INTRODUCTION 



31 



THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SPECIES DESCRIBED IN THE HERBARIUM 

 AMBOINENSE BY VARIOUS AUTHORS 



LINNAEUS AND STICKMAN 



Citations of Rumphian synonyms are found in the first pub- 

 lished work on the binomial system,* but these are few and 

 of slight importance, as Linnaeus did not secure a copy of the 

 Herbarium Amboinense until his manuscript was completed: 



Upus eximium beati Rumphii cura amplissimi D. Burmanni orbi botanico 

 redditum, ad me accessit primum absoluto a typographo opere, cujus itaque 

 synonymia seorsim tradere animus est.f 



About nineteen Rumphian synonyms are cited in the first 

 edition of the Species Plantarum, of which four are in volume 

 one, the remainder in volume two, but in only four cases are the 

 Linnean species based wholly on the Rumphian synonyms, and 

 these are all found in the Appendix. The list is as follows : 



Cynometra cauliflora Linn. Areca catechu Linn. 

 Cynometra ramiflora Linn. , Caryota urens Linn. 



Averrhoa carambola Linn. Plukenetia volubilis Linn. 



Averrhoa bilimbi Linn. Hibiscus surattensis Linn. 



Garcinia mangostana Linn. Rubus parvifolius Linn. 



Acrostichum siliquosum Linn. Rubus moluccanus Linn. 



Borassus flabellifer Linn. Convolvulus peltatus Linn. 



Corypha umbraculifera Linn. Quercus molucca Linn. 



Cycas circinalis Linn. Croton variegatus Linn. 

 Cocos nucifera Linn. 



The last four are based wholly on Rumphius's figures and 

 descriptions. The new genus and species, Rumphia amboinensis 

 Linn., is not based on Amboina material, contains no reference 

 to the Herbarium Amboinense, and is the Indian Cordia tiliae folia 

 (Poir.) Warb.J 



Linnaeus realized the great importance of Rumphius's work 

 and at once assigned to one of his students, Olaf Stickman, a 

 study of the Herbarium Amboinense. In the following year, 

 1754, Stickman's dissertation on the Herbarium Amboinense was 

 printed, this being probably the first work published following 

 the binomial system of nomenclature after the system was pro- 

 posed. Stickman's publication is discussed below. 



In the second edition of the Species Plantarum § Rumphius's 

 Herbarium Amboinense is listed among the "Auctores Reforma- 



* Linnaeus, C. Species Plantarum (1753) 1-1200. 



f Linnaeus, C. Op. cit. 1199. 



JRumphius Gedenkboek 1702-1902 (1902) 78. 



§ Linnaeus, C. Species Plantarum ed. 2 (1762-63) 1-1684. 



