Studies in Fitchia (Compositae) : Novelties from the 
Society Islands; Anatomical Studies 
Sherwin Carlquist and Martin L. Grant 1 
The genus Fitchia has attracted interest be- 
cause of its arborescent habit, its distribution 
in southeastern Polynesia, the endemism of its 
species, and its phylogenetic relationships. In 
a monograph of this genus, six species occur- 
ring on live islands were recognized ( Carlquist, 
1957). Following the appearance of that mono- 
graph, Grant notified Carlquist of his collec- 
tion, while on a Bishop Museum Fellowship 
in 1931, of specimens of Fitchia from two ad- 
ditional islands (Bora Bora and Tahaa) in the 
Society Group. The genus had not been pre- 
viously reported from these islands, and manu- 
script names, as a new species and subspecies, 
respectively, had been applied to the taxa. On 
Grant’s invitation, Carlquist made the anatomi- 
cal studies presented here which, it is felt, puts 
the recognition of the two new entities on a 
much firmer basis than gross morphology alone 
could have provided. In addition, descriptions 
are given of one additional specimen each of 
two previously known species of Fitchia, one 
from Tahiti, and one from Rapa. The occur- 
rence of the two novelties is of more than or- 
dinary interest because of the nature of this 
genus, and permits more extended remarks on 
the nature of speciation in Fitchia. Flowering 
material of F. rapensis, not available for the 
monograph, has been studied here. This paper, 
therefore, may be considered an addendum to 
the monograph. The taxonomic descriptions be- 
low have been prepared by Grant. The anatomi- 
cal account which follows is the work of Carl- 
quist, and has been prepared to conform with 
the types of data offered in the monograph. 
1 Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California; 
and Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa. 
Manuscript received December 28, 1961. 
TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTIONS 
1. Fitchia cor data M. L. Grant et S. Carlquist, 
sp. nov. 
Fig. 31 
Frutex arboreus 2 m altus glaber, caule basi- 
liter 4 cm crasso. Folia simplicia petiolata petio- 
lis 25-65 mm longis, longitudine media (N = 
42) 47 mm. Laminae late obovatae vel subor- 
biculares luteovirides 40-72 mm longae 36-65 
mm latae, magnitudine media foliarum grandi- 
orum circa 58 X 54 mm, basi cordata vel ro- 
tundata, apice obtuso acutove vel parum acu- 
minate, margine crenulato vel subintegro, venu- 
lis lateralibus 5-10 (numero medio 8.5) pro 
unico latere. Pedunculi terminales 20-40 mm 
longi, longitudine media ( N = 7 ) 33 mm. Capi- 
tula solitaria circa 40-florata. Involucra 25 mm 
longa 25 mm lata, bracteis 3-4 seriatis viride- 
lutei coriaceis marginibus- scariosis, exterioribus 
late triangulatis 3 mm longis 9 mm latis, medi- 
oribus semiorbicularibus, interioribus lanceo- i 
latis 13-17 mm longis 5-7 mm latis. Bracteae 
receptaculares 12-17 mm longae 2-3 (-5) mm 
latae. Corollae 15-20 mm longae, tubis circa 10 
mm longis, sinibus subaequalis. Antherae saccis 
5 mm longis, apicibus staminum cuneato-lance- 
olatis 1-1.5 mm longis. Ovaria ad anthesin 7-8 
mm longa, stylis 20-22 mm longis. Achaenia 
matura 13-16 mm longa, aristis 8-10 mm longis 
plerumque triangulatis in sectione transversa 
subdeciduis. 
Tree-like shrub, 2 m tall, 4 cm in diameter \ 
at the base, glabrous. Bark 1 mm thick, brown, 
almost smooth, with fine longitudinal ridges 
0.5 mm deep. One-year twigs on flowering 
shoots greenish, 2.5-3 mm in diameter; two- 
282 
