234 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL III, July, 1949 
DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES AND VARIETIES 
Neraudia, which is restricted to the Ha- 
waiian Islands, is represented on most of the 
major islands — Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, 
Lanai, and Hawaii. With only one exception, 
the groups are restricted to one island or to 
one particular part of an island. The exception 
is N. sericea, which occurs on Maui, Lanai, and 
Molokai. The varieties of N. melastomae folia 
occur on three islands, variety pubescens on 
Kauai, variety pallida on Maui, and the other 
four varieties on Oahu. 
In the Waianae Range of Oahu a greater 
number of groups is found than in any other 
island locality, for in this region grow varieties 
melastomae folia and parvifolia of N. melasto- 
maefolia and both varieties of N. angulata. In 
the Koolau Range of Oahu are found two of the 
varieties of N. melastomae folia- — uncinata and 
Gaudichaudii. An examination of the "total 
number of groups per island” in Table 3 shows 
that the number of groups per island decreases 
progressively to the south and to the north of 
Oahu. From this observation it is postulated 
that the island of Oahu received the ancestral 
form which has given rise to the groups of this 
genus. Certainly the number of groups on Oahu 
would indicate a considerable period of active 
speciation during which time propagules have 
been transported to most of the other islands 
with subsequent modification of the introduc- 
tions. 
Altitudinally, members of the genus range 
from 1,600 to 4,000 feet. They are found in 
extremely dry to wet situations. Most of the 
groups are collected in moist regions but N. 
ovata grows in very dry soil or in rough lava 
fields. N. sericea also has been collected (as far 
as can be determined from scanty data) in the 
lower xerophytic forests growing in dry soil 
or in lavic regions. 
TAXONOMIC CHARACTERS USED IN 
CLASSIFICATION 
As in the floras of most regions, in the Ha- 
waiian flora are a number of genera the species 
of which have been shown to evidence extreme 
variability. Much of the variation in a popula- 
tion is undoubtedly due to genetical differences 
but a certain proportion must be due to the 
complex series of micro-climates which are 
characteristic of the Hawaiian Islands. Because 
of this variability it becomes difficult to arrive 
at characters which will delimit the populations. 
TABLE 2 
A Comparative Analysis of the Genera Neraudia and Pouzolsia. 
CHARACTER 
NERAUDIA 
POUZOLSIA 
Sex condition of flowers 
Dioecious 
Monoecious, rarely dioecious 
Flower arrangement 
Axillary, unisexual clusters 
Axillary heads, spikes, or cymes; 
sexes mixed in same inflorescence 
Staminate calyx 
4-parted 
3 -4- 5 -parted 
Stamens 
Four 
Three to five 
Apex of perigone 
0-4 toothed 
2-4 toothed 
Ovule 
Erect 
Erect 
Pistillate calyx 
Fleshly, free from achene 
Greatly enlarged or scarcely changed 
Habit 
Shrub or small tree 
Trees, shrubs, or herbs 
Leaf arrangement 
Alternate 
Alternate or opposite 
Leaf margin 
Undulate, dentate, or entire 
Dentate or entire 
Venation of leaves 
3 -nerved 
3 -nerved 
Cystoliths 
Disciform 
Disciform 
