The Euphorbiaceae of Central Malesia (Celebes, Moluccas. Lesser Sunda Is.)

Abstract

Summary. An enumeration of the Euphorbiaceae of Central Malesia is offered. Because collections from most of this area are rather scanty, no keys are offered, as in previous parts of this 'series'*. A list of new taxa is given on page 36. The account of Euphorbia has been provided by Mr Radcliffe-Smith, as in previous parts of the series. The following pages present a skeleton enumeration of the Euphorbiaceae of the Indonesian islands lying between Borneo, the Philippines, Java and New Guinea. Because these islands have been relatively so little botanized and their flora is still so poorly known no attempt has been made to construct keys for identification, but it is hoped that a listing of recorded taxa may prove useful to workers with phytogeographic interests. It has not been possible to check the numerous records in Koorders' 'Flora of NE Celebes' in Meded.'s Lands Plantent. 19 (1898), nor to attempt to identify the alleged new taxa proposed in that work, many of which were quite inadequately described. References have been given throughout to Merrill's 'Reliquiae Robinsonianae', in Philipp. Journ. Sci. 11, Bot.: 281-5 (1917), and to his Interpretation of Rumphius's Herbarium Amboinense (1917), as also to my own Euphorbiaceae of Borneo (1975) and of New Guinea (1980), in which a more complete selection of literature citations, etc., than that given here, will generally be found. Comprehensive sources of information on the flora of central and eastern Malesia are few. Apart from the pre-Linnean Herbarium Amboinense (1741-50) and Auctuarium (1755) of Rumphius, together with Merrill's detailed and valuable Interpretation (1917), no major works are available except Koorders, 'Verslag eener Botanische Dienstreis door de Minahasa tevens eerste overzicht der Flora van N.O. Celebes' (Mededeelingen van 's Lands Plantentuin 19: 1-716 (1898)-a book regrettably full of nomina nuda and unreliable determinations, which I have felt obliged largely to ignore-and Holthuis & Lam, 'A first contribution to our knowledge of the flora of the Talaud Islands and Morotai' (Blumea 5 (1): 93-256 (Euphorbiaceae 199-203) (1942)), a careful and comprehensive work which I have cited throughout. In the citation of localities, the islands and island groups are cited from West to East and North to South: Celebes, Sangihe & Talaud Is.. Moluccas (north to south); Lesser Sunda Is. (west to east) (Bali to Tanimbar & Kai Is.).-General distribution.