VACCINIUM CEREUM, Forst., of Tahiti, appears to me specifically distinct from the following, of the Sandwich Islands, which Chamisso and Schlechtendal, and afterwards Sir William Hooker, have combined with it. V. cereum, besides its more urceolate corolla, has shorter and bibracteolate peduncles, acute calyx-lobes, the anthers mucronulate at the base and their tubular horns not much surpassing the dorsal awns. The Sandwich Island Vaccinia have ebracteolate pedicels; and their very various and diverse forms appear to be reducible to two species, as follows: —

an ex

VACCINIUM RETICULATUM, Smith (V. cereum, Cham. & Schlecht. and Hook. Ic. Pl. t. 87), — the Ohelo of the Hawaians, tremely polymorphous species. Its anthers are wholly muticous at the base, the corolla cylindraceous when fully developed, and much exceeding the obtuse lobes of the calyx. A small-leaved and lucid form of it is V. Macrœanum of Klotzsch, which differs little from

Var. DENTATUM (V. dentatum, Smith), in which the corolla is sometimes shorter.

Var. CALYCINUM, the V. calycinum, Smith, described as having deciduous leaves, appears to be only a thinner-leaved form of V. reticulatum, growing in the shade of thick forest, and is connected with the ordinary state by various intermediate forms, among which is V. Meyenianum, Klotzsch. The dorsal awns of the anthers are sometimes very short or obsolete.

Var.? LANCEOLATUM, from the tabular summit of Kauai, is quite uncertain, the flowers being unknown; but it resembles the var. dentatum, except that the leaves are nearly lanceolate.

VACCINIUM PEnduliflorum, Gaud. is distinguished, not so much by its longer peduncles drooping in fruit and narrower acutish calyxlobes, as by the shorter, nearly campanulate corolla, not much exceeding the calyx, and a strong cusp at the base of the anther. This last is represented in fig. 4 of Gaudichaud's plate, but is not referred to in the diagnosis, nor noticed by Dunal. Our collection (which has a form of V. reticulatum with equally long and pendulous peduncles) has of this species only the

Var. BERBERIFOLIUM: foliis obovatis seu obovato-oblongis eximie reticulatis margine dentibus spinuloso-setaceis crebris pulcherrime pectinatis; pedunculis folia vix excedentibus.-E. Maui, on Mouna Haleakala, and apparently on the mountains of Oahu. Anther bearing at its base a cusp or strong mucro, like that represented in Gaudi

chaud's figure of the anther of V. penduliflorum. Striking as are the very reticulated and spinulosely-serrate, Barberry-like leaves, these are not diagnostic of the species, since the teeth are not prolonged in the plant figured by Gaudichaud, and, on the other hand, this foliage is imitated in some specimens from Mouna Kea, which have roundish calyx-lobes and no basal cusp to the anthers, therefore belonging to the var. dentatum of the preceding species.

Nuttall's genus Metagonia is equivalent to Klotzsch's sections Macropelma, Disterigma, Neurodesia, and a part of Vitis-Idæa, including a variety of species, which, however distributed, cannot be properly separated from Vaccinium. The dorsal awns are not always erect in the section Macropelma; in our specimens of V. cereum, from Tahiti, they are sometimes (perhaps abnormally) reflexed.

Our collection has nothing answering to the Epigynium? Vitiense, Seem., no. 284 of his Feejee collection.

GAULTHERIA (DIPLYCOSIA) LUZONICA (sp. nov.): foliis ovalibus utrinque acuminatis supra glabris subtus ramisque novellis parce strigoso-hispidis; pedunculis fasciculatis petiolo longioribus; bracteolis connatis orbiculatis. Luzon, in the Majaijai Mountains; in fruit.

Epacridea.

The pollen in all the following species of Cyathodes is four-lobed, in the manner of Ericacea, to a suborder of which the Epacrideæ should be reduced.

