Pacific Science (1979), vol. 33, no. 4 © 1980 by The University Press of Hawaii. All rights reserved The Native Hawaiian Species of Morinda (Rubiaceae) Hawaiian Plant Studies 94 1 HAROLD ST. JOHN 2 As ON MOST OTHER ISLANDS in the tropical eastward to Hawaii. Pacific Morinda citrifolia L. occurs on the Besides the introduced Morinda citrifolia, Hawaiian Islands. It was an economic plant there are native species in the Hawaiian for the aboriginal people who used it as a Islands. Morinda trimera of Maui was pub­ dye plant and as a medicine. It is now not lished by Hillebrand in 1888, and Morinda uncommon in the lowlands, and it continues sandwicensis and its var. glabrata were pub­ to propagate itself. However, its occurrence lished by Degener in 1936. Subsequent col­ is mostly in the vicinity of present or former lections and the present investigation now habitations of the Hawaiians. It seems add to this total. Species or varieties are evident that this species, the "noni" of the known on east Maui, west Maui, Lanai, the natives, was purposely brought here by the Waianae Mts. of Oahu, and the Koolau early Polynesian immigrants. It occurs from Range of Oahu. A single sterile collection Africa, southern Asia, the Indian Ocean has also been made on Kauai. islands, and the tropical Pacific islands KEY TO SPECIES AND VARIETIES A. Blade surfaces both glabrous, B. Stipule lobes 3.5-4 mm long, acute to acuminate; tertiary veins not hairy tufted; corolla lobes 4, ligulate, acute. West Maui M. waikapuensis. B. Stipule lobes 2-2.5 mm long, broadly deltoid, acute; tertiary veins with basal axillary puberulous tufts; corolla lobes 3, lanceolate. Waianae Mts., Oahu . .................................................... M. sandwicensis, var. glabrata. A. Blades pubescent below, C. Tertiary veins below with basal axillary puberulent tufts, D. Blades puberulent below; stipule tube 5-6 mm long; corolla lobes 3(-4) and 3.5-5 mm long. Waianae Mts., Oahu M. sandwicensis, var. sandwicensis. D. Blades early glabrate; stipule tube 6-8 mm long; corolla lobes 4 and 3 mm long. Koolau Range, Oahu. ..................... .. M. sandwicensis, var. Hosakae. C. Tertiary veins below without axillary basal hairy tufts, E. Stipule lobes 3-3.5 mm long, narrowly deltoid, acuminate; corolla tube 4 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, puberulous. East Maui. .............. .. M. trimera. E. Stipule lobes 5-6.5 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate; corolla tube 5-6 mm long, the lobes ligulate, acute, glabrous. Lanai M. lanaiensis. Morinda lanaiensis sp. nov. (sect. Morinda) DIAGNOSIS HOLOTYPI: Arbor est, ramulis 2.5-4 mm diametro glabris 4-lateralibus, Figure 1 internodis 5-26 mm longis, ramis vetus­ tioribus fuscis, stipulis glabris tubo 3 mm longo lobis 6.5 mm longis lanceolatis acu­ I Manuscript received 1 June 1976. 2Bernice P. Bishop Museum, P.O. Box I9000-A, minatis, petiolis 14-22 mm longis, laminis Honolulu, Hawaii 96819. 11-13.5 cm longis 3.7-4.3 cm latis firme 369 370 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 33, October 1979 ~ c ~C.. L-~~_~_' f e ~ .1.0 eM I ..reM I a 0 SCM I I FIGURE 1. Morinda lanaiensis St. John, a-e from holotype. a, habit, x t; b, leaf venation, x 5; c, corolla, x 2; d, opened corolla and anthers, x 2; e, style and stigmas, x 2;/, from Forbes 326.L., fruit, x I. Hawaiian Plant Studies 94-ST. JOHN 371 chartaceis integris elliptici-oblanceolatis ovaries in flower 7 mm in diameter, in fruit apice subacuminato basi breve cuneata 2-2.4 cm in diameter, subglobose. supra glabris infra in initio sparse omnino EXPANDED DESCRIPTION: Internodes 5-65 puberulis pilis praesertim ad midnervum mm long; stipule tube 3-4.5 mm long, the durantibus axilibus nervorum secun­ lobes 4-6.5 mm long; petioles 10-22 mm dariorum puberulis axilibus tertiorum gla­ long; blades 8.5-15.5 cm long, 2.9-5 cm bratis, inflorescentiis axilaribus in ramis wide; peduncles 6-12 mm long; heads of nudis, pedunculo 8-12 mm longo supra 5-11 flowers; corolla tube 5-6 mm long; nudo sed dimidio infero cum 2 nodis cum fruiting head 2 cm in diameter, subglobose tubis stipularum et bracteis 10 mm longis and with each of the persistent calyces linearibus vel 25-30 mm longis foliaceis, projecting. capiti in flore 2 cm diametro globoso cum 7-9 floribus connatis, tubo calycis 2.5-3 mm HOLOTYPUS: Hawaiian Islands, Lanai longis cum 2-3 lobis vadose deltoideis Island, Kahinahina, 14 June 1915, G. C. latioribus, tubo corollae 6 mm longo, 3 lobis Munro 262 (BISH). corollae 5 mm longis late ligulatis acutis recurvatis, 3 antheris 2.3 mm longis in fauce SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Hawaiian Islands, corollae et paulo exsertis, stylo 8 mm longo Lanai Island, mountains near Koele, June bifido, 2 stigmatibus I mm longis