By CGGJ History. the Publication Of
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Malayan Bignoniaceae, their taxonomy, origin and geographical distribution by C.G.G.J. van Steenis. and will not distribu- Age area do, function of and tion is a age biology. The mechanism of evolution is the main problem of biological science. Introduction. : My publication on the Bignoniaceae of New Guinea ) has been the prime cause to study this family for the whole Malayan region. So this study forms a parallel to the publications of the families worked out by the botanists at Buitenzorg, which are an attempt to constitute a modern review of the Malayan flora. That this a review of family was necessary may appear from short historical a survey. History. Since the publication of „De flora van Neder- landsch Indie” by Miguel 2), only 4 of the 5 Javanese 3 species have been discussed byKoorders and Va 1eton ); 4 Koorders ) gives only a short enumeration of the 5 Java- nese species, together with the cultivated ones of Java. 6 discussed the and Boerlage ) genera gave an account critical dis- of the species known then, but did not give a cussion of the species. 1) Nova-Guinea 14 (1927) 293-303. 2 ) De Flora van Nederlandsch Indie. 2 (1856) 750-9. 8 ) Bijdrage tot de boomsoorten van Java. 1 (1894) 64. 4) Excursionsflora fur Java. 3 (1912) 182. 6 585 ) Handleiding tot de kennis der flora van Ned. Indie. 2 (1899) 788 For the there extra-Javanese species are only the elder works of Blume 1 2 ) and Mique 1 ) and for Deplanchea the descriptions of Scheffer 3). As the and genera species were known only incompletely, the geographical distribution could not be indicated with any certainty and about the affinities was not known much either. Geographical distribution. The remarkable distribution of the and the genera species in Malayan region have made me study especially the affinities of these with those of the and with allied As surrounding countries genera. it appeared to me that the Bignoniaceae of the Malayan region sensu stricto, without Malacca, the Philippines and New Guinea, are so closely connected with those of the I have surrounding countries tried to treat a more or less phyto-geographical unit, which extends from Malacca to New Caledonia. With it became some genera necessary to the for the of the enlarge region understanding geogra- distribution of the phical genera or species, and so the reader will find some Chinese, Burmese and Indian species in some genera. The limits for a ..Flora Malesiana” will be difficult. Years H. 4 has very ago Zollinger ) given some critical remarks about the area used M 1. by i q u e Since affinities of the Miquel, Malayan flora are more closely studied by several Dutch botanists and by Ridley, Merrill, etc. It has appeared that Malacca, Sumatra, Banka, Billiton, Riouw and Borneo show many phyto- affinities, whereas geographical Java and the isles eastern of it do not belong so close to this unit. The Philippines, though undoubtedly allied with the Borneo-Sumatra-Ma- t) Rumphia. 4 (1848) 35. 2) Ann. Mus. Bot, Ludg. Bat. 1 (1864) 197, 3 (1867) 249. s ) Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 31 (1870) 332. 4) Over het der begrip omvang eener Flora Malesiana. Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. Ser. III. 3 (1856) 293-322. 789 and the lacca-group, on other hand with the Moluccas, show endemics and form in several many respects a dis- tinct phyto-geographical area. The Moluccas show already signs of Australian influen- and New Guinea forms in ces, many respects an area containing a mixed Malayo-Australian flora. On the other hand this enormous island contains a mass of endemics, wich do not occur neither in Malaya nor in Australia and forms also a unit. New Caledonia, of which R. Schlec li- ter *) made a plant-geographical study, shows close affi- nities with Australia, just as one should expect, but con- tains a large endemic development like nearly all isolated, old isles. After this discussion one will with agree me that it is difficult to limit the Malayan region, though a political unit, in plant-geographical respect. For different families it will not be the same. For the Bignomaceae-genera I have used a very large area; whereas, however, within this area many genera are limited, it forms in for my opinion my aim a genetic- unit. Thus plant-geographical it is explained that for some genera e. g. Deplanchea, Oroxylum, Tecomanthe, Pan- dorea, Radermachera, Nyctocalos, the treatise has become a floristic-monographical revision, though perhaps incom- plete, due to lack of materials. An other that I have cause used such a large area, is because of the fact that whereas limited many genera are to this it would be of interest area, to make more general conclusions in connection with the geological theory of A. 8 and the Wegener ) genetic-plant-geographical ones x ) Pflanzen-geographische Gliederung der Insel Neu Caledonia. Inaug. Diss. Reprint. Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 36 (1905) 1—41. 2 ) Die Entstehung der Kontinente und Oceane. Ed. 3. 1922. 790 1 2 of J. C. Willis ) and A. Engler. ) In relation with the remarkable endemism of a lot of species, an interes- ting result could perhaps be obtained. 3 Scheffer ) makes already some remarks about two Deplanchea’s, D. bancana (Scheff.) vSts. and D. tetra- F. phylla (R. Br.) v. Muell.: „Het is een zeer opmerkelijk feit, dat, zoo niet dezelfde, dan toch. een zeer verwantc dat onder species van een genus, zijn verwante scherp daarvan is gekarakteriseerd en door den habitus zeer af- wijkt, voorkomen in twee, in vegetatie zoo zeer verschil- lende landen. Wei zijn de vleugels van de platte zaden zeer voor- de doch deelig voor verspreiding, in geene der tusschen- streken de ofschoon liggende is plant waargenomen; daarvan bekend sommige nagenoeg geheel zijn.” 4 Seemann ) when discussing the native country of Teco- also of the remarkable maria capensis Seem., says question; “At first sight it would appear that the question respecting the native country could easily be settled by assuming the species to be endemic in both Africa and America, were it not opposed to the fact that all Bignoniaceae, notwith- standing their winged seeds, have a limited geographical distribution, and that no species, as far as I know, has been claimed as a citizen of both hemispheres.” Bureau 6 the ) pointing to very interesting Bignonia- ceae of New Caledonia, also remarks the typical distribution of the He Delostoma species. says: „Les sont americains, de les Catalpa sont les uns 1’Amerique, les autres de la ') Age and Area. A study in geographical distribution and origin of species. 1922. 2 ) Versuch einer Entwicklungs-Geschichte der Pflanzenwelt (1879—82). 8 ) Het geslacht Diplanthera Banks et Solander. Nat. Tijdschr. Ned. Ind. 31 (1870) 336. 4) Revision of the natural order Bignoniaceae. Journ. Bot. 1 (1863)23. 6 ) Bull. Soc. Bot. France. 9 (1862) 164. 791 Chine; il est done remarkable de trouver, dans les trois : de de la Nouvelle Caledonie, especes ) Bignoniacees, trois differents: 1’un la la Nouvelle types d’organisation ) special a Hollande, la terre la plus voisine, qui produise des Big- noniacees, mais les deux autres rappelant des flores tres lfc eloignees; le premier ) identique avec un type indien, le lc rattachant des formes dernier ) se a plus specialement nombreuses les americains. Quelque peu que soient Big- de la Nouvelle elles noniacees Caledonie, ne sont pas sans interet au point de vue de la geographic botanique”. The origin of the Bignoniaceae of New Caledonia must indeed be explained in connection with those of Australia and New endemic Guinea, though it possesses an develop- ment, no species being found elsewhere. This is a question of historical plant-geography. In the with my opinion Bignoniaceae, their disjunct areas and their endemism,notwithstanding the—apparently.— easy manner of spreading by the wind, are especially fit to give some points of view about their origin and distribution based theories. in general, upon geological will Something be said also about adaptation in some Tecomantheand Dolichandrone and of genera, e. g. parallel forms in Tecomanthe. The geographical distribution of most of the genera is to be found on are founded on both my maps. They herbarium-materials I saw and literature. The limits of most ( of the areas are in general rather well established, but it will that those of the appear probably Moluccas, Borneo, Celebes and New Guinea are not satisfactorily known nowadays. The numbers of the areas accord with those of the of the Of species text. a single species, e. g. Haplo- phragma macroloba (Miq.) vSts., the finding-places are marked with a +. Pandorea austro-caledonica Dolichandrone 1) a. Bur. b. spathacea (L. f.) K. Sch.; c. Deplanchea speciosa Vieill. 50 792 Materials studied. The materials of New Guinea and Utrecht I had of the herbarium at at my disposal by the kindness of its Director Prof. Dr. A. P 11 I u e; was very much obliged by the materials I received from the respective Directors of the herbariums at Leyden, Buitenzorg, Dahlem Kew. Prof. H. Lecomte his and granted me hospitality in the Paris Museum to study materials and rare literature. Further I am greatly indebted to Prof. Dr. W. M. Docters van Leeuwen (Buitenzorg), who lent to me the Big- he New Guinea last Prof. noniaceae, gathered in year; to D. Merrill who E. (Berkeley), was so kind as to give me some information about Philippine plants. I am greatly indebted to all of them; without their aid the results would not be so complete as I hope they are now. All materials were dried specimens, except a few New Guinean ones gathered by Docters van Leeuwen.