CYATHODES POMARE (sp. nov.): fruticosa, erecta; foliis subpatulis oblongo-linearibus mucronatis margine integerrimis (novellis prope apicem ciliolatis) subtus glaucis multinervibus, nervis extimis subramosis; sepalis bracteolisque rotundatis subciliolatis; corollæ tubo calycem bis superante, lobis imberbibus; stylo subulato ovario 5-7-loculari triplo longiore. Society Islands, on the mountains of Tahiti. Dr. Pickering in his notes does not distinguish this from the plant gathered on Eimeo, which is not well to be discriminated from the following species; while this has larger flowers as well as leaves, the tube of the corolla exserted beyond the calyx, and a longer style. Mr. Brown long ago alluded to a Tahitian Cyathodes (Prodr. p. 539), but it seems to have been unnoticed from the time of Cook's voyages down to our own Expedition. The two brought by our collectors appear not to be uncommon; so it is remarkable that nothing of the kind was collected by Bertero or Morenhout; at least none is mentioned in Guillemin's

Zephyritis Taitensis.

The common Hawaian species having been dedicated to a celebrated king of those islands, this may bear the name of the gentler Tahitian queen, Pomare.

The various forms from the Sandwich Islands, including one of the Society Islands, appear to be reducible to two species:

CYATHODES TAMEIAMEIÆ (Cham.): fruticosa; foliis patulis oblongis cuneato-obovatis linearibusve sæpius abrupte mucronatis margine ad apicem ciliolatis subtus glaucis multinervibus, nervis sæpius ramosis, floralibus parvis; sepalis bracteolisque orbiculatis ciliolatis ; corollæ tubo calycem haud excedente, lobis aut barbatis aut imberbibus; stylo crasso ovario 5-8-loculari æquilongo.

Var. a. CHAMISSOI (C. Tameiameiæ, Cham., Hook. & Arn., DC.) : corollæ lobis intus pl. m. barbatis. Oahu, &c.

Var. B. BROWNII (C. Banksii (Gaud.?) & Macræana, DC.): corollæ lobis imberbibus. — Maui, Kauai, and especially Hawaii.

Var. y. SOCIETATIS: corollæ lobis intus parcissime barbatis; foliis plerisque linearibus. Eimeo, and probably Tahiti. This is most probably the Tahitian plant mentioned by Brown; while to our var. ß may belong both the Sandwich Island species to which he alludes.

CYATHODES DOUGLASII (sp. nov.): fruticosa; foliis suberectis oblongis seu lanceolatis acuminato-cuspidatis margine plerumque hispidulo-ciliolatis subtus pallidioribus vel glaucis 5-9-nervibus, nervis sæpissime simplicissimis; sepalis bracteolisque ovatis obtusis ciliatis ; corollæ tubo calycem æquante, lobis intus barbatis; stylo subulato ovario 6-loculari bis terve longiore. Hawaii, on Mouna Loa and Mouna Kea; also Maui, on Mouna Haleakala.

Var. B. STRUTHIOLOIDES: foliis erectis lanceolatis seu ovato-oblongis; sepalis acutis! Mouna Kea, high in the pastoral region; and perhaps a form on the mountains of Kauai, without flowers or fruit.

None of the various specimens here combined accord with the C. Banksii so imperfectly characterized by De Candolle. For, although the leaves are more or less erect, and rarely glaucous-white beneath, they are rough and ciliolate or serrulate on the margins, and with a pungent point; their nerves usually all simple. Also the larger flowers and longer style should distinguish all forms of this from the preceding species, unless that is even more polymorphous than I have supposed. As to the style in this and allied species, I should rely more upon it if I did not entertain some suspicion of dioecio-dimorphism in the genus.

The Leucopogon of the Feejee Islands, which Dr. Seemann has referred to L. Cymbula, Labill., of New Caledonia (in Bonplandia, 1861, p. 257, no. 285), I had characterized as L. Vitiensis.

Styracaceae, incl. Symplocineæ.

There is no Styrax in the collection of the American Expedition. One would be much disposed to adopt the division, not, with Miers, into three genera, but into two, viz.: 1. Styrax, and 2. Strigilia, Cav., including Cyrta, Lour. Between the latter I can perceive no essential distinction. Bentham, however, appears to be justified in his conclusion, "that Styrax as a whole is far too natural to be thus broken up into distinct genera. The degree of adherence of the ovary and of the persistence of its dissepiments is variable in species otherwise closely allied," and the same remark applies to the æstivation and texture of the corolla. It is remarkable that Miers should have referred that most true Styrax, S. Japonica, to his genus Cyrta, and have excluded from the latter S. Benzoin.

