2 
A, decumbens, Thunb., and A. cordata, Thunb., respectively, prove, 
from Thunberg’s original specimen, to be merely forms of one 
species: the specimens in the same collection further demonstrate 
that T'ragia villosa, Thunb., is merely a variety of the same species. 
Jacquin, in 1760, had already published his Acalypha villosa, 80 
that the publication of T’ragia villosa in 1794 does not necessitate 
the abandonment of the name Acalypha decumbens, published in 
1800. But before dealing with it himself Thunberg gave a 
specimen of this plant to Linnaeus as his n. 326 and without a 
name, some time after the appearance of the second Mantissa in 
1771. When placing this specumen in his collection Linnaeus wrote 
it up as Urtica africana, “T, 326.” The description did not, 
NSIS, 
Briefly summarised, Thunberg has made known two South 
African species of Acalypha: (1) A. glabrata, as conventionally 
understood, though this name was really applied by Thunberg to a 
member of another genus, and (2) A. capensis, which Thunberg 
broke up into three species, and referred to two different genera. 
o further addition was made to our knowledge of this genus in 
Africa until the appearance in 1843 of Drége’s Zwei pflanzengeo- 
graphische Documenie. At p. 161 of this work the following 
twenty-three references to Acalypha are given :—(1) A. betulina, 
Retz a; (2) A. betulina, Retz b; (3) A. betulina, Retz c; (4) A. 
betulina, Retz?; (5) A. glabrata, Thund.; (6) A. languida, 
E. Mey. a; (7) A languida, £. Mey.b; (8) A. languida, E. Mey. c ; 
(9) A. brachiata, a, HL. Mey. a; (10) A. brachiata, a, E. Mey. b; 
A. cordata, Thunb. ; (13) A. 
(15) A 
cularis, H. Mey. b; (18) A. peduncularis, F. Mey.?; (19) A. 
velutina, E. Mey.; (20) Acalypha, 4636; (21) Acalypha, 5380 ; 
(22) Acalypha, 8240; (23) ?Acalypha, 4610. 
Of these twenty-three references two are duplicates, because 
No. 13, A. cordata, Thunb.?, and No. 18, A. peduncularis, E. Mey.?, 
indicate the same species, as also do No. 3, A. betulina, Retz, c, 
and No, 23, Acalypha, 4610. The plant which is at once the 
subject of references 13 and 18, is neither A. cordata nor A. pedun- 
cularis ; it is, however, the same as the subjects of the references 
9, 10 and 11, 4. brachiata, E. Mey., a distinct species different from 
ree eas Aes Soe by Thunberg. To the same species 
ongs No. . cordata,” which in, i 1 
pes Pic lata, » again, is not the species so 
No. 5 of the list, “ A. glabrata,” is really A. glabrata, Thunb., 
and to the same species belongs No. 4, “ A. betulina ?,” which is not 
to be forms or varieties of A, gah usually with leis | 
them, b and ¢, have glabrous _ 
s 
