SYSTEMATIC NOTES ON MICRONESIAN PLANTS by F . R . Fosberg EXiring the course of systematic studies of various genera occurring in Micronesia the need for a number of name changes has become apparent. Most of these are involved in larger problems which will be discussed in a number of later papers as the studies are completed. In the meantime, to validate names used in determination of specimens, the new combinations are published here . DIGIT ARIA PRURIENS (Fisch. ex Trin.) Buse var. MICROBACHNE (Presl) Fosberg, n . comb . Panicum microbachne Presl, Rel. Haenk. 1: 298, 1830. Not at all sharply distinct from D. pruriens var . pruriens but usually recognizable, so it is best not to reduce it outright, as was done by Reeder Oour. Am. Arb. 29: 292, 1948). FICUS L . Several Micronesian species of Ficus seem too close to wide ranging species of the south Pacific to be maintained as separate species. Varietal combinations are proposed here pending a more detailed dis-cussion . FICUS TINCTORIA Forst. f . var. NEO-EBUDARUM (Summ.) Fosberg, n. comb. Ficus neo-ebudarum Summerhayes, Jour. Am. Arb. 13: 97, 1932. FICUS PROLIXA Forst. f. var. CAROLINENSIS (Warb.) Fosberg, n. comb. Ficus carolinensis Warburg, in Schum. & Lauterb., Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb . Suds . 242, 1905 . FICUS PROLIXA Forst. f . var. SAFFORDU (Merr.) Fosberg, n. comb. Ficus saffordii Merr., Phil. Jour. Sci. Bot. 9: 74, 1914. MELANOLEPIS MULTIGLANDULOSA (Bl.) Reichb. & Zoll. var. GLABRATA (Mull.-Arg.^ Fosberg, n. comb. Mallotus moluccanus (L . ) Mull . -Arg . var . glabratus MuU.-Arg., Linnaea 34: 186, 1865. The plant formerly known as Mallotus moluccanus (L . ) MuU.-Arg. is now usually placed in the genus Melanolepis as M. multiglandulosa (Bl .) Reichb. f . & Zoll . Croton moluccanus L ., the basonym of Muller's combination, is not correctly applied to this species (see Merrill, Int. Rumph. Herb. Amb. 318-319, 1917). The appropriate combination for its var. glabrata , originally described from the Marianas, has apparently 289
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