Beccari and Rock — Pritchardia. 65 



woolly in Pi: arecina: moreover in this latter the floriferous branchlets are clothed 

 with a short dense tomentum. whereas the tomentum in Pr. laiiigcra as in Pr. erio- 

 stachya is composed of ruffled hairs. 



22. PRITCHARDIA MONTIS-KEA Rock sp. n. 



(Plates XM, A, B: XX, C) 



Description. — Palm 5 to 8 m. tall; trunk gray, smooth 20 to 25 cm. in 

 diameter. Leaves wider than long, consisting of 70 segments; length of blade 

 93 cm. from ligule to apex, width of frond 150 cm. widest portion; thick, coria- 

 ceous, of a rich green color, glabrous, above, and glossy, with small, hyaline, 

 slightly fringed, elongate elliptical lepidia scattered beneath, especially so in the 

 young frond; width of central segments at their disjunction places 5.55 cm., 

 parted about 20 cm. into acuminate non-drooping points ; lower costae co\-ered 

 on both sides with a silver}- to ash-gray tomentum; ligule crescent-shaped, not 

 apiculate, rounded and irregular; petiole 65 cm. long, 4.5 cm. wide at ligule; 

 6.25 cm. wide at the base, slightly floccose but later glabrous; filaments present 

 between segments of yOung leaves, but absent in old leaves. Spadix branching into 

 three distinct panicles at equal intervals; whole spadix 105 cm. long, 4 cm. wide 

 at the base; main peduncle 12 mm. wide; spathes 30 cm. long including the 10 cm. 

 long tubular portion, ovate, acuminate, strongly concave, with fawn to pinkish 

 colored tomentum which turns grayish when old; flowering panicle 10 cm. long, 

 the branches thick and short, 5.5 to 6 cm. long, simple in the upper part, the 

 lower branching into three branchlets, covered densely with a reddish brown to 

 fawn-colored silky wool on all its parts ; fruiting panicle larger, 20 cm. long, with 

 horizontally spreading branches, the lower twice branching; branchlets nearly 

 I cm. in diameter at the base, about 8 cm. long, and covered with the dense silky 

 persistent wool. Flozvers (unopened) 11 mm. long, arranged spirally and inserted 

 on circular projecting tubercles ; calyx urceolate, broader at the base, 6 mm. long, 

 5 mm. through at the base, pubescent with fawn-colored hair and ciliate at the 

 apex along the margin between the broadly acute teeth, the latter also ciliate, not 

 at all striate; corolla segments 6 mm. long, 3 mm. wide at the base, not striate 

 outside but marked with darker streaks, otherwise smooth; staminal ring pro- 

 jecting I mm. above the calyx; filaments setiform; anthers linear, broader at 

 the base; ovarv turbinate but truncate or rounded at the base, conically narrowed 

 into a thick vellow glossy style; stigmas punctiform. Fruit elliptical oblong in 

 outline when young, with long style and sterile carpels; when mature, black and 

 shining, 5 to 5.5 cm. long. 4 cm. wide, obovate, rounded at the apex, asymmetrical 

 at the base (measurements not including the perianth); pericarp thin, i mm.; 

 mesocarp traversed by numerous fine sinuous branched fibres; endocarp hard, 

 woody, dark brown. Seed ovoid, distinctly pointed at the apex, broadest at the 

 base, 3.5 cm. long, 27 mm. broad, embryo quite distant from the hilum (10 mm.) 

 and situated on the upper surface of the seed. Fruiting perianth constricted at 

 the throat, 5.5 cm. broad, 5 mm. high. 



Habitat. — This species inhabits the windward slopes of Mauna Kea, the 

 highest mountain in the Pacific, on the island of Hawaii at an elevation of 2000 to 



