The Philippine Journal of Science, C. Botany, 
Vol. VIII, No. 4, July, 1913. 
STUDIES ON PHILIPPINE MELASTOMATACEAE, I 
By E. D. Merrill^ 
m 
{From the Botanical Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of 
Science, Manila, P. /.) 
A. The Genus Memecylon 
The genus Memecylon is, in some respects, a peculiarly diffi- 
cult one to study and no proposed scheme of classification of 
the numerous forms is entirely satisfactory either from the 
standpoint of interrelationships of the numerous forms, or 
from that of facility in making determinations. In the past 
decade abundant material has been collected in the Philippines, 
and a study of the available specimens has led me to make some 
radical changes in the nomenclature of some of our most com- 
mon forms, and to alter the status of others. Very many of 
the specimens, in the light of this recent study, were originally 
erroneously determined, numerous forms, following* other 
authors, being referred to the comprehensive Memecylon edule 
Roxb., as interpreted by Cogniaux. It has been considered ad- 
visable, under the circumstances, to cite specimens rather fully 
under each species as at present understood, in order that the 
duplicates, now widely distributed in numerous botanical insti- 
tutions, can be rearranged in conformity with the present treat- 
ment, should the ideas embodied herein as to limits of species 
and nomenclature meet with acceptance. 
The first Philippine species described were the two indicated 
by Blanco in 1837, Memecylon parviflo'i'um Blanco, which in 
1845 he altered to M. tinctorium, and M, lanceolatum Blanco. 
Neither have been understood by succeeding authors, although 
both are common species in Luzon, and the last name is valid 
under our rules of nomenclature. Both species have been here 
^Associate Professor of Botany, University of the Philippines, Ma- 
nila, P. I. 
207 
