590 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, October 1961 
stilt roots; leaves 1.8-1. 9 m. long, 9.5-10 cm. 
wide, pale green, glaucous beneath, midrib and 
basal part of leaf yellow brown,” soft coriaceous, 
nearly flat, the midrib and two secondary ribs 
strong, the teeth inoffensive, the apex abruptly 
acute, the base slightly dilated and with a mem- 
branous unarmed margin for 25 cm., beyond 
that the margins with stout serrations 1.5-2 
mm. long, 3-10 mm. apart, stramineous but 
brown tipped, the adjacent midrib unarmed; the 
margins at midsection with the teeth 0.5 mm. 
long, 2-10 mm. apart, subulate but closely ap- 
pressed, the midrib below with similar but 
stouter and slightly shorter subulate prickles, 
the secondaries unarmed; near the tip the mar- 
gins with subulate prickles 0. 5-0.9 mm. long, 
1-2 mm. apart, ascending-appressed, pale, the 
secondaries above scabrous with minute, irreg- 
ular, ascending serrations, below the midrib 
crowded with ascending subulate prickles 0.3-1 
mm. long; fruit on slender 3-angled peduncle 
90 cm. long; syncarp solitary, pendulous, 24 cm. 
in diameter, globose, glaucous; phalanges 2-3 
(rarely 1) -celled, numerous, 7. 5-8. 5 cm. long, 
17-35 mm. wide, 14-21 mm. thick, wedge- 
shaped, 5-7-angled, fleshy, upper 1/6 free, the 
apex depressed conic, with 1-3 tips, several 
angled, apical central sinuses 1-2 mm. deep and 
the crease between adjacent phalanges narrow, 
1 mm. deep; stigmas 1.5-2 mm. long, cordate, 
apical, creased, if two then centripetal, if three 
then the central one facing laterally, phalange 
sides plane; endocarp in lower third, 24-30 mm. 
long, bony, pale brown, the lateral walls 3-4 
mm. thick; seeds 10-12 mm. long, 3-4 mm. in 
diameter, ellipsoid; upper mesocarp one huge 
cavern occupying upper half of phalange except 
a short apical part with longitudinal fibers and 
transverse medullary membranes; lower meso- 
carp fibrous and fleshy. 
holotypus: Solomon Islands, San Cristoval 
I., Star Harbour, rain forest on coastal hills, one 
tree seen, Oct. 28, 1932, L. J. Brass 3,120 (BRl) . 
DISCUSSION: This is a striking tree, with am- 
ple leaves and huge, conspicuous fruits. It fits 
into the section Mammillarisia, but at present 
has no known close relatives. 
The specific epithet is formed from the Latin, 
magnus , large; cavernosas, cavernous, in allusion 
to the cavernous upper mesocarp. 
