DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. S98 



ralty, Marshall, and Solomon groups, in Fiji, Tahiti, and Samoa. ' The Samoan 

 vernacular name signifies "seaside burweed," in contradistinction to Urena lobala, 

 which is simply called " mautofu" or burweed. 



References: 



Triumfetta procumbens Forst. f. Prod. 35. 1786. 

 Triumfetta rhomboidea. Small burweed. 



Local names. — Dttdangsi, Dadanse (Guam); Pegapega (Spanish). 

 A pubescent or glabrous weed with small yellow flowers growing in dense cymes. 

 Leaves ovate, rhomboid, or cordate, 3 to 7-nerved, apex acute or somewhat 3-lobed, 

 serrate, variable in amount and quality of pubescence; flowers 6 mm. long; pedicels 

 short; flower-buds oblong, club-shaped, apiculate; sepals oblong, apioulate; petals 

 oblong, ciliate at the base; stamens 8 to 15; capsule the size of a small pea, whitish- 

 tomentos^ between the spines; spines hooked, glabrous or ciliated. The species of 

 this genus are so variable according to the various conditions of light and moisture 

 and nature of the soil, that it is possible forms of the same species may be mistaken 

 for distinct species. In making collections a series of plants should be gotten grow- 

 ing in different situations. 



I have referred to this species the plant mentioned by Gaudichaud as Triumfetta 

 lappula, as that species is West Indian and is not further recorded from the Pacific. 



The plant yields a soft, glossy fiber, and like the allied species is mucilaginous, but 

 it is not utilized in Guam. 



References: 



Triumfetta rhomboidea Jacq. Enum. PI. Carib. 22. 1760. 

 Triumfetta tomentosa. Woolly burweed. 



Local names. — Masigsig lahe (?) (Guam). 

 A widely spread tropical weed. It is possible that Gaudichaud referred to this 

 species in giving in his list of Guam plants Corchorus tomentosus, which is a Japanese 

 species. T. tomentosa differs from other species of the genus in having the spines of 

 its fruit not hooked. It is an erect, branched, perennial herb, with softly hairy 

 stems, often found near cultivated ground, with numerous small yellow fiowers in 

 clusters opposite the leaves. Leaves 7 to 12 cm. long, passing gradually into bracts 

 in upper part of stem, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, slightly cordate at the base, acute, 

 serrate, densely stellate-tomentose on both sides; petiole 1.2 to 5 cm. long; stipules 6 

 mm. long, setaceous; flowers on slender pedicels, clusters forming interrupted, spi- 

 cate, terminal panicles, buds linear-clavate; sepals 5, narrowly linear, apigulate, 

 densely stellate-hairy; fruit globose, about 5 mm. in diameter, glabrous, covered with 

 numerous straight, sharp spines equaling its diameter, and bristly for lower half. 

 Flowers opening only in the afternoon. « 



References: 



Triumfetta tomentosa Boj. Hort. Maurit. 43. 1837; Bouton, Rapp. Ann. Maur. 

 19. 1842. 



Trompa de elefante (Philippines). See Heliotropium indicum. 

 Tronkon setlas (Guam). See Citrus medica. 

 Tuba (Guam). 



The vernacular name for toddy, made from the sap of the coconut. See Cocos 

 iiuiifera. 



Tuba (Philippines). See Jatropha curcas. 

 Tubatuba (Guam). The physic nut. See Jatropha curcas. 

 Tuberose. See Polianthes tuber osa. 

 Tub<5 (Philippines). See Sacckarun officinarum. 



«Trimen, Handbook Flora of Ceylon, vol. 1, p. 179, 1893. 



