864 MINNESOTA BOTANICAL STUDIES. 



Nani(a) polymorpha (Gaud.) 



Metrosideros polymorpha Gaud. Bot. Voy. Uranie, pi. 108, 109. 

 1830. 



This is said by some botanists to be the same as Metrosideros 

 villosa, but it is not likely that precisely the same forms of a 

 genus which is so variable on the Hawaiian group, occur also 

 on islands so far removed as the Society and Viti groups. We 

 have conclusive evidence too, in Hillebrand's remarks, that 

 they are not the same, for he says : ' ' According to Seeman, 

 all Hawaiian forms, except the extreme tomentose with rounded 

 leaves, are represented in the Society Islands." This extreme 

 tomentose form with round leaves, is exactly the var. a, the 

 type, if there is any, of Metrosideros polymorpha. Hillebrand, 

 who, during his residence of 20 years on the Islands, had an 

 opportunity of bringing this chaotic genus into order, appears 

 to have merely followed the treatment of Gray and Seeman, 

 without attempting to do anything original. Gray had speci- 

 mens of this species from "Oahu, on the mountains behind 

 Honolulu." It is still found there, but only as scattered trees, 

 at elevations of 1500 to 1800 feet. Although only a small tree, 

 ten to fifteen feet high, it is a conspicuous object at almost any 

 time of the year. The young leaves, which are closely crowd- 

 ed on the ends of the branches, are of a purplish hue, while 

 before flowering the densely white tomentose buds are almost 

 as showy as the open flowers with their crimson stamens. 



May 28 (2375). 



Nani(a) rugosa (A. Gray) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PL 242. 1891. 

 Metrosideros rugosa A. Gray, Bot. U. S. Expl. Exped. 15:561, pi. 

 69 B. 1854. 



This species I did not collect, but have seen specimens of it 

 in the herbarium of Columbia University, and in the Bernice 

 Pauahi Bishop Museum, at Honolulu. In general appearance 

 it is much like N. polymorpha, but quite distinct. It also came 

 from the "mountains behind Honolulu." 



Nani(a) pumila n. sp. (Plate LV.) 



A bush, one to two feet high, either simple, or sending out 

 one or two ascending branches; outer bark gray, peeling off in 

 shreds; leaves orbicular, broadly ovate, or sometimes obovate, 

 the largest about two inches in diameter, thick, glabrous, light 

 green and shining above, dull and glandular underneath, the 

 margin slightly induplicate, midrib impressed above, promi- 

 nent beneath; petioles stout, about a fourth of an inch in length; 



