VIII, c, 4 Merrill: Philippine Melastomataceae, I 215 
The exact identity of the typical form of Memecylon edule Roxb. is 
more or less doubtful, as his figure is not particularly good, and his descrip- 
tion is unsatisfactory. Trimen ^ met with difficulty in trying to interpret the 
species, and concluded that it was safer not to employ Roxburgh's name 
for any Ceylon species; he referred M. edule var. ovatum C. B. Clarke to 
M. grande Retz., as a variety. 
If Cogniaux is correct in his synonymy of the species, the oldest valid 
specific name is Memecylon umhellatum Burm. f. FI. Ind. (1768) 87, in 
spite of the fact that Trimen states that Burmann's name was published 
without description. Although Burmann's description consists of but five 
words, it constitutes a valid publication by reference to "Burm. zeyl. 76, 
t. so;' and the figure referred to is the type of the species. Samara laeta 
L. Mant. 2 (1771) 199, being based on the same reference as Memecylon 
umhellatum, becomes an exact synonym. However, Trimen considers that 
Memecylon umhellatum Burm. f. is specifically distinct from M. edule 
Roxb., in which I agree with him, after an examination of the literature 
involved, and the Ceylon material available here. Whether or not true 
Memecylon edule Roxb. extends to the Philippines may be a question of 
dispute, but it seems to be very evident that nothing closely approaching 
Memecylon umhellatum Burm. f. is found in the Archipelago. 
A very great number of Philippine specimens, collected within the past 
decade, have been determined and for the most part the duplicate material 
distributed as Memecylon edule Roxb. Among the specimens so named 
several distinct species are represented, but most of the material is refer- 
able to M, suhfurfuraceum Merr. and to the form considered below. 
7. MEMECYLON OVATUM Sm. in Rees Cycl. 23 (1816) No. 3; Benth. 
in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 5 (1861) 78. 
Memecylon parviflorum Blanco Fl. Filip. (1837) 300; Cogn. in DC. 
Monog. Phan. 7 (1891) 1172. 
Memecylon tinctorium Blanco 1. c. ed. 2 (1845) 208, non Koenig. 
Memecylon lucidum Presl Epim. (1851) 209. 
Memecylon prasinum Naud. in Ann. Sci. Nat. Ill 18 (1852) 275. 
Memecylon edule Roxb. var. ovatum C. B. Clarke in Hook. f. Fl. 
Brit. Ind. 2 (1879) 564. 
Batanes Islands, Dalupiri, Bur. Sci, 1064S McGregor. Luzon, Prov- 
ince of Ilocos Sur, Bur, Sci, 10070 McGregor: Province of Nueva Ecija, 
For, Bur. 8U6, 8^85 Currant Province of Pangasinan, Merrill 2878, For. 
Bur. 8378 Curran & Merritt: Province of Zambales, Merrill 2087, For, 
Bur. 6936 Curran: Province of Rizal, For. Bur, 1838 Ahern's collector, 
Loher 3528: Province of Laguna, For. Bur. 11980 Tamesis, For. Bur. 
223 U2 Mariano: Province of Batangas, For. Bur, 21568 Tamesis: Prov- 
ince of Tayabas, For. Bur. 13367 Aguilar, For. Bur. 102^6 Curran, For. 
Bur. 15269^10005 Rosenhhith: Province of Camarines, Ahern 800. ^ Pala- 
wan, For. Bur, 4508, 7461 Curran. Mindanao, Province of Misamis, For. 
Bur. 195 U Klemme: District of Davao, Copeland 689: District of Zam- 
boanga, Ahern 656, Bur, Sci. 11783 Rohinson. Basilan, For, Bur, 6574 
Hutchinson, 
The Philippine form seems to be quite identical with the Indo-Malayan 
one which is represented in the herbarium of the Bureau of Science by 
8 
Fl. Ceyl. 2 (1894) 221. 
