NEWS AND NOTES | RECENT TREATMENTS | LEAPS AND BOUNDS | GERMANE LITERATURE
MYRSINACEAE. J. F. Morales (INB).
The dust from the
frenetic era of Cyrus Lundell has finally settled, at least
where Costa Rican Myrsinaceae are concerned. When all is said and
done (by Chico), we are left with a reasonable total of 60 spp., in
six genera, in this undeniably difficult family. Ardisia s. l.
(including Lundellian segregates Amatlania,
Auriculardisia, Chontalesia, Graphardisia,
Ibarraea, Icacorea, and Valerioanthus) accounts
for the bulk (39 spp.), with Parathesis (8 spp.) a distant
second. Twenty spp. are Costa Rican endemics: 15 spp. of
Ardisia, three of Parathesis, and one each of
Gentlea and Myrsine (including Rapanea). One sp.
(of Myrsine) is given a provisional name, and nine
infraspecific taxa are mentioned. Presented here for all the world to
see, the sheer quantity of Lundell binomials applicable (mostly as
synonyms) to Costa Rican Myrsinaceae is simply staggering. Of the 42
apparently heterotypic synonyms listed for the variable Ardisia
compressa Kunth, 40 were coined by Lundell between 1941 and 1985.
A unique situation is that of Ardisia standleyana P. H. Allen
which, though dating only from 1956, stands as an accepted name, with
13 heterotypic synonyms (all Lundell names, published from
1968--1981). These examples omit mention of homotypic synonyms, of
which virtually every heterotypic name in Ardisia has at least
one (in one of the segregate genera enumerated above).
SAPINDACEAE. J. F. Morales (INB).
This contribution treats
21 genera, with a total of 90 spp.; three of the genera
(Blighia, Melicoccus, and Nephelium) are
represented only by a single, cultivated sp. (and Sapindus may
also be introduced). By far the most diverse genera are
Paullinia (29 spp.) and Serjania (21 spp.), both
consisting exclusively of lianas; the arborescent (and arguably
distinct) Cupania (9 spp) and Matayba (6 spp.) are next
in line. Only six genera (Allosanthus, Cardiospermum,
Paullinia, Serjania, Thinouia, and
Urvillea) comprise vines or lianas, but these contain the
majority (56) of the spp. Just eight spp. (three each of
Cupania and Paullinia, one each of Pseudima and
Serjania) are Costa Rican endemics. Three of the sp. names
used here are still "ined." (two attributed to the author, one to
T. D. Pennington). The application of the names Serjania
inebrians Radlk. and S. pteropoda Standl. could not be
resolved, though they are based on Costa Rican types.