New and Rare Species of Malayan Plants, 



By H. N. Ridley, c.m.g., f.r.s. 



SERIES II. 



This paper contains an account of some novelties collected of 

 recent years together with various corrections and emendations based 

 on the examination of types in the Kew and British Museum her- 

 baria. Among the new species will be found one of the most con- 

 spicuous and striking Fig trees in the lowland country and probably 

 the commonest species. Having been confused in herbaria with a 

 rather less common species, Ficus Miquelii, King, a very distinct 

 plant, this abundant tree had no specific name, and there are scarce- 

 ly any specimens of it in the British herbaria. It forms another 

 example of the overlooking of the common species due to the bo- 

 tanist's idea that what is very common all round him, must be 

 very common in the European herbaria, which is frequently not 

 the case. There is still a great deal to be learnt about the fcom- 

 monest plants in the tropics. 



ANONACEAE. 



EUipeia. This genus was founded by Hooker for plants with the 

 characters of Uvaria, but with an oblong style, and a solitary 

 ventral or subbasal ovule in the ovary and a one-seeded carpel. 

 The original type was E. cuneifolia, to which he added in the 

 " Flora of British India " E. ferruginea, E. glabra and E. 

 nervosa, while King added E. leptopoda, E. costata and E. 

 pumila. Of these E. ferruginea, E. costata, King, E. lepto- 

 poda, and E. cherrevensis, Pierre, certainly resemble Uvarias, 

 with wide expanded axillary flowers, the petals subequal and 

 lanceolate, and no style. All appear to be climbers. 



Ellipeia cuneifolia, Hook. fil. A lofty climber, has the flowers 

 chiefly in terminal racemes, the petals do not expand, they are 

 short and broad, rounded with a depression at the base and 

 extremely unequal, the inner circle being very small. The 

 anther has a broad, round appendage, and there is a distinct 

 style. In the one-seeded carpel the stigma is lateral. I am 

 more inclined to put this plant in the neighbourhood of 

 Orophea though I know nothing else like it. 



E. pumila, King, is an erect shrub with small unisexual lateral 

 flowers, cylindric carpels and terminal style. It seems to me 

 extremely near Popowia Hooheri, King, and Polyalthia 

 argentea, Hook. fil. I think it should be referred to the genus 

 Popoivia. 



Jour. Straits Branch R. A. Soc, No. 82, 1920. 



