Flora Malesiana Region Research Articles

New infraspecific taxa and combinations in Malesian Elaeocarpus

SummaryInfraspecific names and combinations are provided for 19 variants of Elaeocarpus L. in the Flora Malesiana region.

Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 18. The genus Lespedeza

The genus Lespedeza is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. Differences between Lespedeza and Campylotropis are briefly discussed. The two genera are united and treated as one genus: Lespedeza. Two species are present in Malesia. A key to the species and some notes are provided.

Notes on Malesian <I>Fabaceae</I> (<I>Leguminosae-Papilionoideae</I>). 16. The genus <I>Mucuna</I>

The genus Mucuna is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. Several characters are discussed in some detail. The subdivision of the genus is discussed. We accept two subgenera: subg. Mucuna and subg. Stizolobium. Several groups of species showing similarity in some characters are discussed. A description of the genus is presented, two keys to the species are given. The main part of the paper consists of an enumeration of the species including descriptions of new species: three byAdema (M. angustifolia, M. eurylamellata, M. kabaenensis) and four by Wiriadinata (M. aimun, M. havilandii, M. sakapipei, M. verdcourtii). Neotypes are designated for M. diabolica and M. novo-guineensis. Mucuna pachycarpa Parreno is validated.Asubspecies of M. pruriens, subsp. novo-guineensis, is raised to species level as M. papuana. The paper ends with dubious and excluded species, references, a list of species and a list of names.

The genus Premna L. (Lamiaceae) in the Flora Malesiana area

A revision of the genus Premna is presented for the Flora Malesiana region. A key, descriptions, notes on ecology, distribution, local uses and names and conservation status are given for all 14 species occurring in the Flora Malesiana area. One new species, Premna clavata de Kok, is described. Four names are lectotypified, one neotypified and 71 names are placed into synonymy for the first time. Three names are treated as doubtful and four are excluded from the present definition of the genus.

The genus Vitex (Labiatae) in the Flora Malesiana region, excluding New Guinea

A revision of the genus Vitex is presented for the Flora Malesiana region excluding New Guinea. A key to all 16 species and two subspecies for the Flora Malesiana is provided. Descriptions are given of species, notes on ecology, distribution, local uses, vernacular names and conservation status are given for all species from the Flora Malesiana region which were not included in the species treatment for New Guinea, and those that were included in the latter treatment are usually expanded. Vitex medusaecalyx H. J. Lam, V. siamica F. N. Williams and V. vestita Wall. ex Walp. are lectotypified in this paper and 18 names are placed into synonymy for the first time. Seven names are treated as doubtful names and 35 names are excluded from the present definition of the genus.

The Taxonomy of Vaccinium Section Rigiolepis (Vaccinieae, Ericaceae)

Vaccinium section Rigiolepis (Hook.f.) Sleumer is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. In the introduction a short history of the genus (section) and its defining characters are presented followed by comments about Sleumer’s classification for this section. Numerical techniques using features suggested by Sleumer on ‘indet’ specimens at Leiden counsel a more conservative approach to species delimitation and the resultant revision for this section recognizes thirteen species including three new taxa, viz., V. crinigrum, V. suberosum, and V. linearifolium. Lectotypes for V. borneense W.W. Sm. and V. leptanthum Miq. are also proposed.

Revision of the Genus Labisia (Myrsinaceae)

The genus Labisia (Myrsinaceae) is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. Seven species are recognised. Several earlier described species are synonymous to L. pumila and reduced to varieties of that species: var. alata, var. lanceolata, var. neriifolia and var. sessilifolia. A new record of L. longistyla is mentioned. Labisia malouiana and L. obtusifolia are excluded from the genus.

Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae). 11. The genus Derris

Derris Lour. is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. In the introduction comments are given on some characters and the seedlings of D. trifoliata Lour. are described. The introduction is followed by a section ‘Notes on species’ in which the varieties of D. elegans Graham ex Benth. are described, including a new one from Celebes (var. celebica Adema) and a new one from Malaysia, Java, Borneo, the Philippines and the Moluccas (var. korthalsiana (Blume ex Miq.) Adema). Several other species are discussed at some length. A key to the species of Derris in Malesia is presented. The paper concludes with notes on aberrant specimens and excluded species.

