DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 377 



Starch-yielding plants — Continued. 

 Oryza sativa. — Fa'i, or palai, rice. 



Tacca pinnatifida. — Gabgab, or gaogao, Polynesian arrowroot. 

 Zea mays. — Maeis, maize or Indian corn. 



Stemmodontia biflora. Eough-lbaved ticksebd. 



Family Asteraceae. 



Local names. — Masigsig (Guam); Ateate (Samoa). 

 A yellow-flowered composite. Leaves opposite, rough, petioled, 3-nerved, ovate, 

 acuminate, serrate; heads axillary or terminal, 1 to 3, peduncled; ray -flowers pistil- 

 late, fertile, ligule spreading, entire; involucre bracts 2-seriate, oblong or ovate- 

 lanceolate often recurved, equaling or exceeding the disk, achenes shortly cuneate, 

 3 or 4-angled, rough, the tip broad, truncate; disk flowers hermaphrodite, fertile, or 

 the central sterile, tubular, limb elongate, 5-toothed; anther base entire or subsagit- 

 tate; style-branches of hermaphrodite flowers with acute hairy tips. 



A plant widely spread on tropical shores of eastern Asia and on many Pacific 

 islands. 



Eepeeences: 

 Stemmodontia biflora (L. ) 

 Verbesina biflora L. Sp. PI. ed. 2. 2: 1272. 1763. 

 Wedelia biflora DC; Wight, Contrib. 18. 1834. 

 Stemmodontia canescens. Hoaey tickseed. Plate lxv. 



Local names. — Masigsig chuiige (Guam). 

 A yellow-flowered composite similar to the preceding, but hairy-canescent. Leaves 

 ovate or elliptical-lanceolate, serrate, acuminate, hairy-canescent, panicles sub- 

 corymbose, involucre with two series of hirsute acuminate scales, and achenes 

 blunt- 

 Common on the island of Guam. 

 Kefbrences: 

 Stemmodontia canescens (Gaudich). 

 Verbesina canescens Gaudich. Bot. Freyc. Voy. 463. 1826. 

 Wedelia chamissonis Less. Linnaea 6 : 161 . 1831. 

 Stenotaphrum subulatum. Shore grass. 



Family Poaceae. 

 Local names.— Las-dga. 

 A broadly creeping strand-grass, rooting at the lower nodes with the broad rachis 

 of the spike-like panicle notched or pitted to receive the spikelets; spikelets convex 

 within, fitting into the alternating pita and flat on the outside; leaves many, lanceo- 

 late-acuminate, spreading; axis of rachis with a chaff -like prolongation; spikelets 

 2-flowered, the first empty glume small. Described and figured by Trinius from a 

 specimen collected on the island of Guam. 



Common along the beach and in damp places. Allied to Stenotaphrum aecundatum 

 Kuntze (S. americanum Schrank, S. glabrwm Trin., and S. dimidiatum Trin.), which 

 might be introduced with advantage into the island. The present species is valuable 

 for lawns and for forage, and is a good sand binder. It is easily propagated by cut- 

 tings and will grow in the shade. It never becomes coarse or hard, but remains suc- 

 culent. Cattle are very fond of it. See Lawns and lawn making. 

 References: 

 Stenotaphrum mbulatum Trin. Mem. Acad. Petersb. VI. Sc. Nat. 3: 190. 1835. 



Sterculiaceae. Cacao family. 



This family is represented by the indigenous ufa {Heriiiera littoralis), a tree grow- 

 ing near the shore; the introduced cacao ( Theobroma cacao) , which is successfully 

 cultivated in sheltered places; and Waltheria americana, a widely spread tropical 

 weed. Kleinhovia hospita, a tree apparently indigenous on many islands of the 

 Pacific, has not been observed in Guam, but may possibly occur in the forests of the 

 northern part of the island. 



