52 
MERRILL. 
Nueva Ecija, Vidal 1826 in Herb. Kew. (type) : Province of Batangas, Copeland 
s. n.: Province of Tayabas, For. Bur. 10S35 Curran: Province of Camarines, 
Ahern 62. Celebes, Koorders, cultivated in the Botanical Garden, Buitenzorg, 
Java. 
Native name (Tayabas), Tahid-labuyo, meaning cock’s spur, from the spines. 
A species allied to those of southern China; known only from Luzon and 
Celebes. 
A second species is apparently represented by sterile material collected in Cebu 
by Espinosa, For. Bur. 6488, locally known as Matagum. It differs from G. rolfei 
in having entire leaflets which are prominently and inequilaterally retuse at the 
apex. 
The generic name is in honor of Gleditsch, latinized and simplified Gleditsia; 
Taubert prefers the spelling Gleditschia. 
25. PTEROLOBIUM R. Br. 
1. Pterolobium membranulaceum (Blanco) Merr. in Govt. Lab. Publ. 
(Philip.) 35 (1906) 22. 
Mimosa membranulacea Blanco FI. Filip. (1837) 739. 
Reichardia pentapetala Blanco 1. c. ed. 2 (1845) 233, ed. 3, 2: 71. 
Pterolobium indicum F.-Vill. Nov. App. (1880) 70; Vidal Sinopsis Atlas 
(1883) t. 42, fig. G, Rev. PI. Vase. Filip. (1886) 114, non A. Rich. 
Luzon, Province of Rizal, For. Bur. 1837, 1984 Ahern’s collector: Province of 
Bataan, Vidal 1285: Province of Union, Vidal 1299, in Herb. Kew.: without 
locality, Loher 2183, 2188, 2189, in Herb. Kew. 
Endemic. 
Blanco’s description is imperfect, and in some respects does not apply especially 
Well to the specimens here referred to it; I am confident, however, that the iden- 
tification is correct. 
26. DELONIX Raf. 
1. Delonix regia (Boj.) Raf. FI. Tellur. 2 (1836) 92; W. F. Wight ex Safford 
in Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 9 (1905) 256. 
Poinciana regia Boj. ex Hook. Bot. Mag. 56 (1829) t. 2884; F.-Vill. Nov. App. 
(1880) 70; Naves in Blanco FI. Filip, ed. 3, pi. 4&1- 
Luzon, Province of Union, Elmer 5656: Manila, For. Bur. 19026 Curran, 
Cordova 482: Province of Pampanga, Parker. Palawan, For. Bur. 3561 Curran. 
Basilan, For. Bur. 3466 Hutchinson. 
Native names: Arbol del fuego; caballero. The “fire tree” or “flamboyant.” 
A native of Madagascar, now widely distributed in the tropics of the world 
in cultivation; commonly cultivated in towns in the Philippines. 
Following strict rules, the proper generic name for this well-known and widely 
distributed species is Delonix Raf., as the genus Poinciana Linn, was based solely 
on what is now generally known as Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L. ) Sw. The genus 
Poinciana has page preference over Caesalpinia, and hence by strict interpretation 
of the rules of nomenclature, those species now referred to Caesalpinia, generic 
limits retained as defined by Bentham & Hooker, should be treated as Poinciana, 
the genus Caesalpinia falling into synonymy. This extreme interpretation has 
been followed by some recent botanists, but at the same time they have raised 
some of the sections of Caesalpinia, as interpreted by Bentham & Hooker, and 
by Taubert, to generic rank. It seems doubtful to me if any representative 
botanical congress will sanction the transfer of Caesalpinia bodily to Poinciana, 
