Genus Neraudia — COWAN 
in general appearance, is the lack of the many- 
uncinate hairs on the venation of the lower 
leaf surface. It also differs from uncinata in 
that the hairs are evenly distributed over the 
entire lower leaf surface and are not restricted 
to the venation. (The varietal epithet for this 
entity is drawn from the pubescent condition 
of the lower leaf surface.) The basal portion 
of the achene of variety pubescens is also dis- 
tinctive in that it is much raised, very broad, 
and involute at the outer margin. Also there is 
no complete constriction separating the apical 
and basal portions. The only plants of this 
group observed or on which there are available 
data were small trees 5 and 6 meters tall, erect, 
with stout ascending branches; plants of the 
other varieties of this species are normally 
weak, branching, or trailing shrubs of 3 meters 
or less in height. 
The collections of this variety are quite uni- 
form in aspect but there are a few minor ex- 
ceptions which should be noted. The uncinate 
hairs so characteristic of variety uncinata are 
seldom seen in variety pubescens but in Rock 
(1916) and in his collection Rock 5328 there 
are many such hairs scattered indiscriminately 
over the lower leaf surface. The achene, how- 
ever, is uniform in size and in the involute 
condition of the outer margin of the basal 
portion in all of the collections. 
Fig. 7. Distribution of Neraudia melastomaefolia 
Gaud. var. pubescens Cowan (half-black dots) and 
Neraudia kauaiensis var. kauaiensis (complete black 
dots) . 
251 
Neraudia melastomaefolia Gaud, variety par- 
vifolia (Wawra) Hbd., FI. Haw. Is.: 416, 
1888. 
Fig. 8 
Nerandia sericea ? fm. parvifolia Wawra, 
Flora 57: 546, 1874. 
Neraudia melastomifolia forma truncata Skot- 
tsberg, Horti Gotob., Acta 15(4): 351, 
1944. 
Low spreading shrub or half-vine 1-6 m. 
long; upper branchlets sparsely pilosulose, hairs 
few, ascending, appressed. Petioles 1-3 cm. long, 
pilosulose, hairs few, ascending, appressed. Leaf 
blades 3.0-8. 5 cm. long, 1. 5-5.0 cm. wide, aver- 
aging 6 cm. long, 3 cm. wide, lanceolate, ellip- 
tic-lanceolate, elliptic, elliptic-ovate, ovate, or 
oval, thin to sub-membranous, chartaceous, pal- 
mate; above sub-glabrous, with very few, 
straight, ascending, appressed hairs, below with 
few, straight, appressed hairs mostly restricted 
to veins; margin entire, base usually sub-obtuse 
or obtuse, sometimes slightly cordate or cuneate, 
apex usually abruptly acuminate or acute, only 
the principal veins slightly raised. Pistillate 
flowers on filiform pedicels 0. 5-2.0 mm. long, 
calyx pilosulose with both straight, ascending, 
appressed hairs and shorter, erect, uncinate hairs, 
beak attenuate apically with four short, acute 
teeth at apex; stigma 3-5 mm. long, all sides 
receptive and stigmatic. Achene 1-2 mm. long, 
apical portion conic without constriction from 
basal portion (or rarely depressed-conic with 
constriction), basaf portion flat, thin, outer mar- 
gin plane, rarely revolute or involute, occasion- 
ally lobed, 2-3 mm. in diameter; seed ovoid. 
Staminate flowers with pedicels 0. 5-2.0 mm. 
long, calyx with many, short, erect or sub-erect, 
uncinate hairs, longer, straight, appressed, as- 
cending hairs sometimes present on margins of 
lobes of calyx or at extreme base, lobes 4-5 mm. 
long, 1. 5-2.0 mm. wide, apex abruptly long- 
acuminate; filaments 3.0-4. 5 mm. long, 0.5-1. 0 
mm. wide; anthers 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide. 
Lectotype: St. John 10599 , Waianae Range, 
Puu Hapapa, Honouliuli, on ridge, 2,500 feet 
