PLANTS OF PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND. 77 



Berry globular, covered with a woody, brittle shell, with 

 a mucous pulp. Seeds about four, oblong, convex without, 

 angular within, very hard, covered with a thin cuticle. These 

 seeds exactly resembled the beans of St. Ignatius, and had the 

 same bitter taste. 



Aedisia. 



1. Ardisia umbellata, H. 



Shrubby ; Leaves obovate, most entire, smooth ; umbels 

 axillary and terminal, simple. Stem shrubby, erect. Branch- 

 es scattered, stiff and straight, shorter towards the top of the 

 stem, forming a conical head. Leaves scattered, petioled, 

 obovate, most entire, smooth. Petioles very short, spreading, 

 flat above. Peduncles axillary and terminal, round spreading ; 

 shorter than the leaves, umbelled. Umbel with rays about six, 

 of the structure of the peduncle. Flowers small, purple. 

 Calyx segments ovate, obtuse, erect. Corolla segments lance- 

 ovate, sharp. Berry globular, smooth, black. Seed round- 

 ish, covered with a brittle striated shell. 



2. Ardisia nutans, Eoxb. (Prob. A. crenata Roxb.). 



Leaves lanceolate, crenate. Racemes terminal. Flowers 

 drooping,. Stem shrubby. Leaves alternate, lanced, acute ; 

 obscurely crenated, smooth. Racemes terminal. Flowers 

 many, small, of a dilute rose colour, drooping. Calyx segments, 

 lanced, erect. Corolla segments ovate, acute. Berry roundish, 

 smooth ; scarlet colour. Seed globular, covered with a brittle 

 striated shell (or aril) ? - 



Is it the same with Pyrgus racemosa of Loureiro (p. 

 148) ? Willdenow remarks that the generic character of that 

 plant agrees with Bladhia, except the arilled seed. Now both 

 this and the last species have a thin brittle aril. May not the 

 genera Ardisia and Bladhia be united ? Found in the valley, 

 near the waterfall and on the top of the hill. Was in flower 

 in May, and again in December. 



N.B. The germ dissected contained the rudiments of eight 

 seeds. 



R. A. Soc, No. 53. I9<W. 



