322 



DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 



(Gen. Morus-like; recorded as) Procris ? ; bis (No. 1) Sainoa. 

 Oeltis (No. 3); the leaves seeming broader than in the Sauioan sp. 



Ficus turbinata, Forst. ; compare (No. 6) Samoa. A small tree, twenty feet high ; leaves 

 rough, inequ. at base ; fruit stipitate, yellow toraent. Young stems also fruiting. 



(compare No. 7 Samoa). The solitary large tree, figured in the Voyage of the 



Astrolabe, and growing near the heathen village of Mu. The so-called " trunk of a 

 hundred feet in circumference" is rather an enormous congeries of roots, entwined and 

 anastomosing, leaving vacant spaces, with at one or two points unobstructed vision 

 through the whole mass; some of the huge, wide-spreading arms are very lofty, and in 

 the absence of a standard of comparison, the extreme height seemed hardly less than 

 eighty feet. The leaves oblong-ovate, much resembling those of the pear-tree, but 

 entire; the fruit having a three-leaved involucre. 



(No. 9). A tree, according to the size of the trunk, but remarkable for its ram- 

 bling habit of growth; leaves inequ. at base, smooth. 



Piper; compare (No. 4) Samoa. Four to five feet high; leaves broad, 7-ribbed, acumi- 

 nate. Frequent in the forest. 



Gen. incert. (No. 1). A tree ; leaves alternate, elliptical, entire, inequ., almost trinerved ; 

 small axillary racemes ; fruit young, a berry ?. Rare. 



(Halophila ovata, bis No. 1 Samoa). Marine; growing in sea-water on the overflowed 

 coral-shelf ; and even brought up on the anchor from the depth of eleven fathoms. 



Nov. gen. Zosteroid, (No. 1). Stem or rhizoma creeping; leaves cylindrical, sheathing at 

 base, six to nine inches long; no flowers, nor fruit. Marine; growing in sea-water on 

 the overflowed coral-shelf, fiecjuent. 



Pterocheilus ? ; compare (No. 1) Samoa; leaves inequal. In the forest, rare. 



(Nerviiia); bis, apparently (No. 1) Samoa. Cordate leaves. In the forest, rare. 



Broussonetia ; bis (No. 1, Metia to Samoa). The variety with divided, or rather dissected 

 leaves. Cultivated for making " tapa" or bark-cloth ; having been introduced by abo- 

 riginal settlers. 



Artocarpus incisa, (No. 1, bis Metia to Samoa); the incised-leaved variety. Cultivated, 

 but not abundant. 



Ficus (bis No. 8 Samoa). A tree, with the trunk and branches whitish ; the trunk very 

 large, giving out horizontal, wide-spreading arms, but the total height not exceeding 

 fifty feet; leaves broad-lanceolate ; fruit sessile, orange-colored, pisiform. One of these 

 trees conspicuous, half-way between Nukualofa and the entrance to the lagoon. 



Piper (methysticuni, bis No. 6 Samoa) ; the cava-pepper. The roots and stout stems only. 



Casuarina equisetifolia, (No. 1, bis 3Ietia to Samoa). Planted in and around the village 

 of Nukualofa; (having been introduced by aboriginal settlers). 



Cycas circinalis, (No. 1). Twelve feet high, with the trunk nine inches in diameter. 

 Growing in wild situations, and also planted in the village of Nukualofa; (brought, 

 probably from the Feejee Islands, by aboriginal settlers). 



Canna (Indica, bis Taheiti to Samoa, and No. 1 Brazil and Peru). Only seen cultivated ; 

 having been introduced by aboriginal settlers. 



Zingiber (zerumbet ; No. 1, bis Samoa). A foot high. Growing near cultivated ground, 

 and rather rare. 



Curcuma (No. 1, bis Taheiti to Samoa). " Turmeric" said to be here. 



