PALMAE 



113 



Sagus rumphii Willd. Sp. PI. 4 (1805) 404 (type!). 



Metroxylon rumphii Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. 3 (1838) 213. 



Sagus inermis Roxb. Hort. Beng. (1814) 68 (type!). 



Sagus genuina Rumph. Herb. Amb. 1: 72, t. 17, 18. 

 Amboina, Paso, Robinson PI. Rumph. Amb. 26, October 28, 1913, locally 

 known as sagu tuni. The inflorescence and fruit from a felled trunk, the 

 leaves from a neighboring palm. Doctor Beccari, who has examined the 

 material, thinks that perhaps the fruits belong with Metroxylon micra- 

 canthum Mart. 



The sago palm presents considerable variation, especially in 

 the presence or absence of spines, and when spines are present, 

 in their length. It is probable that altogether too many 

 "species" have been proposed and that most of the plants 

 described by Rumphius, on which later authors have based 

 various binomials, are really but forms or varieties of a 

 single species. No material is available, however, for pur- 

 poses of comparison, and accordingly the various species that 

 have been based on Rumphius's descriptions are listed below 

 with their proper synonyms. The Rumphian illustrations and 

 descriptions, cited above, have been quoted under all of the 

 synonyms above listed, and most of them have been based solely 

 on Rumphius. I have here adopted what is manifestly the 

 oldest specific name for the species. 



METROXYLON M ICRACANTH U M Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. 3 (1838) 215 

 (type!). 



Sagus micracanthus Blume Rumphia 2 (1836) 153 (type!). 

 Sagus genuina II Rumph. Herb. Amb. 1: 75. 



This is probably merely a form of Metroxylon sagu Rottb., 

 and it is possible that the fruit and spadices of the specimen 

 cited under the above species belong here. 



METROXYLON LONGISPINUM Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. 3 (1838) 215 

 (type!). 



Sagus longispina Blume Rumphia 2 (1836) 154 (type!). 



Sagus genuina Giseke var. longispina Giseke Prael. Ord. Nat. PI. 



(1792) 94 (type!). 

 Sagus longispina Rumph. Herb. Amb. 1: 75. 



This is apparently merely a form or variety of the common 

 sago palm with long spines. However, no material is available 

 to warrant its definite reduction. The native names cited by 

 Rumphius are lapia macanaru, lapia macanalo, and lapia maca- 

 nalun. It was reduced by Poiret, in Lam. Encycl. 6 (1804) 

 394, to Sagus farinifera (Gaertn.) Lam., which is certainly not 

 the correct disposition of it. 



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