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. Rough-leaved tickseed. 



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. 



References: 

 Stemmodontia biflora (L. ) 

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

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

 Stemmodontia canescens. Hoary tickseed. Plate lxv. 



Local names. — Masigsig churige (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. 

 References: 

 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-aga. 

 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 pits 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 secundatum 

 Kuntze (S. americanum Schrank, S. glabrum 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 subulatum Trin. Mem. Acad. Petersb. VI. Sc. Nat. 3: 190. 1835. 

 Sterculiaceae. Cacao family. 



This family is represented by the indigenous ufa (Heritiera 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. 



