276 



RUMPHIUS'S HERBARIUM AMBOINENSE 



ERYTHRINA VARIEGATA Linn, in Stickman Herb. Amb. (1754) 10, 

 Amoen. Acad. 4 (1759) 122 (type!). 

 Erythrina picta Linn. Sp. PI. ed. 2 (1763) 993. 

 Gelala alba Rumph. Herb. Amb. 2: 234, t. 77. 



This species is not represented in our Amboina collections. 

 The form so excellently figured by Rumphius occurs in the Philip- 

 pines, in Palawan and in Mindanao, and on Corregidor Island in 

 cultivation and is in all respects, except in its variegated leaves, 

 the same as the common and widely distributed plant commonly 

 known as Erythrina indica Lam. The Rumphian figure and 

 description are the whole basis of Erythrina variegata Linn, 

 and in part the basis of E. picta Linn. Strictly, the specific 

 name variegata should be adopted to include not only the 

 form with the variegated leaves, but also the much commoner 

 and widely distributed form with uniformly green leaves, E. 

 indica Lam. The differences between the two are no greater, 

 for the purpose of distinguishing species or varieties, than be- 

 tween the various color forms of Graptophyllum pictum (Linn.) 

 Griff, or of Codiaeum variegatum (Lour.) Blume. 



Var. ORI ENTALIS (Linn.) comb. nov. 



Erythrina corallodendron Linn. var. orientalis Linn. Sp. PL (1753) 

 706. 



Tetradapa javanorum Osbeck Dagbok Ostind. Resa (1757) 93. 

 Erythrina indica Lam. Encycl. 2 (1785) 391. 

 Erythrina orientalis Murr. Comm. Gotting. 8 (1787) 35, t. 1. 

 Erythrina lithosperma Blume Cat. Gew. Buitenz. (1823) 92. 

 Gelala litorea Rumph. Herb. Amb. 2: 230, t. 76. 

 Amboina, near the town of Amboina, Robinson PL Rumph. Amb. 533, 

 August 8, 1913, along the seashore, locally known as daun gelala. 



Gelala litorea Rumph. was originally reduced by Linnaeus to 

 Erythrina corallodendron Linn., in Stickman Herb. Amb. (1754) 

 10, Amoen. Acad. 4 (1759) 122, Syst. ed. 10 (1759) 1155; 

 and in the second edition of the Species Plantarum, (1763) 993, 

 it was definitely reduced to the var. orientalis Linn. Erythrina 

 corallodendron Linn, is a mixture of an American species and 

 what is now generally known as Erythrina indica Lam., here 

 called Erythrina variegata Linn. var. orientalis (Linn.) Merr. 

 Erythrina corallodendron Linn, is apparently typified by the 

 American plant. Tetradapa javanorum Osbeck, which does not 

 appear in Index Kewensis, is manifestly the same as Erythrina 

 indica Lam., the type being from western Java. It is suspected 

 that the forms from Java and China, briefly mentioned by 

 Rumphius, are referable here, but the data given are too in«- 

 definite for their certain determination. 



