THE GENUS GORDONIA IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 
By I. H. Burkill 
Director, Botanic Garden, Singapore 
By the kindness of Mr. E. D. Merrill, I have recently had the 
loan of the gordonias in the herbarium of the Bureau of Science, 
Manila. I find five Philippine forms among them, which for 
the present I call species, though other authors may perhaps 
not concede more than varietal rank to one, or possibly even two, 
of them. First of all, there is Gordonia luzonica Vidal, a tree so 
common in the mountains north of Manila Bay that every col- 
lector gets it. From these mountains it extends southward, 
certainly to Negros, and perhaps to Mindanao. Next, in the 
Mountain Province and in Sorsogon Province, there is a tree 
with leaves exactly similar, but with a subclavate capsule. This 
is a form which may be no more than a variety of G. luzonica. 
Thirdly, in the northern part of Luzon, there is the species 
( Curran 5083 ) to which I previously called attention, under 
G. luzonica , x with larger leaves and capsules and with a con- 
siderable amount of hair upon the midrib on the lower surface 
of the leaves. Fourthly, on Mount Polis, which is also in north- 
ern Luzon, there is a species clearly distinct in flowers and cap- 
sules from all other Philippine forms. Lastly, there is a 
montane plant with entire leaves on Mount Sablayan, Mindoro. 
I propose to name these, respectively, (1) Gordonia luzonica. 
(2) G. subclavata, (3) G. benguetica, and (4) G. polisana, 
leaving the fifth without a name because it is too imperfectly 
known. 
Key to the Philippine Gordonias. 
a 1 . Leaves dentate. 
b 1 . Leaves narrowed to the acumen, about one-third as broad as long. 
c 1 . Capsules 3 to 4 cm long, thickest below the middle, pyramidal at 
the top 1. G. luzonica. 
c 2 . Capsules 4 cm long, subclavate. the top domed 2. G. subclavata. 
b 2 . Leaves rounded under the acumen, about one-half as broad as long. 
&. Leaves broadest at the middle; capsule 4 cm long. 
3. G. benguetica. 
^ourn. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. 76 (1917) 150. 
167863 6 475 
