Kiitaeeae, 



qi'tiiidipi iiild IjcvL, /'. IllUrhi-aiidii Levi., 1' foclkJa Levi., P. scssiUs Levi., Pclca ' 

 aciilivalfala lje\'l.. /' P(//(r/( / Levi. 



The latter one tlie writer thinks to lie onl>- a, mere variety of P clu.viacfolia 

 C'Vay. It is a ver>- small leaved form, Imt owini;' to the fact that it is fonud in 

 the rather dry forests liaek of Kaluaha and Kamolo on the leeward side of ;\lo- 

 lokai. it ean 1ie easily the residt of the location, a fact which has disproved many 

 an apparently' new species. Leveille absohitel>' iij'nores fertile or sterile Howers 

 and oives iinl\- a i^eneral description that ma>' be ai)i)lied to any species in the 

 ^;enns. An example may follow. F. nUIcbfaitdil. L'aDU fragilcs, nodosi: — //orr.s' 

 marpu a.rdJnn s rjiiiiiisi pcdiccUi bihracli olal i, vatjjrc niiiiufo. scpala obtiisa, (jlabra, 

 pclala i-o-ph) Iiiiij/iinri, ijlahra apicc ti'iaiinuJafia: staiiiiiia pauIo brcviora. 



This description, especially of the flower, is really a marvel, and anyone alile 

 to place /' Ililh'bi-aiidii hy it, mnst lx> a clairvoyant, and a clever one at tliat. 

 Anyone aC(|nainted with the extreme varial)ility of the Hawaiian Pelea, their 

 many intermediates, and who has at his disposal snch a large material as is at 

 the winter's disposal, cannot help but deplore snch work, which is not to the ad- 

 vauci.'ment. but to thi.> hindrance of botanical science. 



The Hawaiian Pelea, for the sake of convenience, may be classed into four 

 nnits. and emliraced under a special name sp. (ecies) c. (olleetiva). 



For example; I'dra cliisincfolia with all its varieties is closely related to /'. 

 auricidac/'olia, I' Conlcaiia, I', sapotacfolia, P Waialealae, P. microcarpa, P Faii- 

 rici and perhaps /' pallida. All these speci<\s have a more or less varialile, lint 

 always sm;dl cajisiile in common, and have all either quaternate or ternate leaves, 

 and never ojiposite ones unless it be in very rare instances, or perhaps in a 

 very du1iious variety of some one of these sjiecies. The writer would propose for 

 this group of species the name Pclca sp. c. vcii icillifol ia; this expresses th(_' con- 

 ception of the grou|i as a very chisely related one, in a comprehensive and easy 

 way. 



The second and largest group has opposit(; leaves and is characterized by the 

 large caiisules, which are deeply parted but not discreet. The typical species of 

 this group is I'clca rolcanica, and is followed I13' Pclca pscudoanisata, P. ublcnicji- 

 folia, P )-()l II iidi folia, P ofbiciilaris, I'. inolol;aicnxis, P Maiuiii, P. parvifolia, P. 

 iiiacrnpiis. 1' Kaiiainisix, and P- xaiidicicciisis. /'. Bcdloui, of which only 

 young capsules (which are silky pubescent) are known, may also belong to this 

 group for which the writer proposes the name /' .s/>. r. mccjacarpa. This in itself 

 is a practical Icey which will facilitate the identilication of species. 



Another marked group, thougli small, has cidioid capsules and opposite leaves 

 and is maile up of the following nienil)ers: Pi ha aiiisala. P Wawracaiia, P 

 Zalilbruch iicn, and may lie termed P sp. c. cubicarpa. 



The fourth group is composed of the fo]lo\\ing, with Pclca ciiicrca, as the most 

 varialile one, in the lead; it is followed ch>sely by /' K 11 iidsciiii, P m nil i/tora. I'. 



212 



