150 
323) made "N. tinctorium Peru” a straight 
synonym of A. scholaris. Perrottet’s casual de- 
scription (tree 6-10 m. tall, with opposite 
leaves which are soft to the touch) hardly sug- 
gests A. scholaris ; the characters given agree 
better with those of Wrightia. The illustrations 
cited by Perrottet ("Hort. Malab. 1: t. 46 and 
2: t. 54 and 55”) are not of Alstonia, unless 
by the first citation reference was made to plate 
46 of Hill’s edition of Hortici Malabarici. The 
brilliantly colored blue dye furnished by the 
leaves of the plant Perrottet had in mind ex- 
cludes Alstonia , but rather points to Wrightia. 
Roxburgh was thoroughly acquainted with the 
indigo qualities of Wrightia tinctoria and is 
reported to have transmitted a sample of the 
dye to England in 1792. A specimen deposited 
at the New York Botanical Garden ( Perrottet 
325, from Pondicherry) is Wrightia tinctoria. 
The combination Nerium tinctorium was first 
published by Roxburgh in 1803 (Berlin Ges. 
Nat. Freunde N. Sch. (1803) 4: 198). 
Echites malabaricus Lam., which is referred 
to A. scholaris in the Kew Index and dubiously 
to Echites Pala by Sprengel, is not an Alstonia. 
Hamilton (1822: 517) erroneously credits 
the name "T abernaemontana scholaris ” to Lin- 
naeus and Burmann. 
2a. Alstonia scholaris var. velutina Mona- 
chino, var. nov. 
A forma typica speciei foliis pubesentibus 
recedit. 
Leaves velutinous beneath. Corollas in type 
less pubescent outside than in typical A. scho- 
laris. 
Type. — R. E. Holttum (Singapore Lield no. 
24680), Malay Peninsula, state of Pahang, 
Tekal; April 22, 1931. (Singapore.) 
Loliage indumentum in the § Pala is very 
unusual. Of the numerous specimens of A. 
scholaris examined (over 300), this variety is 
the only pubescent one; the others, and also the 
collections seen in other species in the section, 
have completely glabrous leaves. 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. Ill, April, 1949 
3. Alstonia Boonei De Wild., in Fedde Repert. 
13: 382. 1914. 
Very closely resembling A. scholaris in vege- 
tative and floral characters, but flowers on 
longer pedicels and more loosely disposed, and 
follicles tomentose. 
Type. — "Belgisch-Kongo: Environs de Nala, 
1911 (Boone).” 
Illustrations. — Chevalier, La Geog. Bot. 
et FI. Econ. du Senegal et du Soudan (1900) 
207 (as A. scholaris; photo of leafy br. and 
infl. ) ; Eggeling, The Indig. Trees of the Uganda 
Protector. (1904) t. 2 (as A. congensis; photo 
of tree showing habit and habitat). 
Distribution.— West tropical Africa, An- 
gola to Gambia, and easterly to Uganda and 
Sudan; sometimes abundant. 
Congo — Boone (type; Br); Bequaert 1790 
(Avokubi; Br); Briey 17 (Br); Cabra 63 and 
72 (Br); Claes sens 113 and 379 (Br); Coulon 
3 (Bodala; Br); Dawe 243 (Angola; K); De- 
ivulf 342 (Bas Uele; Br); Gillardin 149 (Ba- 
kuba; Br); Gossweiler 6611 (Angola; BM), 
6788 and 8012 (Cabinda; K); Laurent (Lus- 
ambo; Br. ); Lemaire 6 (Bangola; Br); Louis 
1184 (Belg.; Br), 3057, 3127, 6206, 9507, 
13538, 13825 (Yangambi; Br), 13849 (Weko; 
Br); Mortehan 973 (Dundusana; Br); Pynaert 
334 (Br); Reygaert 976 (Mobwasa; Br); j 
Robyn 1348 (Bamabia; Br, G, K); V ermoesen i 
(Br), 1443 (Mayombe; Br). 
Uganda — Cons. For. 4422 (A); Eggeling ! 
1546 (US), 1547 (BM), 1548; Harris 403- 
405 (K). 
Sudan — Chevalier 2690 (G, L); Schwein- 
furth 3260 (Niamniam; K); Thomas 1761 
(K); Turner 157 (Azza; K). 
Cameroons — Lehman (Lolodorf; K); Mild- 
braed 10708 (N.E. Victoria; A); Zenker 433 
(Bipindi; G, GH, Mo, NY, UC, US), 1622 
(Bipindi; K, L). 
Nigeria — Foster (Lagos; K); Kennedy 1956, 
2393 (A), 2084 (BM, K); McLeod (K); 
Punch 137, 145 (Lagos; K). 
Gold Coast — Brown 2355 (Kumasi; A); 
Height on 3416 (Aburi; K); Irvine 1851 (Ku- 
