320 SHORT NOTES. 



Alpinia [lleUenia) oceanica mihi {A. nutans K. Schum. non 

 Kosc). — Prof. Schumann has described this species, although not 

 yet found in New Guinea, in the Flora of Kaiser Wilhelnis Land,'-' 

 and, supposing it to be a form described by Rumphius, on which 

 Linnaeus founded his species Globba nutans, named it Alpinia 

 nutans. I cannot agree with him in this complicating of the 

 synonymy. The matter may be sifted somewhat as follows. In 

 the Herbarium AmbiAncnse (lib. xi. cap. xxix.) Rumphius describes 

 five species of Globba, of which the last, (ilul)ba sylcestris, was found 

 in two forms ; these he distinguishes as Globba sylvestris major and 

 Globba sijlvestris minor sive jiorlda. Linnseus [Mantissa, ii.) did not 

 see even varietal difference between them, and called Globba 

 sylvestris of Rumphius Globba mitans. Subsequently Roscoef 

 thought his Alpinia nutans to be Globba nutans L., the two being in 

 size and habit somewhat similar, but probably erred. Miquel \ saw 

 in Alpinia (jigantea Bl. one element of Linna?us' species, namely, 

 Rumphius' form major : and there are many reasons which make 

 one regard this as correct. Now Schumann sees in his Alpinia 

 nutans the other element, namely, Globba sijlvestris minor, — a decision 

 the correctness of which is questionable. The following statements 

 give the reasons for and against Schumann's identification : — 



Alpinia nutans K. Schum. agrees with Globba sylvestris minor in 

 its nodding inflorescence, persistent bracts, leaves less than two 

 palms' breadth broad, and narrow petals. In other points, how- 

 ever, it differs thus: — leaves oblanceolate instead of lanceolate, and 

 not undulate (cf. Rumphius' figure Ixiii.), tapering very rapidly 

 above to a shortly acuminate point, flower not conspicuously red, 

 yellow, and white. The reader, remembering the difficulties which 

 beset the identification of species of Alpinia, will form his own 

 opinion upon the necessity of caution in this case. The probabilities 

 seem to be in favour of the following decisions being correct. 



Alpinia nutans Roscoe (1805), not known till described by 

 Wendland ^ as Zerumbet speciosum in 1798. 



Alpinia gi<jantea Blume (1830), apparently the plant figured by 

 Rumphius as Globba sylvestris major, and therefore is Globba nutans L. 



Alpinia nutans K. Schumann (1889) may possibly be, but 

 probably is not, Globba sylvestris minor, but if so is also Globba 

 nutans, L. For this last species I propose the name A. oceanica. 



HoUrung collected A. oceanica on the two islets of Mioko and 

 Kerawara belonging to the New Lauenburg group ]! ; Warburg has 

 obtained it from Kerawara and the north of New 13ritain. In the 

 Kew Herbarium are specimens from the following sources : — 

 Quadalcauar, Solomon Isles, Milne, 1855, — Admiralty Isles, 

 Moseley, ' Challenger ' Expedition, — and New Ireland, Barclay^l. 



* Schumann u. Hollrung, Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land. Berlin, 1889, 28. 

 t In Smith, Exotic Botany, ii. 93, London, 1805 ; and Monandrian I'lants 

 of the Order Scitamincce, t. 73, Livcri^ool, 1828. 



I Florce India hatavce, iii. 605, Amsterdam, 1855. 



§ Schrader et Wendland, SertumHannoverianum, iv. 3, 1. 19, Gottingen, 1798. 



II Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land, loc. cit. 



H Bentham recognised it as a new species : Hooker's Land. Journ.ofBot. ii. 235. 



