Beccari and Rock — Prifchardia. yi 



throng-h; whole pericarp 1.5 mm. thick (dry) somewhat thicker at both ends, 

 especially at the base ; mesocarp very scanty, and with several longitudinal fibers ; 

 endocarp thinly woody, brittle. Seed, ovoid. 15 mm. long, 9 mm. through, conical 

 and rather acute at apex, slightly more convex near the raphe than on the opposite 

 side, marked at about the middle of the lateral faces with only one vascular branch 

 of the raphe ; hilum elliptical ; integument slightly thickened on the raphe side ; 

 embryo nearly basal. Fruiting perianth campanulate, with the tube of the corolla 

 and staminal ring persistent, and with the remains of the filaments erect. 



Habitat. — Discovered in the year 191 1 by Mr. Gerrit P. Wilder in the 

 forest swamps of Halemanu in the central plateau of the island of Kauai. Pro- 

 fessor Rock sent me the specimens from which the description above is derived 

 (Rock No. 8846). 



The tvpical Pritchardia eriophora Becc. was collected by Professor Rock 

 when in company with Mr. Eric Knudsen and Mr. H. P. Agee, on the highest 

 ridge, called Kaunuohua, near Kalalau, Kauai, at an elevation of 4200 feet; 

 several individuals were observed, and the tallest one, measuring about 45 feet 

 in height, was photographed: Rock No. 173 19 in the College of Hawaii 

 Herbarium. 



Observations. — One of the smallest species, but very characteristic, allied 

 only to Pr. minor. It is distinguishable by the leaf blade, which is si:baureous 

 tomentose underneath; b)^ the very abundant soft, fulvous, cottony tomentum 

 that covers every part of the spadix; by the small panicles having primary 

 branches divided into short floriferous slender branchlets, also A^ery densely 

 clothed with the same peculiar hair that covers the spathes and rachis, but decid- 

 uous in age; by the rather small flowers with cyathiform-campanulate, strongly 

 striately-veined calyx; and by the small ellipsoidal subfusiform, conically acumi- 

 nate fruit. 



The fruit of this species represented in ^^'ebbia 1. c. fig. 17, c, d is one-tenth 

 smaller than natural size. From Pr. minor it differs especially in the smaller 

 panicle, with less densely flowered and shorter floriferous branchlets, and in the 

 shape of the fruit. 



27. PRITCHARDIA MINOR Becc. in Webbia, HI. (1910) 137, and IV. 

 (1913) 210, 238, f. 17 e. f. g. ; Rock, Indig. Trees Haw. Isls. (1913) 104. 



(Plates XIX; XXIV, S) 



Description. — Apparently of the dimensions of Pr. eriophora, but with 

 somewhat larger leaves. Leaf blade 60-85 cm. long from the ligula to the apex, 

 clothed underneath with a rather soft, gray-yellowish or nearly golden tomentum, 

 composed of not very appressed, yet much fringed lepidia, central segments up 

 to 6 cm. broad at their disjunction places, parted to the extent of 15-25 cm. into 

 two very gradually acuminate, rigid points. Petiole apparently about as long as 

 the blade, very densely cottony-tomentose on both sides. Spadices composed of 



