280 FLORA VITIENSIS. 
time has arrived when nature has completed her task of laying up stores of nutritious starch, and that unless 
the harvest is at once gathered in, nothing will remain of the produce of years save the receptacle in which 
it was treasured up. yen the old dead trees, standing like so many skeletons amongst a host of young 
living ones, present an interesting appearance, reminding one of the posts with their many arms oyer which the 
wires of electric telegraphs are carried. Mr. Pritchard and myself felled six trees, and carried two logs to 
Lado, where we made sago of one of them by grating and washing the yellow-white substance with which 
the inside was filled. The term “ spongy” does not well apply to this substance ; it has rather the consis- 
tency of a hard-baked loaf, and that taken from the base of the tree has a sweet and pleasant taste ; towards 
the top it was more insipid. For the purpose of collecting sago it is of the highest importance that the 
tree should be cut down just at the time when the flowers begin to show themselves; if felled sooner the 
tree has not attained its proper development, and the quantity of farinaceous matter will not be so great as 
at the period indicated ; if, on the other hand, the cutting down is deferred until the fruit has been formed, 
4 considerable diminution of the quantity of sago meal will be observed ; and the longer such a postpone- 
ment takes place, the less chance there is of collecting a remunerative amount, as the tree, after it has 
borne flower and fruit, which, unlike the Cocoa-nut Palm, it doés only once during the term of its exist- 
ence, speedily dies, The trees are easily felled, only the outer layers of wood possessing any hardness, the 
central parts being as soft as bread, so that a few strokes with a good axe will bring the largest tree to 
the ground. 
rey aries or Prate LXXX., representing Sagus Vitiensis.—Fig. 1, portion of leaf of young plant; 
2, portion of spadix: 3, male flower; 4, stamens; 5, ripe fruit; 6 and 7, different views of kernel; 8, 
(this figure has been introduced by mistake) ; 9 and 10, kernel cut longitudinally (Fig. 10 showing the em- 
bryo) ; Figs. 8 and 4, magnified ; the others, natural size. 
Orvo XCIII, PANDANACEZ:. 
I. Typha, Tournef. Inst. t. 301; Linn. Gen. n. 1040; Endl. Gen. n. 1709. Flores monoici, 
Spica ¢, culmum terminans, continua v. spathis caducissimis interstincta, Stamina oo, e spadice 
pullulantia, setis stipata; filamenta filiformia, flaccida, simplicia v. apice brevissime 2—3-furcata ; 
authera basifixee, oblonge, 2-loculares, 4-locellate. Spica ? infra ¢ continue culmum obvestiens. 
Ovaria oo, immediatim e rachi oriunda et juxta parvas ejusdem protuberantias spicata, setis oo sub- 
clavatis (ovariis abortivis) stipata, primum sessilia, tandem in stipite setis consito elevata, 1-locularia, 
Ovulum 1, ex apice loculi pendulum, anatropum. Stylus simplex, ovario continuus, stigmate 
unilaterali linguzeformi, Fructus subdrupaceus, minimus, epicarpio membranaceo, tandem hinc fisso, 
endocarpio lignoso, cum testa cohwrente, Semen inversum, basi cum endocarpio connatum, situm 
erectum mentiens. Embryo cylindricus, im axi albuminis carnosi, extremitate radiculari inerassata, 
supera.—Herbes paludose ; radicibus repentibus, culmo enodi; foliis alternis, linearibus, strictis, 
basi dilatata vaginantibus; spica terminali clavata, compacta.—Giirtn. vol. i. p. 8. t. 2; Richard in 
Ann, du Mus. vol. xvii t. 5. f. 8,9; Archives de Bot. vol, i, p. 193. t. 5; Nees, jun. Geu. Plant. 
fase. ll, t. 1, 
_ 1. T. angustifolia, Linn. Sp. 1377; Kurz in Seem. Journ. of Bot. 1867, p. 95; foliis linea- 
ribus, inferue subcanaliculatis, caulem florigerum superantibus; spica ¢ a 2 remota.—Smith, Brit. 
p. 959; Willd. Sp. Pl. vol. iv. p. 198; Eng, Bot. t, 1456; Flor. Dan. t. 815; M, Bie, Fi. aur. 
GauGCyal: ap) on Ledeb. Fl. Ross. vol. iv. p. 249; Dene. Descr. Herb. Pier p. 38; R. Br. 
Prodr. p. 538; Reichb. Germ. p. 11; Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. p, 681; Roxb. Fl. Ind. vol. iii, p. 567; 
Kunth, Berol. vol. i, p. 804; ejusd. Enum. Pl. vol. iii. p. 91; De Vriese in Pl. Jungh. vol. i. p. 106 ; 
Hassk. Fl, Bot, Zeit. 1842, Beibl. vol. ii. p. 12; Blanco, Fl. de Filip. p. 687; Mig. Fl. Ind. Bat. 
vol. ni, p. 178. TT. elatior, Boenningh. in Reichb. Germ. p- 11; Boreau in Guill. Arch. vol, 1. 
p. 899; Kunth, Enum. Pl. vol. iii. p. 90. 7. minor, Curt. Lond. fase. iii, t. 62. 7. Damiattica 