A New Species of Medusanthera Seem. (Icacinaceae) from New Guinea: Medusanthera inaequalis Utteridge. Contributions to the Flora of Mt Jaya, IV

Medusanthera Seem. is a small genus of five to seven species in the Icacinaceae, distributed from Peninsular Malaysia through to Fiji and Samoa. The genus is characterised in being dioecious, having pedunculate cymose inflorescences, pentamerous flowers with a gamosepalous cup-like calyx, pubescent filaments and, notably, the basally gibbous ovary, which develops into a distinctive flattened drupe with a fleshy lateral pulvinus or appendage borne on the concave surface (see also Howard 1940: 470 et seq.). In the Flora Malesiana region, Medusanthera shares several morphological similarities with Hartleya Sleumer and Codiocarpus R. A. Howard, especially the cuplike calyx and the compressed drupe with a fleshy appendage. Hartleya differs from Medusanthera in having tetramerous flowers with a thick unilateral disk. Codiocarpus can be distinguished from Medusanthera by the glabrous filaments; Medusanthera has cylindrical hairs on the filaments (see below). Howard (1940), in a checklist of the genus, recognised eight species of Medusanthera. The genus was subsequently revised by Howard (1943), who recognised ten species, four from New Guinea: M. laxiflora (Miers) R. A. Howard, M. papuana (Becc.) R. A. Howard, M. peekelii (Sleumer) Sleumer and M. coriifolia (Sleumer) Sleumer. Howard (1943) noted that M. peekelii and M. coriifolia were almost identical to M. papuana but, not having seen any material of either, did not place them in synonymy. Sleumer (1969, 1972) revised the family for Flora Malesiana and recognised two species in the Flora Malesiana region, of which only M. laxiflora was recorded for New Guinea. Sleumer (1972) placed M. papuana, M. peekelii and M. coriifolia as synonyms of M. laxiflora, noting that the greater amount of specimens 'at hand effaces differences formerly regarded as sufficient for the discrimination of species'. The new species described here was first collected by Kloss in 1912 1913, but was determined as M. laxiflora by Sleumer. It was recently recollected during

The Disposition of Trichopteris (Cyatheaceae)

The delimitation of genera and families has been a persistent problem in fern taxonomy, and the Cyatheaceae sensu stricto is no exception. Christensen (190506) adopted clearly artificial genera (Cyathea, Hemitelia, and Alsophila) based on complete (totally surrounding the sorus), partial, and absent indusia. He included Lophosoria and Metaxya in Alsophila. The latter two satellite genera are distantly related to the major genera of the family, and nowadays are often placed in one or two families of their own. Holttum (1963) proposed a single genus Cyathea for the Flora Malesiana region with two very distinct subgenera, Sphaeropteris and Cyathea. Holttum has maintained (1981, p. 466) that the only subdivision of the genus clearly definable is that between subgenus Sphaeropteris and the rest. This indicates that Alsophila and Cnemidaria are less distinct from Cyathea than all three are from Sphaeropteris, which is confirmed by the lack of hybrids with Sphaeropteris. In studying the species of the Flora Malesiana region, Holttum came to the fundamental conclusion, among many, that indusium type is not an important generic character, for within a few species it varies widely. Tryon (1970) divided the Cyatheaceae sensu stricto on the basis of scale characters, indusium presence or absence, and venation. He adopted the genera Sphaeropteris (scales conform), Alsophila and Nephelea (scales non-conform and setate), Trichopteris (scales non-conform and non-setate, laminae free-veined, and sori exindusiate), Cyathea (scales non-conform and non-setate, laminae freeveined, and sori indusiate), and Cnemidaria (scales non-conform and non-setate and laminae net-veined. According to Holttum and Edwards (1983, p. 179), this classification has assorted closely related species into Cyathea, Sphaeropteris, and Trichopteris. It is apparent that genera based on these characters are not natural. Working from Tryon's (1970) generic concepts, I have found it possible to define readily recognizable and coherent genera in the Cyatheaceae sensu stricto by including in Cyathea the genus Trichopteris and the New World species considered to be Sphaeropteris, except for the S. horrida group. I accept the genera Sphaeropteris, Alsophila (including Nephelea), Cyathea (including Trichopteris), and Cnemidaria. Occasional hybrids occur within Alsophila and Cyathea and between Cnemidaria and Gyathea. This is evidence of a greater degree of relationship than with Sphaeropteris, but in my opinion should not alone be the basis for adopting an inclusive Cyathea (either excluding or even including Sphaeropteris), for the characteristics of Alsophila and Cnemidaria are sufficiently different from those of Cyathea to distinguish the genera readily, and intergeneric hybrids in ferns

