Beccari and Rock — Pritchardia. 39 



Opihale, where I measured a specimen 75 feet tall; others were observed 

 50-75 feet (20-25 m.) in height. The usual size is about 10 m. or even less, 

 especially of the cultivated specimens in Honolulu and on Hawaii. The three 

 palms here reproduced grow at Kaohe in South Kona, the taller specimen men- 

 tioned above could not be photographed on account of the brush and trees which 

 did not nermit me to get far enough away to get the whole palm on the plate. 

 Additional specimens were collected at Kaohe, South Kona, Hawaii, in 

 March, 1920, Rock No. 17347 in the College of Hawaii Herbarium. 



Pritchardia affinis var. HolapMla Becc. 



(Piatt IV, A.) 



Description. — Rather small, 3-5 m. in height. Stem 20-24 cm. in diameter. 

 Leaves as in type, dotted underneath with very spaced, minute, suborbicular 

 lepidia. The spadix, whole, 80 cm. long, and with one panicle only; the latter 

 about 24 cm. long, twice branched in its lower part and simply above. Floriferous 

 branchlets 7-10 cm. long, and 1.5-2 mm. through (when dry) at the time of 

 anthesis, subangular and slightly zigzag sinuous between the flowers; thicker 

 when carrying the fruits (3-3.5 mm. through) and terete-subtorulose. Spathes 

 covered as usual with silvery wool. Flowers a little smaller than in type, with 

 the staminal ring slightlv protruding above the calyx. Fruit spherical, not slightly 

 narrowed to the base, 20-21 mm. in diameter; otherwise it does not differ from 

 that of the type; when thorough^ mature it is black, has a polished surface, and 

 the mesocarp apparently contains sugar. 



Habitat. — Of this palm Professor Rock says that it was collected at Kala- 

 pana in the district of Puna, the easternmost point of the Island of Hawaii. It 

 grew among rocks together with Pandanns and Cocos nncifera, near the sea, in 

 exceedingly dry situations, where the air is saturated with salt spray from the 

 sea, producing a thick haze (Rock No. 12795 ii^ Herb. Becc). 



Observations. — It differs from the type only in its smaller dimensions and 

 in the slightly smaller flowers, having the staminal ring a little more protruding 

 beyond the calyx. The environmental conditions are probably the cause of its 

 smaller stature and of the other trifling pecuharities. 



