38 



RUMPHIUS'S HERBARIUM AMBOINENSE 



THE PRESENT STATUS OF RUMPHIAN SPECIES 



Rumphius named and described approximately 1,700 plants 

 that he considered to represent distinct forms. However, many 

 of the plants he named and characterized are "forms'' or 

 "varieties" rather than "species" in the generally accepted sense 

 ? of these words. Slight variations in the color of the leaves, of 

 the flowers, or of the stems of plants ; equally slight differences 

 in the size of certain parts; and other trivial characters were 

 deemed by him to be of sufficient importance to warrant the 

 characterization of the form and the bestowal of a distinctive 

 name. Thus, in the case of cultivated plants, such as the coconut, 

 the betel-nut palm, the sago palm, the sugar cane, taro, rice, and 

 balsam, both slight and prominent variants were distinguished, 

 while in wild plants equivalent distinctions were often made. 



In terms of the binomial system, as species are understood 

 to-day, the 1,700 forms named and to a greater or less degree 

 characterized by Rumphius can be reduced to about 1,200 species, 

 including those that, while apparently distinct, are of more 

 or less doubtful status and have not been definitely referred to 

 any genus. Of these 1,200 species about 930 can be definitely or 

 fairly definitely referred to binomials, and about 140 additional 

 ones can be safely placed in their respective genera, leaving 

 about 130 that from data and material at present available 

 cannot be definitely located under the binomial system ; some of 

 these cannot be even placed in their proper families. A high 

 percentage of these doubtful species are those that are very im- 

 perfectly and briefly described, some being scarcely more than 

 casually mentioned; few of them are figured. 



As already noted, many binomials have been based wholly on 

 the Rumphian figures and descriptions. In about 800 cases 

 references to the Herbarium Amboinense are found in the 

 original descriptions or publications of species, while about 350 

 binomials have been based wholly on various species more or less 

 imperfectly characterized by Rumphius. During the past one 

 hundred and thirty-five years numerous botanists have attempted 

 with greater or less success to interpret these Rumphian species 

 by connecting the Rumphian names and descriptions with actual 

 botanical specimens. Many errors in interpretation and in iden- 

 tification have been made, but the general results have been such 

 that to-day a high percentage of the Rumphian species have been 

 definitely connected with extant botanical material, and their true 

 status has been determined. As a result of Doctor Robinson's 



