390 
MERRILL. 
HOMALANTHUS H. Jussieu. 
HOMALANTHUS POPULNEUS (Geisel.) Pax, var. MINOR (Muell.-Arg.) 
comb. nov. 
Carumbimn populneum Muell.-Arg. var. minus Muell.-Arg. in DC. 
Prodr. 15" (1866) 1145. 
Homalanthus populneus Pax, var. siccus Pax in Engl. Pflanzenreich 
52 (1912) 46 (non Excoecaria sicca Blanco!). 
Mueller’s name for this variety must be maintained, for Pax and K. 
Holfmann are in error in the adoption of the varietal name siccus, based on 
Excoecaria sicca Blanco. Mueller first suggested that Excoecaria sicca 
Blanco was a synonym of Carumbium populneum^'^ but was not sure, 
“Excaecaria sicca Blanco etiam hie pertinere videtur.” An exam- 
ination of Blanco’s description shows that this reduction is impossible, as 
he described a very different plant, with leaves very similar to those of 
tuba camaisa {Croton tiglium L.), 3-nerved at the base, said by him to be 
common along the margins of estuaries and rivers. Excoecaria sicca Blanco 
is common in some localities in and about Manila, in the habitats ascribed 
to it by Blanco, habitats in which Homalanthus never grows; moreover no 
Homalanthus is known from the immediate vicinity of Manila. I am con- 
fident that F.-Villar was correct in his reduction of Blanco’s Excoecaria 
sicca to the genus Alchornea; it is not, however, the same as Alchomea 
mollis Muell.-Arg. I have already “ transferred Blanco’s name to Alchomea, 
as A. sicca (Blanco) Merr., and reduced to it the more recently described 
Alchornea parviflora Muell.-Arg. While there is absolutely no doubt as 
to the correctness of the transfer of Blanco’s species to Alchornea, I am 
now of the opinion that I was in error in the reduction of Alchornea parvi- 
flora to A. sicca Merr., and that two distinct species are represented. See 
page 382. 
Homalanthus populneus var. minor is common and widely distributed 
in the Philippines, and is represented by the following material: Luzon, 
Province of Laguna, Elmer: Province of Zambales, Hallier: Province of 
Bulacan, Bur. Sci. 1303 Jf Ramos: Province of Bataan, Williams 289 , For. 
Bur. 20008 Topacio, For. Bur. 1209 Borden, Whitford U 78 , 1281 : Province 
of Rizal, Merrill 1879 (not “Elmer 1879 ,” as quoted by Pax), Phil. PL 309 
Merrill, Loher ^801 : Province of Batangas, For. Bur. 21559 Tamesis, Elmer 
9226 , Merrill 2893 (not “Elmer 2893 ,” as quoted by Pax), Ritchie U 5 : 
Province of Albay, Bur. Sci. 2889 , 2891 Meams, Bur. Sci. 6 i 09 Robinson: 
Province of Sorsogon, For. Bur. 10525 Curran. Marinduque, collector 
unknown. Negros, For. Bur. 11209 Everett, Whitford 1626 . Leyte, Elmer 
7338 . Palawan, Merrill 702 , 843 (not “Elmer 702 , 843 ,” as quoted by 
Pax). Mindanao, District of Zamboanga, Williams 2077 , For. Bur. 9245 
Whitford & Hutchinson: District of Davao, Elmer 12499 . 
Native names: Balanti, bayanti (Negros, Marinduque) ; bota-bota (Ta- 
yabas) ; buta (Rizal) ; malabinunga, binuang-susong (Bataan) ; banti 
(Tavn-tawi). 
Prodr. 15": 1144. 
This Journal 5 (1910) Bot. 192. 
