19. 8 Merrill: Burman’s Flora Indica 331 
While in most cases the geographic origin of the various speci- 
mens cited is correct, some errors have been detected. Thus 
Polypodium spinulosum Burm. f., indicated as originating in 
Java, is the Australian proteaceous Synaphea polymorpha R. 
Br. = S. spinulosa (Burm. f.) Merr.; Adianthum truncatum 
Burm. f., indicated as originating in Java, is the Australian 
Acacia decipiens R. Br.; and the type of Lotus persicus Burm. f. 
was apparently from South Africa rather than from Persia. 
Burman proposed but five new generic names, of which three 
are universally recognized as valid, and two have been reduced 
as synonyms. These names are as follows: Clausena,* Embelia, 
Porania, Usubis (=—Allophylus), and Zaleya (—Trianthema). 
With the exception of those binomials proposed as new, total- 
ing about 241, all the others in the work are accredited to 
Linnaeus. In a considerable number of cases it is perfectly 
evident that Burman erred in his interpretation of Linnean 
species, and some of his misinterpreted binomials have by later 
authors been made the basis of new names. Thus Panicum re- 
pens (non Linn.) Burm. f. Fl. Ind. (1768) 26, t. 11, f. 1, although 
a Panicum, scarcely represents the Linnean species; Poa mala- 
barica (non Linn.) Burm. f. op. cit. 27, t. 11, f. 2, is Centotheca 
latifolia (Osb.) Trin., the Linnean species being Panicum mala- 
baricum (Linn.) Merr. (P. arnottianum Nees); Pavetta indica 
(non Linn.) Burm. f. op. cit. 35, t. 13, f. 3, seems to be an Ixora; 
and Vitex pinnata (non Linn.) Burm. f. op. cit. 138, t. 43 [f. 2] 
is Aglaia odoratd Lour., the Linnean species being apparently 
identical with Vitex altissima Linn. f.5 These are but a few 
cases that have been noted by me in which Burman’s binomial 
represents other than the species Linnaeus intended; there are 
unquestionably numerous other similar ones. 
The younger Burman’s collections, on which the Flora Indica 
was based, are preserved in the Delessert herbarium, now at 
the Botanic Garden, Geneva, Switzerland,® some specimens from 
him being also preserved in the Munich herbarium. The actual 
types, in many cases, have been examined by subsequent authors 
who were engaged in monographic work; and wherever more 
amplified descriptions have been published, or reductions made 
“In the text this appears as Claucena, a manifest typographical error 
for Clausena as printed in the index to Burman’s work. According to 
Wittstein the name is derived from P. Clausén, a Danish author of a work 
on algae published in 1632. 
*See Trimen FI. Ceyl. 3 (1895) 858. 
*De Candolle, A., La Phytographie (1880) 401. 
