128 
Philippine Journal of Science 
1919 
Blume may then be retained for the numerous Indo-Malayan 
species currently so called, but the various species of Melodorum 
of all authors except Loureiro will need a new generic name, 
for which Fissistigma Griff, is available. 
MELODORUM Loureiro 
MELODORUM FRUTICOSUM Lour. FI. Cochinch. (1790) 351. 
Unona dumetorum Dunal Monog. Anon. (1817) 31. 
Polyalthia (?) aberrans Maingay in Hook. f. FI. Brit. Inch 1 (1874) 
67; King in Ann. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 4 (1893) 78, t. 109 A. 
Polyalthia affinis Teysm. & Binn. in Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 27 
(1864) 37; Boerl. in Ic. Bogor. 1 (1899) 124, 183, t. 63. 
Polyalthia siamensis Boerl. in Ic. Bogor. 1 (1899) 124, 195, t. 69. 
Sphaerocoryne siamensis Scheff. ex Boerl. 1. c. in syn. 
Popowia aberrans Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 
53 (1906) Mem. 4: 109, et in Lecomte FI. Gen. Indo-Chine 1 
(1907) 83. 
JJnona mesneyi Pierre FI. Forest. Cochinch. 1 (1880) t. 17. 
Popoivia diospyrifolia Pierre ex Finet & Gagnep. in Bull. Soc. Bot. 
France 53 (1906) Mem. 4: 110, et in Lecomte op. cit. 84, t. 10, 
f. 11-19. 
Melodorum glaucum Scortech. ex King in Ann. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 
4 (1893) 78, in syn. 
Melodorum clavipes Hance in Journ. Bot. 15 (1877) 328. 
There may be more than one species represented here, but 
if so they are very closely allied. According to Loureiro ( Melo- 
dorum fruticosum) , Boerlage ( Polyalthia affinis Teysm. & Binn., 
P. siamensis Boerl.,), Pierre ( Unona mesneyi Pierre), and Gag- 
nepain ( Popowia aberrans Pierre, P. diospyrifolia Pierre), it 
is an erect shrub or small tree, but according to Maingay and 
King it is a scandent shrub. The difference between Polyalthia 
siamensis Boerl. ( Polyalthia aberrans Maing.) and P. affinis 
Teysm. & Binn. appears to me to be trivial. As between Popoivia 
aberrans Pierre and P. diospyrifolia the same statement holds, 
the distinguishing character depended upon being only that of 
the stigma. It is to be noted that Finet and Gagnepain consider 
that Pierre’s drawing of Unona mesneyi, as to the habit sketch, 
is Popowia aberrans Pierre, and as to the details of the flower, 
P. diospyrifolia Pierre. 
The species extends from Indo-China to Siam and the Malay 
Peninsula and is in cultivation at Buitenzorg, Java. I have 
examined the following specimens: Indo-China, Loureiro (sketch 
of Loureiro’s type as preserved in the herbarium of the British 
Museum, flowering specimen), Thorel 391 (det. by Gagnepain 
as Popoivia diospyrifolia Pierre, flowering specimen) : Malay 
Peninsula, Pungah, Curtis 2957; Goping, Kunstler 6136; Ma- 
