THE FAMILY POSITION OF MOULLAVA ADANSON

Abstract

In 1904 DALLA TORRE and HARMS listed Moullava Adans. (1763) as genus 69 of the Gentianaceae subfamily Menyanthoideae and as genus 6547 of the total generic list. The genus Almeloveenia Dennst. (1818) was given in synonymy but was listed also as genus 6 (9635 of the total list) of the Genera Incertae Sedis on page 583. Although ADANSON assigned no species to Moullava, the publication was valid because he furnished a brief diagnosis. He also referred to the original author of the name, RHEDE (1686) and included the genus in his first section Cassiae of the Leguminosae. There is no doubt from both ADANSON's description and RHEDE'S excellent plate and description that the plant is a woody member of the Leguminosae. DENNSTEDT renamed RHEDE'S Moullava in his three Indices to the Horti Malabarici. The first index gives the Indian name followed by the scientific name with the volume number and plate reference, the second gives the scientific name with the reference, and the third is to individual volumes giving the Indian and botanical names and some remarks on the plates. He compiled the Indices in order to make the plates more readily available and because Linnaeus had given them only cursory inspection. DENNSTEDT reidentified RHEDE'S plates but when he came upon one which he considered new, he assigned a binomial name to it. Hence there are three page references (13, 18 and 32) to Almeloveenia spinosa, his new name for RHEDE'S Moullava, named in honor of THEODOR JANSON AB ALMELOVEEN, one of the co-authors of the Horti. This binomial is not validly published as pointed out to me by Dr. STAFLEU and Dr. RICKETT (in litt.)' because it constitutes publication of a new generic name and specific epithet not accompanied by a description as called for by Article 41 of the Code but by a simple reference to a previous description.