72 



SOCIETY ISLANDS. 



[ Graminea. 



Ord. XLVII. CYPERACEjE. Juss. 



1. Fimbristylis affinis ; glabra, culmis caespitosis erectis triquetris, foliis angustissimis 

 flaccidis, iiivolucro 3-4-phyllo, spiculis ovatis terminalibus paucis umbellatis centrali sessili 

 lateralibus longe pedunculitis, pedunculis involucrum a?quantibus, squamis suborbiculatis 

 acutis trinerviis scariosis glabris, stylo complanato bifldo margine fimbriato, achenio obovato 

 lenticulare-compresso longitudinaliter striato. 



This is very nearly allied to F. dichotoma and annua, which have equally the leaves of the involucre 

 ciliated: but the whole plant is larger, and differs from the former in its smooth culm and leaves, and 

 from the latter by the two, not three, stigmas. 



1. Mariscus paniceus. Vahl. 



This, Mr. Collie observes, is frequent in the moist meadows of Tahiti. 



2. Mariscus Icevigatus. Roem. et Schul. Syst. Veget. v. 2. p. 242. — M. lasvis. //. B. K. 



Our specimens are very imperfect. Mr. Collie states that it is used for making hats and women's bonnets, 

 and has been probably introduced. Its vernacular name is Tumarnu. 



Ord. XLVIII. GRAMINEjE. Juss. 



1. Paspalum orbicidare; spicis alternis distinctis basi setigeris, flosculis glabris ovato- 

 orbiculatis valvula exteriore glumae trinervi, foliis planis lasvibus margine incrassato denti- 

 culate Br.— " Forst. Prodr. n. 35." Br. Prodr. p. 188. Spreng. Syst. Veget. v. 1. p. 247. 



Our plant turns almost black in drying. At the base of many of the spikes, (not of all,) we observe one 

 or two rather long white hairs, which we presume are the setae of Mr. Brown. — Our specimens of P. prcecox 

 of Walt, from the late Mi - . Elliott, gathered in Carolina, we cannot distinguish from the present. This is 

 called in Tahiti Nonwha, and is exclusively used for carpetting the houses. 



1. Digitaria ciliaris. Willd. 



1. Pennisetum ccdycidatum ; flosculis alternis, setis involucri latiusculis phimosis flosculos 

 superantibus, foliis lato-lanceolatis vaginarum oris pilosis. Spreng. Syst. Veget. v. 1. p. 303. 

 — Cenchrus calyculatus. Car. Ie. v. 4. t. 463. 



Common in the moist meadows of Tahiti, where it is known by the name of Pirapire. 



1. Centrotheca lappacea. Desv. — Roem. et Schul. v. 2. p. 531. — Cenchrus lappaceus. 

 Linn. 



Most authors describe, and Pal. de Beauvois represents, the calycine glumes as three in number ; whereas, 

 in our plant, they are constantly two. The lower of the two flowers in the spikelet appears to be male, the 

 upper one female. 



1. Eleusine indica. Lam. — Cynosurus indicus. Linn. 



1. Saccharum qfficinarum. Linn. var. Tahitense. Roem. et Schul. v. 2. p. 285. 



1. Andropogon acicularis. Retz. — Rumph. Amb. v. 6. t. 5. 



2. Andropogon Tahitensis; ubique glaber, culmo striato erecto apice paniculatim ramoso, 

 foliis planis, spicis conjugatis paniculatis, rachidis articulis brevissime pilosis, spiculis binis, 

 altera sessili uniflora hermaphrodita. 



Culmus erectus, striatus, solidus, glaberrimus, inferne simplex superne paniculatim ramosus, rubescens : 



