From Thomas Powell to Ferdinand von Mueller   6 Aug 1874

Upolu, Samoa

Augst 6th, 1874

My dear Sir,

Since I wrote you in July¹ I have had opportunities for a fuller examination of my No. 151 and herewith inclose a copy of a more correct description than the one then sent. I suppose the plant is referable to Luffa insularum A. Gray, but yet differs somewhat from the description as given in the Flora Vitiensis.² I herewith send also a specimen description of another nearly allied species which I suspect may be new, but if it is a Luffa you will see that it differs somewhat from Tournefourt's description as quoted in F. V.³ I send a lengthy roughly dried specimen that you ma[y]⁴ see the nature of its growth as well as a smaller specimen better dried — Time to attend properly to preparing specimens is the great want with me.

I have suggested as an appropriate name L. samoensis.⁵

Our beautiful thick-leaved Hoya is now in bloom and there can be no doubt that it is H. bicarinata. The two keels are very distinct. It is my No. 28.

Believe me,

Very faithfully yours,

Thos. Powell

Corrected description

Vernacular names Lauatolo (Manu'a) Lauatonga (Tutuila) Iatolo (Upolu). See in Flora Vitiensis the similarity of Tahitian names under Luffa insularum. In bloom & fruit in July & Augst⁶

This is a very long, scandent cucurbitacea; dioecious. Male. Main stem round or sulcate 3"' in diameter, covered with a thin, fibrous, whitish bark; substance 9-12 bundles of woody fibres each having 6-9 irregular tubes, & lying intermixed with parenchyma; secondary stems green, 5 angled and furrowed 1½"' - 2" in dia. Leaves single, 2" - 8" apart with a strong tendril opposite each 3" - 9" l.; 1"' in dia. at the base, petioles strong 1" - 2½" l., sub-terete, grooved above; very slightly swoolen⁷ at the base; laminae 3½" - 6" l., 3" - 5½" br. Cordate, lobes ¼ or more of the entire length, divergent; margin crenate and minutely toothletted and slightly waved; apex acute with a tooth, or blunt with a toothlet, or sub-emarginate; substance thin-herbaceous, glabrous, light green beneath, green above, 5-7 nerved. Inflorescence in axillary fascicles, or single umbels of 3-5 flowers or of single racemes of 15-20 sub-capitate flowers; when in umbels or racemes the peduncle is stiff, erect 1"' - 10"'l., the pedicels 3"' - 5"'l.; when in fascicles the peduncles are 3 - 6"' l. or more, slender, with one or two subulate bracts at the base. Calyx campanulate, 5-6 toothed, throat floccose; corollae arising from the rim of the calyx, 5-6 lobed, lobes equal when only 5, unequal when 6, spreading; 5"' across when expanded, cream coloured; stamens 3-5 arising at the base of the calyx from beneath a 3-5-lobed fleshy, concave, central disk, broadly sagittate, crassate; filaments 2"' l., subulate, floccose at the middle; anthers innate, extorse, consisting of a one-celled filiform lobe on each side of a sigittate connective.

Female more robust than the male; stems similar; leaves more distinctly crenate, toothlets more developed, sometimes dentate, apex generally acute or acuminate; margin sometimes 3-lobed; texture much thicker, subscabrous beneath; petioles 1" - 2"l., nearly as thick as the stem, nerves stronger & very prominent, tendrils longer & more slender. Inflorescence axillary 1-5 flowers with one or two long terete bracts at the base of each peduncle which is sub-[…]⁸ and 6"' - 1" l.; flowers first greenish and them cream-cold⁹ of the size, form & construction of the male with 3-5 […] filaments without anthers, but, like those of the male, floccose at the middle. Calyx epigynous. Carpels 6, consolidated, placentae parietal; ovary three-celled, terete, green 5"' l. 1½"' in dia. when the flowers expand, surmounted by a fleshy, concave 3-5 lobed disk within the calyx, at first green, then waxy yellow; ovules numerous in a single tier in each cell, attached to its outer angle with a thin fleshy layer between each; style 1½"' l. trifid at the apex, stigmas 3, reniform, bi-lobed. Fruit pink with a green base, sub-terete, or elongate conical, or fusiform, 9"' - 1½" l., 5"' - 7"' in dia.; apex mucronate; seeds numerous, compressed, long, furrowed at the edge, smooth, white.

Near Luffa insularum A. Gray.

N.B. The inflorescence in the older plants presents considerable variety which might lead to the supposition, if examined separately, of a different species or variety. e.g. instead of 5 or 6 lobes to the petals there may be 8 with a somewhat plicate aestivn, single flowers on long strong peduncles and a 4 parted, [8]-lobed stigma, & fruit larger & of a deeper red.

No. 186. T. Powell Samoa Aug 5/74¹⁰

This is a pretty, very slender, scandent cucurbitacea. Monoecious & dioecious, inflorescence axillary. Stems very slender, minutely anngled, ¼ - ½"' in dia. leaves single, with a short spiral tendril opposite each, 2" - 5" apart; petioles as stought¹¹ as the stem 9"" - 1" l. lamina cordatohastate; margin sub repand or grosse-crenate, very minutely toothletted; apex acute or acuminate, 2" x 2" - 3" x 3"; texture thin herbaceous, occasionally scabrous. Inflorescence ♂ and ♀ arising from the same axil in the monoecious plants. ♂ 2-5; ♀ l; peduncle of ♂ 1" - 2" l. of ♀ 1" l. of both filiform. ♂ calyx campanulate with a narrow rim and five subulate teeth; corolla arising from the rim of the calyx, valv. in aestiv. 5-lobed, spreading; lobes triangular, longer than the calyx tube, 1½"' each way; stamens three, filaments distinct, arising from beneath a sub-globular, fleshy, whaxy¹²-yellow disk, adhering to the sides of the calyx tube but connivent at the apex, floccose at the middle: anthers linear 2 lobed — i.e. a lobe on each lateral margin of a cuneate, crassate, subcucullate connective, one-celled bursting lengthwise in the middle; pollen roundish on subulate stalks. ♀ flowers single, white; calyx urceolato-campanulate, ribbed, with 5 minute teeth, corolla arising from the rim of the calyx, deeply 5-parted, spreading, base floccose, edges recurved, lobes 2"' l. peduncle 9"' l. Ovary terete 5"' l. ¾"' in dia, inferior, surmounted by a 3-lobed, concave disk within the calyx: style strong 2"' l. surmounted by a 3-4 lobed stigma. Structure of ovary the same as No. 151. Fruit 3 celled, fusiform, beaked 9"' - 1" l., 5"' across. This is I suppose a Luffa & yet, as will be seen, there is considerable difference from the characters given in F. Vitiensis. If new I would suggest F.¹³ Samoensis.¹⁴ T. P.

Hoya bicarinata

Luffa insularum

Luffa samoensis