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ON THE IDENTITY OF POLYPODIUM SPINULOSUM Burm.f.
By E. D. Merrill, M.S., Bureau of Science, Manila, P.I.
(Communicated by J. H. Maiden, I.S.O., F.R.S.)
In making a preliminary examination of the species figured and described by the younger Burman in his Flora Indica,[1] my attention was directed to the rather excellent figure illustrating Polypodium spinulosum Burm.f., which no pteridologist has succeeded in identifying with any other described species, it having long been considered as one of entirely doubtful status. The figure clearly represents no fern, but a leafy branch of some dicotyledonous plant.
The original description is short and imperfect, and from it alone it is impossible to gain any true conception of what Burman intended. It is as follows:—
Polypodium (spinulosum) caulescens, frondibus petiolatis pinnatifido trifidis, apice bifida spinosa. Polypodium indicum, foliis vario modo laciniatis, apice spiniferis ex Java. Tab. 67, f. 1.
Being fairly familiar with the Javan flora, I first attempted to refer the figure to some Javan species, but soon found that it did not agree with any species in any family known from Java, nor, for that matter, with any species known from the entire Indo-Malayan region. It seems to be evident that Burman was in error in citing Java as the origin of his species. From the figure I suspected the species to be some proteaceous plant, and an examination of the Australian material available to me shows that it unquestionably represents the West Australian species currently known as Synaphea polymorpha R.Br. An adjustment of the synonymy follows.
- ↑ Burman, N. L., Flora Indira, 1768, pp. 1-242.
