FLORA VITIENSIS. 229 
_ XIII. Ricinus, Tournef. Inst. p. 532. t. 307, 1719; Miill. Arg. in DC. Le. p. 1016. Calyx 
nbetsAne sexus valvaris. Petala et discus utriusquesexus 0. Stamina in receptaculo plano-convexo 
(oo) in fascieulos distinctos co-andros superne multoties dichotome ramosos connata ; anther 2-locu- 
lares, didymo-globosze, tota longitudine dorso adnatz. Rudimentum ovarii 0. Ovarii loculi 1- 
ovulati, 1 anterior bracteam spectans. Fructus capsularis, Seminacarunculata, copiose albuminosa. 
Albumen oleosum, Cotyledones ample, Radicula brevis.— Planta arborescens, speciosissima, 
macrophylla, glabra. Folia 3-3-pedalia, alterna, longe petiolata, peltata, palmatinervia, palmatim 
ips ne eet regs membranacea ; petioli pagina superiore ob margines confluentes obso- 
eta teretes facti, in linea ventral s, s i marei cull iformi ; 
Flores monoici, in racemos ue te eeee eae act 2 eee ak it 
8, , superne 2, terminales v. innovatione 
ramorum lateralium suboppositifolios factos dispositi, majusculi, numerosi, myriandri, 1-bracteati, 
opposite 2-bracteolati; bracteolarum axillze aut steriles aut altera alternatim fertilis aut ramulum 
continuans, unde evolutio ramorum racemi circinalis, Pedicelli cirea medium articulati, 
dg R. communis, Linn.; Miill. Arg. in DC. l.c. p. 1017.—Nomen vernac. Vitiense, “ Bele ni 
papalagi”’ (i.e. foreign Bele, Bele being Hibiscus esculentus, Linn,, which the Ricinus somewhat re- 
sembles in leaf).—Naturalized in many parts of Viti (Seemann! n. 401), Also collected in the 
Hawaiian Islands (Barclay !). 
The Castor-oil plant does not exist in the older collections, nor is it alluded to by the older botanists 
as found in any part of tropical Polynesia, I saw it far in the interior of Viti Levu. No oil is as yet ex- 
tracted from the seeds. 
XIV. Manihot, Plum. Cat. 20, pro parte; Mill, Arg, in DC. Le, p. 1057. Calyx utrimsque 
sexus imbricativus. Petala suppressa. Discus utriusque sexus evolutus, floram ¢ intrastaminalis ; 
lobi Jaciniis calyeis oppositi. Stamina in receptaculo haud elevato circa discum inserta, interiora 
cum laciniis calycis alternantia, Anthere 2-rimosi. Ovarii loeuli 1-ovulati, 1 posterior, 2 antico- 
laterales, bracteam spectantes. Fructus capsularis. Semina carunculata. Cotyledones latee.— 
Plante herbacer, grandes, raro arbores, vulgo inferne brevius (Vv. longius lignescentes v, omnino 
herbacez, nunc tuberosa, sepius glabra et glaucescentes. Folia in sinu baseos seepe leviter retror- 
sum peltato-producta. 
1. M. palmata, Mill, Arg. in DC. Le. p. 1062 ; inflorescentiis ex ima basi divisis longirameis 
ealyce extus glabro evoluto majtsculo; antheris 
paniculiformibus ; bracteis parvis lanceolatas ; : ' 
et connectivis glabris; ovario levius costulato-angu- 
pluries Jongioribus quam latis; disco filamentis 
loso; capsulis subglobosis exalatis superne leviter angulosis. 
Var, Aipi, Mill, Arg. ; foliis 5-(7-8-) partitis; laciniis obovato-lanceolatis v. elliptico-lanceolatis 
. . ” a4 . . * 99 - « 
subtus plus minusve glaucis, Nomen vernac. Vitiense, ‘ Yabia ni papalagi” (¢.e. foreign arrow-root). 
—Cultivated by the white settlers on account of its edible root (Seemann In. 399). 
the natives have as yet not taken to its ee 
. . * “73 . -_ ) ae A ? . ; : hic 
Captain Bedford Pim, in his ‘ Gate of the Pacitic, London, 1863, p. 77, publishes a cee ae i Ww , 
has a direct bearing on Polynesia :—* Intoxication is common at certain seasons amongst the Indians 0 
Nicaragua The liquor is made from the cassava, in the same manner as Cook found the Beene other 
South Sen Islanders making ava or kava; it is chewed by the women, after boiling the ae: : eo on 
third is chewed, the rest pounded ; then hot water and cane-juice 1s poured upon it, = a ee wo are 
fermentation it ig ready. It looks like buttermilk, and is sour, but very arUne Can en Eee o- 
i a ee oan terms ‘ Cassava’ or‘ Kasava’ and the Polynesian ® Kava or AVA, 
logical cormection between the American be BIS. aSRRY ‘eating beverages)? Strange to add, preparing 
supposed to be derived from the Sanscrit Kasya’ (= intoxicating beverages) ¢ ae ae pee ie 
an intoxicating liquor from the cassava, or yuka (Manihot Aipr, Pohl), is also practised m erior 
‘ ; = 7 
2 H 
[PUBLISHED OCTOBER |, 1867. 
This plant is quite arecent introduction, and 
