128 Philippine Journal of Science 1919 



Blume may then be retained for the numerous Indo-Malayan 

 species currently so called, but the various species of Melodorum 

 of all authors except Loureiro will need a new generic name, 

 for which Fissistigma Griff, is available. 



MELODORUM Loureiro 

 MELODORUM FRUTICOSUM Lour. Fl. Cochinch. (1790) 351. 

 Unona dumetorum Dunal Monog. Anon. (1817) 31. 

 Polyalthia (?) aberrans Maingay in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 1 (1874) 



67; King in Ann. Bot. Card. Calcutta 4 (1893) 78, t. 109A. 

 Polyalthia affinis Teysm. & Binn. in Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 27 



(1864) 37; Boerl. in Ic. Bogor. 1 (1899) 124, 183, t. 63. 

 Polyalthia siamensis Boerl. in Ic. Bogor. 1 (1899) 124, 195, t. 69. 

 Sphaerocoryne siamensis Scheff. ex Boerl. 1. c. in syn. 

 Popoivia aberrans Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 



53 (1906) Mem. 4: 109, et in Lecomte Fl. Gen. Indo-Chine 1 



(1907) 83. 

 Unona mesneyi Pierre Fl. Forest. Cochinch. 1 (1880) t. 17. 

 Popowia diospyrifolia Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. 



France 53 (1906) Mem. 4: 110, et in Lecomte op. cit. 84, *. 10, 



f. 11-19. 

 Melodorum glaiicum Scortech. ex King in Ann. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 



4 (1893) 78y in syn. 

 Melodorum clavipes Hance in Journ. Bot. 15 (1877) 328, 



There may be more than one species represented here, but 

 if so they are very closely allied. According to Loureiro (Melo- 

 dormn fruticosum) , Boerlage (Polyalthia affinis Teysm. & Binn., 

 P. siamensis Boerl.,), Pierre (Unona mesneyi Pierre), and Gag- 

 nepain (Popoiuia aberrans Pierre, P. diospyrifolia Pierre), it 

 is an erect shrub or small tree, but according to Maingay and 

 King it is a scandent shrub. The difference between Polyalthia 

 siamensis Boerl. (Polyalthia aberrans Maing.) and P. affinis 

 Teysm. & Binn, appears to me to be trivial. As between Popoiuia 

 aberrans Pierre and P. diospyrifolia the same statement holds, 

 the distinguishing character depended upon being only that of 

 the stigma. It is to be noted that Finet and Gagnepain consider 

 that Pierre's drawing of Unona mesneyi, as to the habit sketch, 

 is Popowia aberrans Pierre, and as to the details of the flower, 

 P. diospyrifolia Pierre. 



The species extends from Indo-China to Siam and the Malay 

 Peninsula and is in cultivation at Buitenzorg, Java. I have 

 examined the following specimens : Indo-China, Loureiro (sketch 

 of Loureiro's type as preserved in the herbarium of the British 

 Museum, flowering specimen), Thorel 391 (det. by Gagnepain 

 as Popoiuia diospyrifolia Pierre, flowering specimen) : Malay 

 Peninsula, Pungah, Curtis 2957: Goping, Kunstler 6136: Ma- 



