

302 



XXII.— DOLICHANDRONE AND MARKHAMIA. 



T. A. Sprague. 



Tlie name Dolicliandrone was given in 1841 by "Fenzl* to a 

 group which contained two Australian Bignoniaceous trees, 

 Spat hod ea heterophylla, R. Br., and S, alterni folia, It. Br., and 

 which he treated as a section of the South American genus 

 Dolichandra* Cham. 



Seemann raised Dolicliandrone to generic rank in 1862, t and 

 quoted Bignonia spathacea, Linn. fil. as the type of the genus. + 

 He subsequently published a generic description, and an 

 enumeration of the species recognised by him.§ These included 

 five Asiatic ones (Z>. Rheedii, D. Lawii, D. falcata, D. crispa, 

 and D. serrulata), and two from Australia (D. heterophylla and 



D. fili for mis). 



The genus Markhamia was published in 1863 by Seemann II in a 

 single line: "Markhamia, Seem, (type, Spathodea stipulata, 

 Wall.)- Asia trop." Seemann did not indicate how his new 

 genus differed from Dolicliandrone, nor did he ever supply a 

 description of it. 



In 1865 he described^] the new genus Muenteria, which included 

 two African species: M. stenocarpa, Seem., a new species col- 

 lected by Welwitsch in Angola; and il/, tomentosa, Seem. 

 (Spathodea tomentosa, Benth.). He stated that Muenteria was 

 allied to Dolicliandrone and Markhamia, but did not mention how 

 it differed from either. Five years later Seemann transferred 

 Spaihodea liitea, Benth., S. zanzibarica, Bojer, and S. puberula, 

 Seem., to Muenteria. 



Bentham reduced Markhamia and Mnenteria to Dolicliandrone, 

 but recognised them as distinct sections.** K. Schumann restored 

 Markhamia to generic rank and treated Mnenteria, Seem., as a 

 synonym, transferring to Markhamia, all Seemann's species of 

 Mnenteria, and describing two additional ones. ft He stated that 

 the capsule of Dolichandrone was quadrilocular owing to the 

 presence of a false septum, which was absent in Markhamia; 

 but this distinction between the two genera is not borne out by 

 examination of herbarium specimens : an incomplete false 

 septum exists in both genera. 



The corolla, however, affords characters which amply justify 

 the treatment of Markhamia as a separate genus. In both genera 

 the corolla-tube is more or less funnel-shaped : in Dolicliandrone, 

 however, the lower and cylindric part of the tube is greatly 





* Darstell. und Erlaut. p. 113 (Denkschr. Baier. Bot. Ges. Begensb. vol. Hi. 

 p. 265). 



f Ann. ilag. Nat. Hist., ser. 3, vol. x. p. 31. 



t Joum. Bot. 1863, p. 226. 



§ I.e. 1870, p. 379. 



|| I.e. 1863, p. 226. 



f I.e. 1865, p. 329. 



**Gen. Plant, vol. ii. p. 1046. 



t+ Engl. u. Prantl. Xat. Pflanzenfam. vol. iv. 3 B, pp. 229, 24-2 ; Engl- 

 Pflanzer.w. Ost-Afr. vol. C, p. 363. 



' 



