Beccari and Rock — Prifchardia. 33 



4. PRITCHARDIA HILLEBRANDI Becc. Malesia, III, 292 (excl. of the 

 description of the leaves) t. XXXVIII, f. 4-10: and in AA'ebbia, II (1907), 203, 

 and R^, 218; Rock. Indig. Trees Haw. Isls. (1913), 103. 



Washingfouia HiUchrandi O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. II (1891) 737. 

 Eiipritchardia HiUchrandi O. Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. Ill, 2 (1898) 323. 

 Pr. Gandichaudii (non H. Wendl. ) Hillebr. Fl. Haw. Isls. (1888) 450 (in 

 part). 



(Plates II ;. -J; XXIV, T) 



Description.- — Of medium size with a stem 6-7 m. high, and a fine crown 

 of large leaves. Leaf -blade of a rather rigid and thickish structure, about 1.30 

 m. long from the ligula to apex, divided into about 60 segments, and having two- 

 thirds of its central part entire, glaucescent from a thin powdery-waxy coating, 

 and devoid of lepidia on the lower surface; the transverse veinlets are scarcely 

 visible, being immersed in the parenchyma; central segments 6-7 cm. broad at 

 their disjunction places, and deeply parted into two very gradually and very finely 

 acuminate, rather stiff points. Petiole about as long as, or a little shorter, than 

 the blade, 3.5-4 cm. broad at apex, very densely covered on the lower surface with 

 a felted, ashy-silvery indumentum, of the appearance of amianthus, which extends 

 also, profusely, on the dorsum of the lower costae. Spadiccs about as long, or 

 even shorter than the petioles (60 cm. to i m. long) composed of 3 distinct loose 

 panicles (always), the latter carried on a common rather slender peduncular part, 

 spathes thinly chartaceous, more or less fugaceously covered with silvery wool, 

 finally glabrous. The panicles are 20-30 cm. long, twice branched, at least in 

 their lower part. Floriferous branchlets spreading, rigid, thickish, usually from 

 8-12 cm. long and 3-4 mm. through at the base, narrowed above, subterete-torulose, 

 carrv the flowers (seated on rather conspicuous orbicular pulvinuli) closely spir- 

 ally arranged, nearly regularly, in 4 longitudinal series ; at every flower is a capil- 

 lary bracteole, 5-8 mm. long. Unopened flowers narrowly oblong and rather sud- 

 denly obtusely apiculate, 8-9 mm. long, 4 mm. through ; calyx of a rather hard 

 texture, and with a thicker, solid, almost woody base, cyathiform-cylindraceous, 

 very shortly 3-toothed, the teeth not, or only obsoletely marked Avith convergent 

 veins, otherwise smooth; corolla twice as long as the calyx, the segments oblong, 

 obtusely apiculate, obsoletely 7-costulate outside, truncate and, shortly, 2-auricled 

 at the base; staminal ring shortly protruding beyond the calyx; filaments subulate 

 from a rather broad base, spreading; anthers oblong-linear-sagittate, blunt; ovary 

 depressedly turbinate, deeply sculptured above, suddenly narrowed into a trigo- 

 nous sulcate style; stigmata punctiform. Fruit globose, at times slightly longer 

 than broad, 20-22 mm. long, 17-19 mm. through, with the remains of the sterile 

 carpels and style exactly apical, and marked alongside by two very faint ridges 

 descending from apex; it is at first yellowish or reddish brown and becomes 

 intensely bluish, or nearly black, and with a polished surface at maturity. AMiole 

 pericarp 3 mm. thick; the mesocarp is grumous, traversed by a very few slender 

 fibres, sweetish when ripe, and of a date-like taste; endocarp very thin, woody, 

 brittle. Seed spherical, 11-13 mm. in diameter. Fruifing perianth pedicelliform, 

 cylindrical, 4 mm. through and high. 



