23 



Clerodendrum Siphonanthus R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. 4: 



65. 1812. 

 Clerodendrum indicum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PL 2: 506. 1891. 



This is well known under the name Clerodendrum Sipho- 

 nanthus, but after a study of its synonymy it is evident that the 

 proper designation is Siphonanthus indica. In the Species 

 Plantarum Linnaeus published three genera that have usually 

 been combined as one, Clerodendrum. These are Siphonanthus 

 on page 109, and Ovieda and Clerodendrum* on page 637, Ovieda 

 having precedence on the page. 



A single species is published under each genus, these being 

 Siphonanthus indica, a well known plant of India, Ovieda spinosa 

 (Clerodendrum spinosum Spreng.), common in the West Indies, 

 and Clerodendrum infortunata, also from India. The first two 

 plants are generally placed in the section Siphonanthus Schauerf of 

 the genus Clerodendrum. The group of species included in this 

 section has some claim to rank as a genus, because of differences 

 in the form of the corolla from that of typical Clerodendrum, but 

 apparently recent authors have not separated it. It is apparent, 

 however, that if all the species commonly referred to Cleroden- 

 drum are to be combined in a single genus this must bear the 

 name Siphonanthus. The writer has not attempted to deter- 

 mine the desirability of separating Siphonanthus and Cleroden- 

 drum, since there can be no question, under the American code 

 of botanical nomenclature, as to the proper name for the plant 

 discussed here. 



Linnaeus based his Siphonanthus indica upon the name Siphon- 

 anihemum, applied by the Russian botanist Ammann in 1739 

 to an Indian plant. The species is said to be common in India 

 and Java. In the U. S. National Herbarium there are Old 

 World specimens from Bengal and Upper Burma. It is common 

 in cultivation, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. 

 Bailey's Cyclopedia of Horticulture gives the common name as 

 ''Turks' turban" and states that the plant is "hardy in Florida." 

 In the West Indies it has escaped from cultivation and become 



* This name is usually given as Clerodendron, but Linnaeus always writes it 

 Clerodendrum. 



t In DC. Prodr. ii: 670. 1847. 



