Diospyros foliosa: the correct name for D. elliptica, and new
combinations in Fijian and Samoan Diospyros (Ebenaceae)
L. J. Dorr1
Summary. The correct name in Diospyros L. (Ebenaceae) for a species from Tonga ?rst described as Maba elliptica J.
R. Forst. & G. Forst. and incorrectly known as D. elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green is D. foliosa (A. Gray)
Bakh. In addition to the nominate variety, six additional varieties are recognised from Fiji and Samoa. As these
varieties lack names under D. foliosa, the following new combinations are proposed: D. foliosa var. elliptica (J. R.
Forst. & G. Forst.) Dorr, D. foliosa var. fijiensis (Bakh.) Dorr, D. foliosa var. fructuosa (A. C. Sm.) Dorr, D. foliosa var.
iridea (Fosberg) Dorr, D. foliosa var. opaca (A. C. Sm.) Dorr, and D. foliosa var. savaiiensis (Christoph.) Dorr.
Key Words. Fiji, Paci?c Islands, Samoa, Tonga.
Introduction
While attempting to resolve the identity of the
enigmatic Pimia Seem. (Dorr & Cheek 2011, this
volume), the combination Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst.
& G. Forst.) P. S. Green (Ebenaceae) was discovered to
be illegitimate as it is a later homonym of D. elliptica
Knowlt., the name of a Miocene fossil. When
Green (1969) proposed his combination based on
Maba elliptica J. R. Forst. & G. Forst., a species
described from Tonga, the species in question was
known generally albeit incorrectly as D. ellipticifolia
(Stokes) Bakh. (based on Ferreola ellipticifolia Stokes).
Green (1969) speculated that Bakhuizen (1933) had
adopted the speci?c epithet ?ellipticifolia? on the
assumption that a combination based on M. elliptica
was pre-empted by D. elliptica Andr?. According to
Green (1969), Bakhuizen?s action was ?doubly
unfortunate? as Green felt justi?ably that the name
proposed by Andr? (1887) clearly was intended to
apply at the rank of variety (or cultivar, viz. D. kaki
?Elliptica?) and F. ellipticifolia was nomenclaturally su-
per?uous because the earlier M. elliptica was cited in
synonymy. Green?s (1969) solution would have been
correct except that he overlooked the earlier homonym
that blocked the transfer of the speci?c epithet
?elliptica.? The next available epithet is ?foliosa? (based
on M. foliosa A. Gray) and thus D. foliosa (A. Gray)
Bakh. is the correct name in Diospyros L. for D. elliptica.
Berry (1909), who wished to transfer Phyllites
ellipticus Newb. to the genus Diospyros wrote that D.
elliptica Knowlt. pre-empted this action and therefore
he proposed D. amboyensis E. W. Berry as a nomen
novum. Later, Berry (1911) mislabelled a plate (pl. 29,
?g. 5) and its caption (p. v) ?Diospyros elliptica (Newb.)
Berry,? but this combination cannot be considered to
have been validly published as Berry accepted D.
amboyensis in the text (p. 212, 230) of this monograph
of the fossil ?ora of the Raritan Formation (see
McNeill et al. 2006, Art. 34.1).
Smith (1971, 1981) revised Diospyros for Fiji, Samoa,
and Tonga, and considered D. foliosa (as D. elliptica) to
be a variable species for which he recognised seven
varieties occurring amongst these islands. Six of these
varieties lack names under D. foliosa and new combi-
nations are proposed below.
Taxonomy
Diospyros foliosa (A. Gray) Bakh. (Bakhuizen 1941:
444, 447). Type: Fiji, Vanua Levu, ?Muthuata and
Ovalau? [i.e., Mathuata], s.d., U.S. Exploring Expedition
s.n. (holotype US-65907!; isotype GH).
Maba foliosa Rich. ex A. Gray (1862: 326).
Ebenus foliosa (Rich. ex A. Gray) Kuntze (1891: 408).
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. foliosa (A. Gray) A. C. Sm. (1971: 377).
Diospyros foliosa var. elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.)
