

 Kauai, "on moss covered trees in the valley of Hanalei, and on 

 Pohakupili and Halemanu." It came into bloom late in Au- 

 gust. 



A. veratroides is a large species, with leaves three to four feet 

 long, and from three to six inches wide. The flowering stalk 

 is proportionately large and stout. It is plentiful on the rid- 

 ges back of Honolulu, usually growing on the precipitous edge 

 of a ridge, and only at medium elevations. Very few plants 

 were seen in Kauai, where they grew along the steep banks of 

 a stream in the woods. 



DIANELLA Lam. Encycl. 2 : 276. 1786. 



Dianella sandwicensis H. & A. Bot. Beechy, 97. 1832. 



It is altogether probable that Hooker and Arnott's D. sandici- 

 censis is distinct from the Dracaena ensifolia of Linnaeus, an In- 

 dian plant which one would not expect to find in the Hawaiian 

 Islands. On Oahu it appears to grow only on the ground, at 

 elevations of 2000 to 3000 feet. On Kauai it waa found princi- 

 pally on mossy or decayed tree trunks, ranging from elevations 

 of 2500 to 4000 feet. The Index Kewensis refers it to Dianella 

 nemorosa Lamark, published in 1786, of which the earlier Dra- 

 caena ensifolia L., published in 1767, is said to be a synonym. 



May to October (2349). 



