The Solomon Islands and Their Natives Part 38

Cyrtostachys sp... vulgo "Sensisi." Growing up to fifty feet high on the banks of streams.

Palmacea dub. (cf. Drymophloeus): vulgo "Kisu." Growing seventy to eighty feet high. The tough sheathing at the bases of the branches is employed for making the native dishes.

Pinanga sp... vulgo "Kisu": conf. the "Kisu" above. Growing up to seventy or eighty feet high.

Caryota sp... vulgo "Eala." Growing up to fifty feet high.

Licuala sp... vulgo "Firo." Grows up to thirty-five or forty feet in height. More common on volcanic soils. Absent from Treasury Island, with the exception of one imported tree. Said to be very numerous in the large adjacent island of Bougainville, the leaves being there used in making conical hats.

Palmacea dub.: vulgo "Poamau." Grows up to seventy or eighty feet high. Its fruit, which is eaten by the women, is said to have a stimulant effect like the betel-nut. Its wood supplies the material for spears.

Areca sp... vulgo "Momo." Grows up to thirty-five or forty feet high. Small fruits ( inch) sessile on a branching stalk.

Areca sp... vulgo "Niga-torulo," or "Torulo." Grows up to thirty-five or forty feet high. Fruits larger (1-1 inch) sessile, and gathered thickly together on an undivided stalk.

Areca sp... vulgo "Niga-solu." Grows up to fifty feet high. Fruits (1-1 inch) sessile, gathered thickly together on an undivided stalk.

[_Note._--The three kinds of areca palms just mentioned are very common on the low ground at the foot of hills. They all have a general resemblance, and their fruits are often chewed in lieu of "betel-nuts." They are distinguished from each other readily by the size and mode of attachment of the fruits, and by the number of ribs on the lateral pinnae.]

Areca sp... vulgo "Poamau." Growing up to eighty feet high.

Areca sp... vulgo "Au-Au." Grows up to twelve feet high. Aerial roots rising from stem 1 feet above the ground.

Areca sp... vulgo "Olega." The betel-nut palm of the Solomon Islands. Planted by the natives in the vicinity of their villages.

Height up to thirty feet.

Sagus sp... vulgo "Bia," "Nami." Height up to sixty feet. Dry situations.

AROIDEae.

Schizmatoglottis sp... vulgo "Kuraka." Growing wild along the banks of streams. The natives make a savoury vegetable broth of the leaves and unopened spathes.

Epipremnum cf. E. mirabile, Sch. Found on trees.

Scindapsus sp... vulgo "Kurricolo." Grows on sandy soil near the coast. Pothos?

CYPERACEae.

Cyperus (Mariscus phleoides, Nees). Height two to two and a half feet.

Cyperus canescens, Vahl. Height two feet.

Cyperus (Mariscus umbellatus, V.). Height one foot.

Kyllinga monocephala, Rottb. Six to eight inches high.

Mapania sp... Three feet high.

GRAMINEae.

Eleusine indica, Gaertn.

Panic.u.m (Digitaria) sanguinale, L.

radicans, Retz?

carinatum, Presl.

neurodes, Sch.

Pennisetum (Gymnothrix Thouarsii Beauv.?). Also

Pennisetum macrostachys, Trin. (fide F. v. Mueller): vulgo "Orsopa."

Growing in waste ground of plantations to a height of eight or nine feet.

Coix Lachryma, L.: vulgo "Ken-ken." The natives do not appear to make use of the seeds as beads. Growing in the waste ground of plantations.

Pollinia obtusa, Munro? Schizostachyum?? A bamboo usually found at elevations of 1000 or 1100 feet above the sea. The canes grow to a length of thirty-five to forty feet, and are used as fis.h.i.+ng-rods.

MUSCI.

Octoblepharum (Leucophanes) squarrosum, Brid.

HEPATICae.

Marchantia linearis, L. and L.?

FUNGI.

Agaricus (perhaps mollic, Schff.).

(Inocybe) maritimus, Fr.

Hygrophorus metapodius, Fr. prox.

Lentinus submembranaceus, B.

dactyliophorus, Lev.

velutinus, Fr.

Polyporus (Mes.) xanthopus, Fr.

(Pleur.) affinis, Nees.

(Pleur.) luteus, Nees.

(Pleur.) lucidus, Fr.