138 



RUMPHIUS'S HERBARIUM AMBOINENSE 



Rumph., but there is little or no reason for considering that the 

 other three forms named by Rumphius represent distinct species. 

 Taetsia fruticosa is widely distributed in the Indo-Malayan region 

 and presents considerable variation in its cultivated forms, 

 especially in the color of its leaves, which vary from green to 

 reddish or purple. "Terminalis Rumph. amb. 4 p. 79. t. 34" 

 is the whole basis of Convallaria fruticosa Linn. (1754), but the 

 original description of Asparagus terminalis Linn, was mani- 

 festly based on an actual specimen; Terminalis Rumph. is cited 

 as a synonym. On plate 3k f two forms are figured by Rumphius, 

 fig. 1 representing the plant with greenish leaves (T. alba 

 domestica), and fig. 2, the plant with reddish or purplish 

 leaves (T. rubra) ; the latter is manifestly only a color variant 

 of the former. Kunth, Enum. 5 (1850) 25, considered that Ter- 

 minalis rubra did not belong to Cordyline (Taetsia) or even 

 in the Liliaceae, but the figure certainly represents the common 

 and well-known Cordyline terminalis Kunth = Taetsia fructicosa 

 (Linn.) Merr. I consider Terminalis alba silvestris Rumph. 

 to be referable to the same species as the other forms described 

 by Rumphius. The chief objection to the reduction of Termi- 

 nalis rubra silvestris to Taetsia fruticosa is that the figure re- 

 presents the nerves of the leaves as altogether too prominent; 

 but this may be due to an error on the part of the artist. 

 Hasskarl, Neue Schlussel (1866) 190, suggested that it was the 

 same as Cordyline jacquinii Kunth var. rubens* Hassk., but 

 Cordyline jacquinii Kunth is supposed to be a synonym of C. 

 terminalis. 



Taetsia Medic, is here deliberately accepted in place of Cordy- 

 line as the proper generic name of this plant, as it is manifestly 

 the oldest valid one for the genus, in spite of the fact that 

 Cordyline Commers., ex Juss. Gen. (1789) 41, is retained in the 

 list of nomina conservanda adopted by the Vienna Botanical 

 Congress in preference to Terminalis Rumph. The Rumphian 

 designation has no standing as a generic name. Cordyline 

 Adanson (1763) is the same as Sansevieria Thunb. and ante- 

 dates Thunberg's name. In adopting Taetsia, I agree with N. 

 E. Brown,* who, while retaining Cordyline, states: "At the 

 same time, however, my personal view of the case would be 

 to abolish the use of the name Cordyline altogether, in con- 

 sequence of the great confusion connected with it, and replace 

 it by that of Taetsia." 



* Kew Bull. (1914) 275. 