anguste 1913, C. N. Forbes 126.L (BISH); Dog Valley, ellipsoideis, ovariis coherescentibus in flore 7 September 1911, Forbes 326.L (BISH); valley mm diametro in fructu 2-2.4 cm diametro connecting Koele and Maunalei gulches, 2 subgloboso. December 1914, Forbes 365.L (BISH); Wahani, 2 December 1914, Munro 74 (BISH); DIAGNOSIS OF HOLOTYPE: Tree; branchlets Kahinahina, 4 June 1915, Munro (BISH); 2.5-4 mm in diameter, glabrous, 4-sided; Papalahoomoe, rare, 13 April 1928, Munro internodes 5-26 mm long; older branchlets 310 (BISH). buff-colored; stipules glabrous, the tube 3 DISCUSSION: The new epithet is formed mm long, its lobes 6.5 mm long, lanceolate, from the name of the type locality, Lanai, acuminate; petioles 14-22 mm long; blades and -ensis, the Latin geographic adjectival 11-13.5 cm long, 3.7-4.3 cm wide, firm ending. chartaceous, entire, elliptic-oblanceolate, the apex subacuminate, the base short cuneate, above glabrous, below at first sparsely pube­ Morinda sandwicensis Degener, var. sandwi­ rulous throughout, and the hairs persisting censis, Fl. Haw., Fam. 332, 7/3/36, especially near the midrib, and the basal illustrated. axils of the secondary veins puberulent tufted, but the axils of the tertiary veins ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: "Arbor 10m. alta, glabrate; inflorescences axillary, on the foliis 13-18 cm. longis et 6-8 cm. latis, naked older branchlets; peduncle 8-12 mm corolla 15 mm. longa, petalis 3-4, anthera 4 long, naked above, but the lower half with 2 mm. longa." nodes bearing stipular tubes and bracts, Added to this there is a long and detailed either 10 mm long and linear, or 25-30 mm description, and a good and detailed illus­ long and foliaceous; head in flower 2 cm in tration. Hence, there is no need to print diameter, globose, of 7-9 connate flowers; another illustration. calyx tube 2.5-3 mm long, with 2-3 lobes, very broad and low deltoid; corolla tube 6 SUPPLEMENTARY DESCRIPTION: Blades 8-18 mm long; 3 corolla lobes 5 mm long, broad cm long, 4-8 cm wide, oblanceolate to ligulate, acute, recurving; 3 anthers 2.3 mm oblance-elliptic, above glabrous, below pu­ long, in the corolla throat, slightly protrud­ berulent throughout and puberulent tufted ing; style 8 mm long, bifid; 2 stigmas I mm in the basal axils of the secondary and the long, narrowly ellipsoid; the coalescent tertiary veins; stipule tube 5-6 mm long, the 372 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Volume 33, October 1979 lobes 2 mm long, broadly deltoid, the 3(-4) 1,400-2,878 ft alt., 16 March 1930, H. St. corolla lobes 3.5-5 mm long. John 10,433; Puu Hapapa, 1,500 ft alt., 25 Degener states in his diagnosis that the October 1931, St. John 11,132; Puu Kalena, flowers are 15 mm long; and in his descrip­ Waianaeuka, wooded gulch, 1,600 ft alt., 5 tion that the corolla tube is 8 mm long, and November 1933, St. John 13,383; between the lobes 7 mm long. On the contrary, his Kaala and Koleko1e Pass, 25 September detailed figure shows the tube 5-6 mm long, 1938, O. Selling 3,658. and the lobes 5 mm long. The corolla is fleshy and it shrinks on drying. The dried flowers on the holotype have the corolla tube Morinda sandwicensis Degener, var. glab­ 5 mm long and the lobes 3.5-5 mm long. rata (Degener) comb. nov. M. sandwicensis Degener, forma glabrata HOLOTYPE: Hawaiian Islands, Waianae Degener, Fl. Haw., Fam. 332, 7/3/36. Mts., "On the summit near spur dividing Makua Valley from Kahanaiki Valley, ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: "Frutex." To this Oahu." On the type label there is added, was added, 'This plant differs from the "Dense wet forest of large trees, 10 July species in being a glabrate, loosely branching 1932, O. Degener, K. Park, & Y. Nitta 9,423 shrub about 2-3 meters high." (BISH). " EXPANDED DESCRIPTION: Shrub or tree to SPECIMENS EXAMINED: All in the Bernice P. 16 m in height and 15 em in diameter; blades Bishop Museum and all from Hawaiian 13-17 em long, 3.5-7.3 em wide, elliptic to Islands, Oahu, Waianae Mts.: southeast oblance-elliptic, above glabrous, below glab­ corner Makua Valley, 27 September 1932, rous except for the puberulent tufts at the O. Degener & C. Judd 9,427; west central basal axils of the secondary veins and of branch Makaleha Valley, forest, 23 October some of the tertiary veins; stipule tube 3-5 1936, Degener, Krauss & Martinez 11,053; mm long, the lobes 2-2.5 mm long, broadly west side Makaleha Valley, on trail meeting deltoid; the 3 corolla lobes 4 mm long, Piko Trail, 21 July 1935, Degener, Park, lanceolate. Potter, Bush & Topping 11,512; east branch HOLOTYPE: Hawaiian Islands, Waianae of East Makaleha Valley, forested side Mts., "Near end of Schofield Fire-break gulch, 1,800 ft alt., 30 July 1950, Degener Trail at base of Kaala, Oahu" (BISH).