538 mereill: the generic name nauclea of linnaeus 



and C. angustifolius Lour. From Loureiro's description the 

 former is a true Nauclea (Sarcocephalus) , for the fruits are de- 

 scribed as edible and baccate, while the latter is a true Cephal- 

 anthus, the type of which Haviland has examined in the herbarium 

 of the British Museum. Axolus Rafinesque (Sylv. Tellur. 

 61. 1838) is based on Cephalanthus angustifolius Lour., and 

 is a proper synonym of Cephalanthus. Eresimus Rafinesque 

 (loc. cit.) is based on Cephalanthus sfellatus Lour., which is 

 cited by Haviland as a synonym of Cephalanthus angustifolius 

 Lour. Gilipus Rafinesque (loc. cit.) is based on Cephalanthus 

 mo7itanus Lour., which Loureiro has described as having alternate 

 leaves. If Loureiro's description is correct, Gilipus does not 

 even belong to the Rubiaceae, and from other characters given, 

 such as leaves crenate, rough, and flowers dioecious, the plant 

 even if rubiaceous can scarcely belong to the Naucleeae. Sili- 

 manus Rafinesque (op. cit. 60) is based on Cephalanthus procum- 

 hens Lour., which like Gilipus cannot be a rubiaceous plant, if 

 Loureiro's description is correct, as the leaves are described as 

 alternate; the description otherwise as to habit, flowers dioecious, 

 and other characters, at once removes the plant from the 

 Naucleeae. 



The list of synonyms of Sarcocephalus, Nauclea, and Cephal- 

 anthus being exhausted, and none of them being applicable to the 

 numerous species that have erroneously been placed in Nauclea, 

 I propose for these species the new generic name Neonauclea 

 as a substitute for Nauclea as described by Korthals,!^ by Bent- 

 ham and Hooker,!- \^y j{; Schumann, ^^ and by Haviland. ^^ 



Neonauclea as now constituted contains nearly 50 species, and 

 extends from India to New Guinea. Unlike Nauclea proper 

 {Sarcocephalus Afzel.) no species have been reported from tropi- 

 cal Africa, from tropical Australia, or from Polynesia. I trans- 

 fer to Neonauclea the following species. 



" Observationes de Naucleis Indicis, 17. 1839. 



'2 Genera Plantarum, 2: 31. 1873. 



'3 In Engler and Prantl, Natiirlichen Pflanzenfani. 4": 57. 1891. 



'4 Revision of the Tribe Naucleeae. Joiirn. Linn. See. Bot. 33: 48. 1897. 



