138 PHANEROGAMIA. 



4. SCHIEDEA DIFFUSA, Sp. Nov. 



$ glabella ; panicula effusa, pedunculis pedicellisque capillaribus pube- 

 rulis; caulibus diffusis reclinatis herbaceis; foliis vnembranaceis ob- 

 longo-lanceolatis acuminatis br miter petiolatis uninerviis venidosis; 

 sepalis ovato-la?iceolalis acuminatis capsulam plerumque 5-valvem 

 asquantibus; seminibus Iwvissimis. 



Hab. Hawaii, Sandwich Islands ; in the forests of Mouna Kea and 

 Mouna Loa. Also on mountains of the west side of the island of 

 Maui. 



Stems herbaceous nearly to the base? slender, several feet in 

 length, terete, reclining, loosely branched, glabrous or nearly so; the 

 branches more or less angular, tumid at the nodes. Leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, often very much so, either rounded or acute at 

 the base, 3 or 4 inches long, on petioles of about 3 lines in length, 

 their texture thin and membranaceous, glabrous or nearly so, with a 

 rather conspicuous midrib, but no lateral nerves, pinnately veined by 

 transmitted light. Panicle compound, effuse, very loose, from 6 to 20 

 inches long when fully developed; the branches, peduncles, and pedi- 

 cels capillary, minutely pubescent, sometimes nearly glabrous, the latter 

 from one to two inches long in fruit. Lower bracts often foliaceous, 

 lanceolate or linear; the others subulate or setaceous. Calyx five- 

 parted, glabrous ; the sepals 2 lines, or in fruit 3 lines long, ovate, or 

 ovate-lanceolate, much acuminate, obscurely 3-5-nerved at the base, 

 with narrow scarious margins. Staminodia 5, inserted into the very 

 base of each sepal, shorter than it, narrowly subulate, two-cleft at the 

 apex, persistent. Fertile stamens 10, inserted into the base of the 

 calyx, five alternate with the sepals, and five opposite them within 

 the staminodia, with the very base of which they are slightly cohe- 

 rent. Filaments capillary, about twice the length of the calyx. 

 Anthers two-celled. Ovary ovoid, one-celled, many-ovuled ; the cain- 

 pylotropous ovules on slender funiculi, inserted on a free central 

 placenta. Styles mostly 5, sometimes 3, capillary, minutely downy. 

 Capsule ovoid, membranaceous, nearly 3 lines long, not exceeding the 

 persistent calyx, three- valved, or more commonly Jive-valved ; the valves 



