32 Memoirs Dcniicc P. Bishop Miiscitiii. 



British Guyana. From tliat s]iecinicn the leaves appear considerably different 

 from those of Pr. pacifica, having longer, shortly bifid, drooping segments, and the 

 lower surface slightly glaucous-waxy and sprinkled with minute lepidia; the latter 

 nestling in small depressions of the epidermis. 



3. PRITCHARDIA MAIDENIANA Uccc. in W'ebbia, IV (1913) 213. f. 12. 



Description. — Apparently of middling size. Leaf blade rigid, coriaceous, 

 90 cm. long from the ligula to apex, parted to past the middle into numerous seg- 

 ments ; lower costa\ very densely tomentose; lower surface very slightly giauces- 

 cent-waxv and sprinkled with minute punctiform or oblong lepidia, which nestle 

 into small depressions of the epidermis ; transverse veinlets obsolete, being 

 immersed in the parenchyma ; central segments about 50 cm. long in the free part, 

 and 4 cm. broad at their jilaccs of disjunction, deei)ly jjartcd into two rigid, very 

 graduallv acuminate points. Petiole 4 cm. broad at apex, densely tomentose on 

 the lower surface. Spadiees glabrous in CA-ery part, A-ery rigid, apparenth- con- 

 siderably shorter than the leaves : spathes fugaceously cottony, finally glabrous, 

 chartaceous ; panicle broadly ovate, 20-23 cm. long, very rigid, composed of not 

 many spreading branches, of which the lower are 3-4-partite, and the upper simple; 

 the peduncular part of the panicle is strongly flattened, glabrous, 12-15 "i"i- 

 broad, apparently not much longer than the panicle itself. Floriferous branchlets 

 very rigid, thickish, 0-8 cm. long, 4-5 mm. through, subtorulose, carrying the 

 flowers spirally and rather closely set all round and seated on conspicuous orbicular 

 pulvinuli. Floii^rrs furnished with a capillary bracteole 7-8 mm. long, of a very 

 hard coriaceous structure, elongate-conical before expansion, 10- 11 mm. long, 3.5-4 

 mm. through at the base, and narrowed above; calyx cupular, relatively short 

 ( :; mm. long) cylindrical with flat base, very slightly 3-toothed, obsoletely veined; 

 corolla 3 times as long as the calyx; the segments lanceolate (always?), terminated 

 by a callous papillose outwardly turned apiculum, obsoletely costulate outside; 

 staminal ring protruding, shortly, beyond the cahx; filaments subulate, spreading; 

 anthers linear-sagittate. Ovary obovate-turbinate, slightly sculptured above; 

 stvle, 3-sulcate; stigmata punctiform. Fruit, small, spherical, or very slightly 

 lono-er' than broad, 12-14 mm. in diam., terminated, slightly excentrically, by 

 the rather conspicuous remains of the aborti\e carpels, and of the elongate style; 

 whole pericarp 1.5-2 mm. thick. Seed, spherical, about 9 mm. in diam. fruiting 

 perianth pedicelliform, terete, 4 mm. through, and 3 mm. high. 



Habitat. — Cultivated in the botanical garden at Sydney, Imt of unknown 

 origin; supposed, however, to be a native of some of the islands of oriental 

 Pol3mesia. The species was described from complete specimens kindly forwarded 

 by Mr. J. H. Maiden. 



Observations. — A (|uite distinct species, especially characterized by its very 

 coriaceous deeply parted leaf-blade, subglaucous-waxy and dotted with spaced 

 minute lepidia beneath; by the short very rigid spadices, with not many thick 

 torulose floriferous branchlets; by the small globose fruits; by the short calyx 

 and relatively long corolla; and by the segments of the corolla being curiously 

 apiculate-callous at apex, if this peculiarity is not an anomaly. 



