390 MERRILL. 
HOMALANTHUS H. Jussieu. 
HOMALANTHUS P0PULNEU8 (Geisel.) Pax, var. MINOR (MuelL-Arg.) 
comb, nov, 
Carumbium populneum Muell.-Arg. var. minus Muell.-Arg. in DC. 
Prodr. 15* (1866) 1145. 
Homalanthus populneus Pax, var. siccus Pax in Engl. Pflanzenreich 
52 (1912) 46 (non Excoecaria sicca Blanco!). 
Mueller's name for this variety must be maintained, for Pax and K. 
Hoffmann are in error in the adoption of the varietal name siccus, based on 
Excoecaria sicca Blanco. Mueller first suggested that Excoecaria sicca 
Blanco was a synonym of Carumbium populneum,^ 'but was not sure, 
"Excaecaria sicca Blanco etiam hie pertinere videtur." An exam- 
ination of Blanco's description shows that this reduction is impossible, as 
he described a very different plant, with leaves very similar to those of 
tuba camaisa {Croton tiglium L.), 3-nerved at the base, said by him to be 
common along the margins of estuaries and rivers. Excoecaria sicca Blanco 
is common in some localities in and about Manila, in the habitats ascribed 
to it by Blanco, habitats in which Homalanthus never grows; moreover no 
Homalanthus is known from the immediate vicinity of Manila. I am con- 
fident that F.-Villar was correct in his reduction of Blanco's Excoecaria 
sicca to the genus Alchomea; it is not, however, the same as Alchomea 
mollis Muell.-Arg. I have already" transferred Blanco's name to Alchomea, 
as A. sicca (Blanco) Merr., and reduced to it the more recently described 
Alchomea parviflora MuelL-Arg. While there is absolutely no doubt as 
to the correctness of the transfer of Blanco's species to Alchomea, I am 
now of the opinion that I was in error in the reduction of Alchomea parvi- 
flora to A. sicca Merr., and that two distinct species are represented. See 
page 382. 
^ Homalanthus populneus var. minor is common and widely distributed 
m the Philippines, and is represented by the following material: Luzon, 
Provmce of Laguna, Elmer: Province of Zambales, Hallier: Province of 
Bulacan, Bur, Sci. 13034 Ramos: Province of Bataan, Williams 289, For, 
Bur^ 20008 Topacio, For, Bur, 1209 Borden, Whitford U78, 1281: Province 
of Rizal.il/crn7Z 1879 (not ^^Elmer 1879 r as quoted by Pax), PhAl PL 309 
ffrnlh Loher 4801 : Province of Batangas, For, Bur, 21559 Tamesis, Elmer 
9226, Memll 2893 (not "Elmer 2893 ;' as quoted by Pax), Ritchie 45: 
Provmce of Albay, Bur, Sci, 2889, 2891 Meams, Bur, Sci, 6409 Robinson: 
Province of Sorsogon, For. Bur. 10525 Curran. Marinduque, collector 
unknow^. Negros, For. Bur, 11209 Everett, Whitford 16m Leyte, Elmer 
^38 PALAWAN, MerHll 702, 843 (not "Elm^r 702, 843," as quoted by 
rax) Mindanao, District of Zamboanga, Williams 2077, For. Bur. 9245 
Whitford & Hutchinson: District of Davao, Elmer 12499. 
Native names: Balanti, bayanti (Negros, Marinduque); bota-bota (Ta- 
yabas)^6w«a (Rizal) ; malabinunga, binuang-susong (Bataan); banii 
U 
Prodr 
"This Journal 5 (1910) Bot. 192. 
