Rutaeeae. 



139;— Hillbr. PI. Haw. Isl. (1888) 71;— Del Cast. 111. Fl. Ins. Mar. Pac. VI. (1890) 

 134;— Engler in Engl, et Prantl Pflzfam. III. 4 (1895) 127, fig. 09, A-F;— Heller 

 PI. Haw. Isl. in Minnes. Bot. Stud. IX. (1897) 841.— Platydesma Fauriei Levi, in 

 Fedde Eepert. X. no. 10-14. (1911) 153. — Melicope spathulata Gray, Bot. U. S. 

 Expl. E. (1854) 352; (doubtful). 



A variable species; leaves opposite, obovate oblong, bluntly acuminate at botb ends, 

 or rounded at the apex, narrowing at the base, chartaceous, often rather thick when 

 fresh, with transparent dots, the nerves not prominent, with the exception of the midrib 

 which is salient, punctate on the underside, glabrous above, occasionally sparingly 

 pubescent along the veins and midrib, leaves varying in size on different parts of the tree, 

 from 7.5 to 35 cm long, by 2.5 to 10 and 15.5 cm wide, the petioles from 1 to 5 cm in 

 length; peduncles of about the same length as the petioles, bearing ovate subulate bracts; 

 cyme 3 to 5 flowered, occasionally single flowered; pedicels 4 to 6 mm long, bracteolate; 

 flowers hermaphrodite, 18 to 20 mm long, 12 to 14 mm in diameter, campanulate; sepals 

 round, 8 to 10 mm long, decussatingly imbricate, clothed with a sericeous pubescence ex- 

 tending also to the pedicels; petals 4, cream colored, alternate with the sepals, strongly 

 imbricate, 16 to 18 mm long, obovate, thick, waxy, minutely sericeous, bearded on the 

 margins; stamens 8, nearly as long as the petals, inserted on the margin of the thin 

 hypogynous disc; the dilated filaments monadelphous to the middle; anthers sagittate, in- 

 trorsely dehiscent, 4 mm long; ovary globular, the four rounded carpels joined only by the 

 central columnar style, which is four times their length; stigma terminal, entile, slightly 

 four-grooved; ovules 5 in each cell, collateral; capsule of 4 distinct erect cocci, 16 to 22 

 mm long and 10 to 12 mm in diameter, whole capsules 30 mm transversely; endocarp 

 smooth, crustaceous, and half enclosed by the persistent cup-shaped calyx; seeds resembling 

 very much those of Pelea. The capsule often rots away but the seed remain attached 

 to the placenta for some time. Two seeds usually ripen. 



This exceedingly interesting tree, which must have been much more common 

 than it is now, can still be found in the mountains behind Honolulu on the 

 slopes of Konahuanui, and also in the whole Koolau range, especially in the 

 mountains of Punaluu, on the windward side of Oahu. The tree is, however, not 

 confined to the Island of Oahu, but is found also on the other islands of the 

 Hawaiian group, with the exception of Molokai and Lanai. The writer observed 

 it only as a shrub outside of Oahu, while on the latter island it reaches a height 

 of 15 to 20 feet or perhaps a little more ; the trunk is, however, not more than 

 5 inches or so in diameter. The whole plant, when bruised, emits an exceedingly 

 strong odor of pepsin, which is not unpleasant. This species is the type of the 

 genus and has the largest capsules, while the other two species have much 

 smaller and (j^uite different capsules. It is certainly very variable. It was 

 collected by the writer first at Punaluu, no. 65, flowering August, 1908, and again 

 November 13, 1908, flowering and fruiting no. 630 ; flowering and fruiting No- 

 vember 30, 1912, JIanoa Valley, Mt. Olympus, no. 10225. 



Hillebrand describes two varieties, p. var. pallida from Kaala, Oahu; and 

 East Jfaui, Hamakua. It differs from the species in the densely pubescent or 

 tomentose leaves. The second, y var. macrophylla, he records from Kauai. 



The writer collected this variety on Kauai in the mountains of Halemanu and 

 Kaholuamano back of Waimea at an elevation of 3600 feet. The leaves are 

 quite large, some of them 36 cm long, on petioles of 4 cm, and are densely to- 

 mentose underneath, especially along the midrib; the flowers are arranged in 

 cymes on a peduncle of less than one millimeter, at the nodes of the naked 

 branches; flowers as in the species; a very robust form which evidently belongs 



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