136 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



Charles Isl. : common among rocks at 1450 ft. (nos. 3342- 

 3343). Chatham Isl. : Wreck Bay, common in open places 

 at 650 ft. (no. 3344). Further distr. Mex., W. Ind., S. Am., 

 Polynesia. 



SOLANACEAE 

 Acnistus Schott 



A. ellipticus Hook. f. in Miers, Lond. Jour. Bot. IV. 343 

 (1845); Rob. (1), 198. A. insularis Rob. (1), 198.— Albe- 

 marle Isl.: Villamil, bushes and small trees, 1200-1500 ft, 

 and inside of the crater at 2750 ft. Calyx 5-crenate, stigma 

 entire, leaves as described by Hook, f., 1. c, (no. 3347). 

 Charles Isl. : small trees on the steep inner wall of the main 

 crater at 1700 ft. Calyx 5-dentate, stigma obscurely bilobed, 

 leaves mostly ovate and glabrous, although a few are some- 

 what elliptical, (no. 3347). Chatham Isl. : occasional bushes 

 around 2000 ft. Calyx truncate, stigmas bilobed and entire 

 on the same plant, leaves orbicular to obovate, somewhat at- 

 tenuate at base, sparingly pubescent above, tomentose below, 

 (no. 3348). Duncan Isl.: small trees at 1300 ft. Calyx 

 somewhat truncate, obscurely dentate, stigmas entire, leaves 

 orbicular to obovate, mostly glabrous, although some show a 

 slight tomentum on the lower surface around the veins. Both 

 the flowers and leaves are smaller than is usually the case in 

 this species, a fact that may be due to the more xerophytic con- 

 ditions around the top of this island where the specimens were 

 found, (no. 3349). James Isl. : James Bay, small trees above 

 2200 ft. Calyx 5-crenate, stigmas bilobed and entire on the 

 same plant, leaves agreeing with Hooker's description, 1. c, 

 (no. 3350). In consideration of the above varied characters 

 which the more abundant material has brought to light, it 

 seems best to combine A. insularis Rob. with A. ellipticus Hook, 

 f. It is another instance of a very variable species, examples 

 of which are common on the Galapagos Islands. It is hardly 

 likely that the above variations are of formal value, as the 

 specimens from Charles Isl. show nearly as much variation 

 from the typical A. ellipticus as do the specimens from other 

 islands. Endemic. 



