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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. V, July, 1951 
AMARANTHACEAE 
Gomphrena globosa L 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: cultivated 
ornamental, observed in the village; 
without a vernacular name. 
NYCTAGINACEAE 
Boerhavia diffusa L. var. tetrandra (Forst.) 
Heimerl. 
Aur Atoll, Tabal Islet: trailing in shade, 
St. John 21,384; called ”rabitchiragai” 
( = to hold on to a stone) , 
Bougainvillea spectabilis 'WiWd. 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: observed in 
cultivation in the village; without a 
vernacular name. 
Mirabilis Jalapa L. 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: observed in 
cultivation in the village; called "emen 
aur” ( = the fourth hour). 
PORTULACACEAE 
Portulaca oleracea L. 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: observed by 
paths. 
ANNONACEAE 
Annona muricata L. 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: observed in 
cultivation in the village; called "sauer 
sharp” ( = a pronunciation of sour sop). 
LAURACEAE 
Cassytha filiformis L, 
Aur Atoll, Tabal Islet: vine, over bushes 
or trees, St.John 21,392; called "ganun.” 
Also observed on Majuro Atoll, Majuro 
Islet; called ”kanun.” 
HERNANDIACEAE 
Hernandia ovigera L. 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: tree 15 m.X2 
m., top of beach, St.John 21,429; called 
bingbmg. 
LEGUMINOSAE 
Canav-alia sericea Gray 
Majuro Atoll, Majuro Islet: in sandy 
woods by shore, St.John 21,430; called 
"marlap” ( = large bush). This species is 
new to Micronesia. Later collections of 
it are from Ailinglapalap Atoll, St. John 
& Cowan 21,707; and from Wotje Atoll, 
St. John & Cowan 22,076. These locali- 
ties are far distant from the nearest 
known station in Fiji. Its known distri- 
bution is shown on the accompanying 
map (Fig. 1). 
It is worthy of note that in the revision 
of Canavalia by Piper and Dunn (1922) 
the key needs revision. The two well- 
marked species, C galeata (Gaud.) H. & 
A. of Hawaii and C. sericea Gray of Poly- 
nesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, are 
incorrectly keyed. They are separated 
as the first pair of species by the first of 
the two headings quoted below: 
” 1 . Pod with two supplementary ribs 
close to the upper suture. 
Pod with two supplementary ribs 
5 mm. or more distant from the 
upper suture.” 
To be sure, Piper and Dunn note under 
their listing of C. galeata, ”the pods are 
not described and have not been seen by 
the writers,” but in the previous para- 
graph they list the reference to Rock, J. 
F. {Leguminous Plants of Hawaii 209, 
1920 ), where the pods of C. galeata are 
described in detail. Collections now in 
the Bishop Museum, Gray Herbarium, 
U. S. National Herbarium, and the New 
York Botanical Garden show that on 
ripe pods the interval between the sup- 
plementary rib and the upper suture 
measures, in millimeters, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 
3.5, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, or from 
1-12 mm. Similar measurements for C. 
sericea are: 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 
6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, or from 
3-9 nim. The key character given by 
