1900.] D. Prain — A list of the Asiatic species of Ormosia. 175 



XIII. — A list of the Asiatic species of Ormosia. — By D. Prain. 

 [Received 21st June ; Read 4th July, 1900.J 



On two previous occasions the writer lias dealt with the genus 

 Ormosia (N.O. Leguminosse) in the Society's Journal. 1 The communica- 

 tion of three new forms from the Kachin Hills representing at least 

 two new species, and the presence of two apparently undescribed forms 

 among Chinese collections, renders ifc advisible to provide the requisite 

 specific descriptions. It may therefore be as well to give at the same 

 time a key to all the known Asiatic species as a preliminary to an 

 exhaustive monograph of the genus. 



According to Hooker and Jackson 2 the earliest name for the genus 

 is Toulichiba 3 Adans. j as however, the name Ormosia * Jacks, is in 

 familiar use it is convenient to retain it. Other generic names have 

 been from time to time applied to one or more species of Ormosia. 

 These are Layia Hook, and Arn., 6 ChjENOLobium Miq., 6 and, in the 

 writer's opinion, Arillaria Kurz. 7 To these Bentham has tentatively 

 added Macrotropis DC., 8 a genus founded by DeCandolle to include two 

 plants from S. China and Cochin China that form the genus Anagyris 

 Lour. 9 as opposed to the true Anagyris of Linnaeus. This tentative 

 reduction has been formally accepted in the Index Kewensis but it is not 

 acceptable to the writer because the keel, Loureiro tells us, is in his 

 two species longer than the standard ; this is not the case in any known 

 Ormosia and as neither of Loureiro's plants are known to modern 

 students it is better to keep Macrotropis separate. These objections, 

 however, do nob apply to the reduction of Macrotropis Miq. (not of 

 DC.). 10 In the first place Miquel in dealing with the two species which 

 he referred to Macrotropis found it necessary to provide for their 

 reception a new section Amacrotropis, characterised by having the 

 standard as long as the other petals, that is <o say Miquel had to 

 abandon the character that is most distinctive of the true Macrotropis 

 before he could accommodate his two species in the genus. In the 

 second place there are authentic examples of both Miquel's plants in 

 Herb. Calcutta and both are true Ormosias. 



1 J.A.S.B. lxvi. 2, 146 and 467 (1897). 



2 Index Kewensis ii. 367. 



8 Adans. Fam. ii. 326 (1763). 



* Jackson in Trans. Linn. Soc. x. 360 (1811). 



& Hooker and Arnott, Bot. Beech. Voy. 183, t. 38 (1833), 



6 Miquel, Flor. Ind. Bat. Suppl. 302 (1860). 



7 Kurz, J.A.S.B. xlii. 2. 70 (1873). 



* DeCandolle, Prodr. ii. 98 (1825). 



9 Loureiro, Flor. Cochin-Chin. 260 (1790). 



»0 Miquel, Flor. Ind. Bat. Suppl. 294 (1860). 



