Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/346

 320 SHORT NOTES. Alpinia (Hellenia) oceanica mihi {A. nutans K. Schum. non Rose). — Prof. Schumann has described this species, although not yet found in New Guinea, in the Flora of Kaiser Wilhelms Land,-^' and, supposing it to be a form described by Rumphius, on which Linnaeus founded his species Globba nutans, named it Alpinia nutans. I cannot agree with him in this complicating of the synonymy. The matter may be sifted somewhat as follows. In the Herbarium Amboinense (lib. xi. cap. xxix.) Rumphius describes five species of Globba, of which the last, Globba sylvestris, was found in two forms ; these he distinguishes as Globba sylvestris major and Globba sylvestris minor sive Jiorida. Linnaeus {Mantissa, ii.) did not see even varietal difference between them, and called Globba sylvestris of Rumphius Globba nutans. Subsequently Roscoet thought his Alpinia nutans to be Globba nutans L., the two being in size and habit somewhat similar, but probably erred. Miquel X saw in Aljnnia gigantea Bl. one element of Linnaeus' species, namely, Rumphius' form major ; and there are many reasons which make one regard this as correct, Now Schumann sees in his Alpinia nutans the other element, namely, Globba sylvestris minor, — a decision the correctness of which is questionable. The following statements give the reasons for and against Schumann's identification : — Alpinia nutans K. Schum. agrees with Globba sylvestris minor in its nodding inflorescence, persistent bracts, leaves less than two palms' breadth broad, and narrow petals. In other points, how- ever, it differs thus : — leaves oblanceolate instead of lanceolate, and not undulate [cf. Rumphius' figure Ixiii.), tapering very rapidly above to a shortly acuminate point, flower not conspicuously red, yellow, and white. The reader, remembering the difficulties which beset the identification of species of Alpinia, will form his own opinion upon the necessity of caution in this case. The probabilities seem to be in favour of the following decisions being correct. Alpinia nutans Roscoe (1805), not known till described by Wendland § as Zerumbet speciosum. in 1798. Alpinia gigantea Blume (1830), apparently the plant figured by Rumphius as Globba sylvestris major, and therefore is Globba nutans L. Alpinia nutans K. Schumann (1889) may possibly be, but probably is not, Globba sylvestris minor, but if so is also Globba nutans, L. For this last species I propose the name A. oceanica. Hollrung collected A. oceanica on the two islets of Mioko and Kerawara belonging to the New Lauenburg group || ; Warburg has obtained it from Kerawara and the north of New Britain. In the Kew Herbarium are specimens from the following sources : — Quadalcanar, Solomon Isles, Milne, 1855, — Admiralty Isles, Moseley, * Challenger ' Expedition, — and New Ireland, Barclayll. t In Smith, Exotic Botany, ii. 93, London, 1805 ; and Monandrian Plants of the Order Scitaminea, t. 73, Liverpool, 1828. ,Florce Indies batavce, iii. 605, Amsterdam, 1855. § Schrader et Wendland, Sertum Hannoveriamnn, iv. 3, 1. 19, Gottingen, 1798. II Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land, loc. cit. % Bentham recognised it as a new species : Hooker's Lond. Journ. ofBot. ii. 235.
 * Schumann u. Hollrung, Flora von Kaiser Wilhelms Land. Berlin, 1889, 28.