The Genus Gynura (Compositae) in Eastern Asia and the Himalayas

Summary. An account is given of the Gynura species occurring in East Asia and the Himalayas, excluding the Flora Malesiana region. Nine species are recognized with synonymy for the area under study; 2 new combinations are made: G. divaricata subsp. barbareifolia and subsp. formosana; and a new variety, G. calciphila var. dissecta is described. An index to epithets is provided. This is the second paper of a series towards a revision of Gynura Cass.,* and it deals with the geographical area corresponding to Merrill & Walker's (1938) areas I, II and IV, excluding the regions covered by Flora Malesiana. By far the most difficult area proved to be Thailand, where the genus has many species and much variability in these, and further collecting and field observations are needed before the preliminary treatment given here can be improved. I should like to thank the Directors of the following herbaria for their assistance and for the loan of specimens: A, AAU, ABD, B, BM, BR, C, E, KYO, L, LE, P, PNH, S, TAI, TI, W, WU. The specimens cited in this account are only a selection of those seen altogether.

Notes on Amaranthaceae: 2

Summary. Within the genus Aerva, the sexual and other diversity of A. lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schultes and A. leucura Moq. is discussed, A. sansibarica Suesseng. and A. incana Suesseng. being reduced to the synonym of A. lanata; variation in A. javanica (Burm. f.) Juss. ex Schultes var. bovei Webb is also discussed. Aerva curtisii Oliv. and A. cochinchinensis Gagnep. are transferred to a new genus Psilotrichopsis, and A. monsoniae Linn. f. to a new genus Trichurus. Psilotrichum is revised in SE. Asia. Pupalia orbiculata Heyne ex Wall. becomes a variety of P. lappacea (L.) Juss. The relationships of Digera Forssk.. Neocentema Schinz and Pleuropteranthera Franchet are dealt with; finally, Amaranthus dubius Mart. ex Thell., A. lividus L. and Centrostachys aquatica (R.Br.) Wall. ex Moq. are typified. A new varietal combination is made for what has previously been thought to be the 'typical' variety of Achyranthes aspera L., and for two other varieties of this species. Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schultes and A. leucura Moq. A. leucura Moq. has been maintained as a species distinct from A. lanata for the 'Flora of Tropical East Africa' account as it stands at the moment. This reflects no great conviction that such is the true state of affairs, but rather that even after protracted study I find that I have nothing of significance to add to our knowledge of the taxonomy of these two plants. As Hauman (1951: 59) remarks, A. leucura is an ill-defined and unconvincing species, comprising as it does plants which resemble a paniculate variety of A. lanata, and identical with the latter in flowers, fruit and seed. Were the two wholly sympatric with numerous intermediates, one would unhesitatingly subordinate A. leucura as a variety of A. lanata. However, while A. lanata ranges through most of tropical Africa to South Africa (where, however, it appears to be rare) and thence from Arabia eastwards through tropical Asia to the Philippines and New Guinea, A. leucura is confined to Africa southwards from Uganda and Kenya (one rather atypical specimen only seen from the latter country) to South Africa, where it is common. Similarly, even within the F.T.E.A. range A. leucura is, if one may judge from herbarium material, much more restricted in altitude range than A. lanata, scarcely descending below 6o00 m, while A. lanata occurs commonly at sea level. It would perhaps be fashionable to make a subspecies of A. leucura-a course of action which would merely create a new binomial to no profit; for the moment, it seems best to continue to regard these two as vicarious species. Such intermediates as occur are chiefly found in the area where the two plants overlap in abundance (e.g. in Tanzania), and may as well be due to hybridization as to any other course. Genetical investigation is much needed here. As well as being a troublesome genus taxonomically the sexuality of Aerva appears complex. The widespread A. javanica (Burm. f.) Juss. ex Schult. seems to be constantly dioecious; conversely, all the material which I have examined of the Indian A. sanguinolenta (L.) Bl. (A. scandens Roxb.) has had well-developed anthers and stigmas, though Backer (1949: 85) describes it as having flowers hermaphrodite or female. But in A. lanata there is a more involved situation. In the Flora Malesiana region it is, according to Backer,