326 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, July 1961 
in sicco brunneo lucido cum 5-8 angulis epro- 
minentibus lateribus laevibus lucidis subplanosis 
sinibus lateribus subcausis dimidia supera li- 
bera apice convexo et 7—24 mm. lato, apicibus 
liberis carpelorum anguste conicis eis centrali- 
bus erectis sed eis marginis extus curvatis sini- 
bus centralibus 3-5 mm. profundis, 40% pha- 
langiorum cum 1-3 carpelis lateralibus parvis 
abortivis et 40% minoribus, carpellis 5-11; 
stigmatibus apicalibus 2-3 mm. longis subor- 
bicularibus vel ovatis fissis centripetalibus in 
45° obliquis, mesocarpio apicale fibroso et ca- 
vernoso, mesocarpio basale fibroso et carnoso, 
endocarpio mediale osseoso obscure mahogani- 
brunneo gracile 1-2 mm. crasso, seminibus 12- 
lb mm. longis 5-7 mm. latis oblique ellipsoideis. 
DIAGNOSIS OF holotype: Tree 10 m. tall, 30 
cm. in diameter, round-topped; longer leaves 
92 cm. long, 5.4 cm. wide, ligulate, long taper- 
ing to an apparently acute apex, at basal attach- 
ment only slightly broadened, subooriaceous, the 
midrib unarmed on the lower third, near the 
middle with ascending yellowish acicular ap- 
pressed teeth 1.5-2 mm. long, 14-38 mm. apart, 
on the upper third the teeth 1 mm. long, 1.5- 
4 mm. apart, black; the margins at base un- 
armed, near the lower quarter the teeth 2-2.5 
mm. long, 2-7 mm. apart, appressed subulate 
yellowish; those near the middle similar but 
black; those of the upper quarter like those on 
the adjacent margins; heads terminal, size and 
shape not recorded; phalanges 6-6.2 cm. long, 
2. 3-3.7 cm. wide, 2.1-3 cm. thick, oblance- 
ellipsoid, a little compressed, the surface (when 
dried) brown, smooth, shining, with 5-8 slight 
angles, the sides shining, smooth, nearly plane, 
the sutures between the lateral carpels mostly 
invisible, only a few of them with distinct 
furrows about half as long as the phalange, 
upper half free and marked with numerous 
longitudinal light-colored cracks, the sides curv- 
ing upward like an ellipse, the apex convex and 
7-24 mm. wide, the free carpel apices narrowly 
conic, the central ones erect, the marginal ones 
curved, diverging, the central sinuses 3-5 mm. 
deep; of the phalanges 2/5 show 1-3 small 
abortive lateral carpels about 2/3 as long as the 
fertile ones; carpels 5-11; stigmas apical, 2-3 
mm. long, suborbicular to ovate, creased, cen- 
tripetal, oblique, at about 45° facing the cen- 
ter; apical mesocarp fibrous and cavernous; basal 
mesocarp fibrous and fleshy; endocarp median, 
bony, dark mahogany brown, forming a thin 
coating only 1-2 mm. thick; seed 12-16 mm. 
long, 5-7 mm. wide, oblique ellipsoid. 
HOLOTYPUS: Oeno Island, Tuamotu Archipel- 
ago, forest on coral sands, 3 m. alt., June 23, 
1934, H. St. John & F. R. Posher g 15,197 (bish). 
In the Bishop Museum there is another col- 
lection from Oeno, 1922, E. H. Quayle 410. The 
leaf has larger, coarser, more widely spaced, mar- 
ginal teeth. It might be a leaf from a vigorous 
seedling of this species, but the collection lacks 
fruit, so it will be left undetermined. 
A similar plant is P. odoratissimus L. f. var. 
oahuensis Martelli from Hawaii, but this has 
phalanges 6.5 cm. long; and the carpel apices 
indexed and low, broad pyramidal. 
More similar is P. Mei F. Br. which has phal- 
anges 7 cm. long, 2.5 cm. wide, the six carpels 
with apices convex; stigmas 4 mm. in diameter, 
reniform, horizontal; endocarp walls 2.5-5 mm. 
thick. This occurs on Hivaoa, Marquesas Islands. 
The specific epithet is coined from the Latin, 
ferula, a splint; fero, to bear. It is formed in anal- 
ogy to the splints or vestigial digit bones in a 
horse’s leg, since the Pandanus phalanges often 
bear abortive marginal carpels, suggestive of the 
splint bones of a horse. 
