238 
TIIE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
X 
PEHRIA, nom. not. 
By T. A. Sprague, B.Sc., F.L.S. 
Dr. Rendle has shown (p. 115) that Grislea L. (1753) is the 
earliest name for the important tropical genus Gombretum Loefl. 
(1758). All botanists who accept the principle of nomina con¬ 
servata will doubtless agree that Gombretum should be added to the 
list, but the case for retaining the name Grislea for the genus of 
Lythracece which usually bears it does not seem so convincing. If 
Loefling had given the name independently to the Lythraceous shrub 
which he discovered in Venezuela, Grislea Loefl. would automatically 
be adopted under International Rules (Art. 50) as soon as Grislea L. 
was treated as a nomen rejectum. But Loefling must have known of 
the existence of Grislea secunda L.—he had the Species Plantarum 
with him in Venezuela, and referred to it as his only vade-mecum so 
far as species were concerned (Iter, 110) ; and it is improbable that 
he would have knowingly applied a Linnean name to a different plant. 
He apparently identifled the Lythraceous shrub as Grislea from 
Linne’s diagnosis in the Genera Plantarum , and thought it desirable 
to supply a new and more complete description, including an account 
of the fruit and seeds. 
The only means by which the name Grislea could be retained for 
the genus of Lythracece, with which Loefling erroneously identified it, 
would be to put Grislea Loefl. on the list of nomina conservata. 
But exceptions to rules are justifiable only when a strong case can be 
made out for them; and to conserve an erroneous name for a mono- 
typic genus would, in my opinion, tend to prejudice the chances of 
general acceptance of the principle of nomina conservata. A new 
name is therefore required for Grislea Loefl., non Linn. (1753), as 
Grisleya Post et Kuntze is merely an orthographic variant. The 
genus may accordingly be known as Pehria in commemoration of 
Pehr Loefling, who was the first to discover and describe it. 
Pehria, nom. nov.— Grislea Loefl. Iter, 245 (1758) ; Linn. Syst. 
ed. 10, ii. 999; Gen. PL ed. 6, 189 ; Koehne in Engl. Jahrb. iii. 343 ; 
et in Engl. Pflanzenr. Lythrac. 244; non Linn. (1753). 
P. compacta (Busby) comb. nov.— Grislea compacta Busby, 
Descr. N. Sp. S. Am. PL 68 (1920). G. secunda Loefl. 1. c. ; 
H. B. K. Nov. Gen. vi. 185; Koehne, ll. cc. ; Busby, l. c. ; non 
Linn. (1753). 
llab. Venezuela: near San Bernardino (5 miles from Barcelona), 
Loefling-, near Caracas on the banks of the river Anauco, 2760 ft., 
Humboldt et Bonpland ; Caracas, Linden 10! BirsclieV. Merrier ! 
Gochburn\ valley of Macarao, Moritz 1708! near Colonia Tovar, 
Fendler 519 ! Venezuela, Punch et Schlim 307 ! La Guayra, Vic¬ 
toria and Valencia {fide Koehne). Colombia: Santa Marta, 200 ft., 
H. H. Smith 1874! 1000 ft., IP. H. Smith 1875 ! Santander; near 
Ocana, on mountain ridge in open sunny places, 6000 ft., Kalbreyer 
641! Cundinamarca; Caqueza, 6000 ft., Triana\ (Hb. Kew.) 
Triana 6156! (Mus. Brit.). 
Vernacular name “ Indieeito 11 (Venezuela). 