SYMPLOCOS SPICATA, Roxb. To this Indian, South Chinese, and Archipelagic species Dr. Seemann refers one which he, as well as our naturalists, collected plentifully in the Feejee Islands, - probably with good reason, although our specimens have for the most part the leaves entire or nearly so, and a shorter inflorescence. It runs into several varieties, one with very large leaves.

Ebenacea.

DIOSPYROS SAMÖENSIS (sp. nov.): ramis novellis vix puberulis; foliis glabris ovato-oblongis obtuse acuminatis basi acutis laxe venosis (3-6-poll.); pedunculis masculis 3-9-floris, foemineis solitariis unifloris petiolum subæquantibus; calyce 4-fido sericeo-puberulo, lobis obtusissimis, fœmineis rotundatis basi intus quasi coronatis corollam extus sericeam 4-fidum adæquantibus; staminibus 8-9; ovario hirsuto 8-loculari; fructu globoso. Tutuila and Savaii, Samoan or Navigators' Islands; "in woods, and also sometimes planted."

MABA FOLIOSA (Rich, in herb.): foliis confertis lato-ellipticis utrinque rotundatis basi cordatis brevissime petiolatis glabratis (pollicaribus vel sesquipollicaribus), novellis cum ramulis fructibusque olivæformibus ferrugineo-tomentulosis; pedunculis fructiferis brevibus 1-3-floris ; calyce trilobo.-Muthuata and Ovolau, alt. 2,000 feet, Feejee Islands. MABA ELLIPTICA, Forst., which apparently includes M. major,

Forst., and which varies considerably in the shape of the leaves (in one form lanceolate-oblong and more or less acuminate), was gathered at the Tonga or Friendly, and the Samoan or Navigators' Islands, with the nascent leaves and shoots fulvous-hirsute, as described; while the Feejean collection has apparently the same species with the young parts glabrous. To this last may probably be referred all three Mabæ of Dr. Seemann's collection.

MABA SANDWICENSIS (A. DC.): foliis lato-lanceolatis oblongis seu ovalibus coriaceis pallidis venuloso-reticulatis glabratis, novellis cum ramulis floribusque sericeo-pilosis; floribus in axillis subsessilibus, masculis 15-17-andris calyce alte trifido, fœmineis ; fructu ovali calyce breviter trilobo stipato. Ludit foliis nunc utrinque acutiusculis vel obtusiusculis, nunc basi rotundatis, nunc utrinque rotundatis basi retusis, sesquipoll. ad 4-poll. - Oahu, Hawaii.

Sapotaceæ.

SERSALISIA GLABRA (sp. nov.): foliis obovato-oblongis basi attenuatis coriaceis glabris, venis reticulatis; pedicellis in axillis fasciculatis petiolo duplo longioribus; corolla calyce subsericeo paullo longiori campanulata 5-fida glabra, lobis rotundatis filamenta sterilia subulata multo superantibus stylo gracili æquilongis.-Woolongong, New South Wales. There is a specimen of this in the Hookerian herbarium from Mr. Backhouse; also a related one from Fraser, which is perhaps the S. laurifolia of Richard, and one from Cunningham, named Mimusops myrsinoides, may be the same thing.

ISONANDRA? RICHII (sp. nov.): undique glabra; foliis chartaceis obovatis apice rotundatis nunc retusis basi acutis; pedicellis calyce 4-fido plusduplo longioribus; filamentis barbatis. Bassia retusa, Rich, in herb. Tongatabu. Only a single and not very perfect corolla is extant from which to determine the genus. As that appears to be four-cleft, like the calyx, and with a fertile stamen in the sinuses, as well as one before each lobe, and there are no appendages, I refer the plant to Isonandra, notwithstanding the bearded filaments.

BASSIA AMICORUM (sp. nov.): foliis obovatis seu ovalibus retusis glabris viridibus (3-6-poll.); pedicellis elongatis; corolla glabra 6partita (semipollicari) calyce 6-nervi plusduplo longiore; staminibus 18; filamentis subulato-filiformibus antheris lineari-sagittatis cuspidatis æquilongis. Tongatabu, on the shore. Mr. Rich supposed this to be Forster's B. obovata, from Tanna; but that has the leaves less veiny,