19601 HOWARD, STUDIES IN THE GENUS COCCOLOA. IX STUDIES IN THE GENUS COCCOLOBA, IX. A CRITIQUE OF TlHE SOUTHT AMERICAN SPECIES RICHARD A. HOWARD THE FIRST SIX PAPERS of this series treated the West Indian speciesof the polygonaceous genus (occoloba, with the work based largely uponfield studies in this area. The seventh paper dealt with the species ofCentral America and Mexico; the writer has only a slight knowledge ofthese species in the field, but fortunately had available an unusually largenumber of collections as well as extensive field notes made by recentcollectors. This paper will treat the species of South America. The limita-tions of this study are greater both from lack of field knowledge and thefewer specimens available. For these reasons, this treatment is probablymore conservative than future workers will deem necessary. The goals ofthis study have been 1) to bring together all records of taxa of Coccolobafor South America: 2) to correct existing errors of literature citation:3) to evaluate and compare published species where possible: 4) to locatethe existing type collections; and 5) to select lectotypes of many species.It is hoped that these notes will encourage collectors and botanists inthe area to gather complete material of the species and to record adequatelythe variations so as to allow a better understanding of certain morphologi-cal problems. Only then can the monographer prepare complete descrip-tions and keys for the species in South America. The earliest comprehensive treatment of the species of Coccoloba inSouth America was prepared by Mleisner for the Flora Brasilicnsis (5(1):23-44. 1855). Although some species were illustrated, the descriptions ingeneral were inadequate and no keys were given. Specimens cited previ-ously from the Martius herbarium have since been found in Brussels,Munich, and Leningrad, and a few numbers have been widely scattered.Representative specimens of several species attributed to Martius couldnot be located for this study and in some other species the selection ofa lectotype has required very careful comparisons between specimensfrom several herbaria and published descriptions. In 1856 Meisner provided a synopsis of the genus for Ie('andolle'sProdromus (14: 150-171). One might expect that many of the speci-mens which Meisner cited would be in the Prodromus herbarium or in theDelessert herbarium at Geneva. but, unfortunately, very few are repre-sented in either collection. Meisner's personal herbarium, which has beenacquired by the New York Botanical (arden, includes specimens of mostspecies of Coccoloba. A few of these are small fragments, yet they repre-sent the only existing type material for certain species. The only complete monograph of Coccoloba was prepared by Lindau
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