6o Memoirs Bcrnice P. Bishop Museum. 



18. PRITCHARDIA ROCKIANA Bccc. in Webbia IX (1913), 22S; f. 16; 

 Rock, Indig. Trees Haw. Isls. (1913), 105. 



(Plates V, B; XXI, G) 



Description. — A small tree, 5 m. high, stem 30 cm. in diam. and of a gray 

 color (Rock). Leaves large, the blade measures 1.15 m. fron: the ligula to the 

 apex, and has the lower surface entirely clothed with a light yellow, nearly golden, 

 very appressed and adherent tomentum composed of hyaline scale-like, much 

 fringed and f etted lepidia ; the segments are very deeply parted into two very 

 long, gradually tapering, filiform points; the central segments are 4-4.5 cm 

 broad at their disjunction places. Petiole appressedly (not woolly) tomentose on 

 the lower surface; and with the same kind of tomentum extending to the dorsum 

 of the costae. Spadix composed of a rather diffvise thvrsoid panicle, about 20 cm. 

 long, borne on a rather elongate peduncular part (40 cm. long in one specimen). 

 SpafJies tubular in their lower part and expanded above into a rather large lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate ass's ear-like, verv rigid, thinly coriaceous, scaly-furfuraceous 

 blade : the naked peduncular part or rachis of the spadix is finely rusty tomentose, 

 terete, i cm. through towards the base, and slightly flattened above. The ])anicle 

 consists of a few, 2-3-partite branches in its lower part, and of simple floriferous 

 branchlets elsewhere; the latter are finely rusty-tomentose, zigzag sinuous between 

 the spirally alternate flowers, 8-12 cm. long, 2.5 mm. thick at the flowering time, 

 or about 4 mm. thick when bearing the fruits. Floral bracteoles setaceous, very 

 long. Flowers (unopened, and apparently not fully developed), elongate-ovoid, 

 about I cm. long, and 4-4.5 mm. through near the base, narrowed above to a coni- 

 cal, obtusely trigonous, acute point; calyx glabrous, tubular and slightly ventri- 

 cose, being broad and solid at the base, restrained a little at the mouth, and with 

 3 rather prominent, acute not veined teeth, and with a solid base. Corolla only 

 one-third longer than the calyx (in the flowers at hand); the segments elongate 

 triangular, acute, marked externally by 7 explanate ribs, separated by narrow 

 furrows; staminal ring slightly protruding beyond the calyx; filaments filiform; 

 anthers elongate-sagittate; ovary turbinate, strongly sculptured above, and coni- 

 cally narrowed into a trigonous, sulcate, thickish style; stigmas punctiform. The 

 fructiferous panicle is recurved and has very spreading branches. Fruit large, 

 obpyriform, rounded above and rendered distinctly apiculate by the remains of the 

 abortive carpels, 5 cm. long and 3 cm through at about its upper third, and from 

 thence gradually narrowed to a thickish base. The whole pericarp (dry) has 

 walls about 4 mm. thick in the central and upper portions, but is entirely solid 

 in its lower third portion; the dry mesocarp is grumous and permeated by many 

 fine longitudinal fibers, and, apparently, is somewhat fleshy when fresh; endocarp 

 woody, about two-thirds of a mm. thick, and prolonged below into a thick, 

 obconical acute, woody tail; the seed cavity is slightly longer than broad {2J mm. 

 long. 2T, mm. broad) and occupies only the upper two-thirds of the fruit. Seed 

 globose subovoid, with round vertex; hilum orbicular, 7-8 mm. in diam. fruit- 

 ing perianth shortly pedicelliform, 7-8 nun. broad. 



