240 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



an empty boat. Rats and lizards, unless brought on drift-wood, in- 

 dicated, that the island had been visited by natives; but the house-fly 

 and cocoa-palm were absent. In the course of three hours spent on 

 shore, we met with the following plants, three of the species being 

 additional : 



Sida? (No. 1). Two feet high ; the flowers orange, or yellow. 



Nov. Gen. procunibens, (No. 1); Triumfetta of Forster; bis Metia (and the rocky 



Taheitian and Samoan Groups). 

 Portulaca (No. 2) ; perhaps the sp. of Rose coral-island, but the flowers seemed smaller. 



Growing in tufts, each from a single root; petals five. The stems and leaves edible. 

 Sesuvium ? (No. 1 ; bis Tongataboo and the rocky Hawaiian Group). Growing in beds; 



flowers white, the petaloid inner surface of the calyx supplying the place of a corolla ; 



stamens several. 



Guettarda ; bis (No. 1 Paumotuan coral-islands to the rocky Feejeean Group). Rare. 

 Scaevola ; bis Samoa ?, and compare (No. 1) Paumotuan coral-islands, but seemed larger 



and taller. Not very abundant. 

 (Iponxea) turpethum ? (No. 1) ; bis Metia (and the rocky Taheitian and Hawaiian 



Groups, and compare Otafuan coral-islands). Occasionally met with. 

 Cordia; bis (Taheitian) and Feejeean Groups, and (compare No. 1 Otafuan coral-islands). 



Not abundant. 



Tournefortia (argentea) ; bis (No. 1 Paumotuan coral-islands to the rocky Feejeean 



Group). A many-stemmed shrub, ten to fifteen feet high. Extremely abundant. 

 (Calpidia ovatifolia ?) ; bis (No. 1 Paumotuan and Rose coral-islands, and compare Otafuan 



coral-islands). Abounding, often forming trees fifty to sixty feet high. 

 Boerhaavia (compare No. 1 Paumotuan coral-islands) ; seeming distin,ct from the Samoan 



sp. the flowers in capitul. and more ornamental. 

 Urtica (compare No. 1 Paumotuan, Bellinghausen, and Otafuan coral-islands. Six to 



twelve inches high; smooth. Rather frequent. 

 Pandanus; bis (No. 1 Paumotuan to the rocky Feejeean Group); taller, with the 



leaves longer, narrower, and less glaucous than in the Feejeean upland variety. Not 



very abundant. 



Lepturus^ (compare No. 1 Paumotuan and Bellinghausen coral-islands); growing in small 



tufts. Frequent. 

 Gramen. incert. ; growing in tufts. Frequent. 



22. McKean's coral-island. Continuing Northward, the Vincennes 

 next came in sight of a small patch of coral, not on the charts; but 

 found to be situated in "S. Lat. 3° 35' and W. Long. 174° 17'." On 

 drawing near in boats under the charge of Lieut. Alden, it proved 

 to be " three-fourths of a mile long, by half a mile wide." The vege- 

 table growth consisted merely of tufts of grass on the top of the 

 island ; with here and there some scattered low herbage, which from 

 the boat I supposed to be the Portulaca or Purslane ? 