Dorr comb. nov. Type: Tonga, ?Tonga-tabu & Namok,?
s.d., J. R. Forster & G. Forster (lectotype BM, selected by
Smith 1981: 732).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116929-1
Maba elliptica J. R. Forst. & G. Forst., Char. Gen. Pl. 61,
pl. 61 (Forster & Forster 1775).
Ferreola ellipticifolia Stokes (1812: 556), nom. superfl.
Accepted for publication December 2011.
1 Department of Botany, MRC-166, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA. e-mail:
dorrl@si.edu
KEW BULLETIN VOL. 66: 1 ? 3 (2012)
? The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2012
Ebenus elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst) Kuntze (1891: 408).
Diospyros ellipticifolia Bakh. (Bakhuizen 1933: 162),
nom. superfl.
Diospyros ellipticifolia Bakh. var. elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G.
Forst.) Fosberg (1938: 611), nom. invalid.
Diospyros major (G. Forst.) Bakh. var. elliptica (J. R. Forst. &
G. Forst.) Bakh. (Bakhuizen 1941: 431), in synon.
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
(1969: 340), nom. illegit., non ?D. elliptica, nov. var.?
Andr? (1887: 349, pl.), nec D. elliptica Knowlt.
(Knowlton 1902: 83, pl. 16, ?g. 5), nec D. elliptifolia
Merr. (Merrill 1926: 421).
Diospyros foliosa var. fijiensis (Bakh.) Dorr, comb.
nov. Type: Fiji, Vanua Levu, Mba, S portion of Seatovo
Range, 20 April 1934, A. C. Smith 1564 (lectotype BO,
designated by Smith 1971: 376; isotypes BISH, GH, K,
NY!, UC, US!).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116931-1
Diospyros ellipticifolia Bakh. var. fijiensis Bakh., Bull. Jard.
Bot. Buitenzorg, ser. 3, 15: 431, 437 (Bakhuizen 1941).
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. fijiensis (Bakh.) A. C. Sm. (Smith 1971: 376).
Diospyros foliosa var. fructuosa (A. C. Sm.) Dorr,
comb. nov. Type: Fiji, Viti Levu, Serua, hills N of
Ngaloa, in drainage of Waininggere Creek, 19 Nov.
1953, A. C. Smith 9185 (holotype US-2192180!; isotypes
BISH, K, SUVA, UC).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116932-1
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. fructuosa A. C. Sm., J. Arnold Arbor. 52: 375
(Smith 1971).
Diospyros foliosa var. iridea (Fosberg) Dorr comb. nov.
Type: Samoa, Savaii, near Tufutafoe, 22 Nov. 1931,
Christophersen 3310 (holotype BISH; isotypes K, NY!,
UC, US!).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116934-1
Diospyros ellipticifolia Bakh. var. iridea Fosberg, Bull.
Torrey Bot. Club 65: 612 (1938).
Diospyros major (G. Forst.) Bakh. var. iridea Bakh.
(Bakhuizen 1941: 431), in synon.
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. iridea (Fosberg) A. C. Sm. (Smith 1971: 380).
Diospyros foliosa var. opaca (A. C. Sm.) Dorr comb.
nov. Type: Fiji, Viti Levu, Serua, bank of upper
Navua R., 22 April 1966, Fiji Dept. Agr. [leg.
Koroiveibau & Qoro] 14883 (holotype BISH; isotypes
MASS, SUVA).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116935-1
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. opaca A. C. Sm., J. Arnold Arbor. 52: 381 (Smith
1971).
Diospyros foliosa var. savaiiensis (Christoph.) Dorr
comb. nov. Type: Samoa, Savaii, near Fangalele, 21
Nov. 1931, Christophersen 3404 (holotype BISH; isotypes
A, K, NY!, UC, US!).
http://www.ipni.org/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116936-1
Maba savaiiensis Christoph., Bernice P. Bishop Mus. Bull.
128: 173, ?g. 26 (Christophersen 1935).
Diospyros ferrea (Willd.) Bakh. var. savaiiensis (Christoph.)
Fosberg (1938: 611).
Diospyros elliptica (J. R. Forst. & G. Forst.) P. S. Green
var. savaiiensis (Christoph.) A. C. Sm. (1971: 379).
Acknowledgements
Judy Warnement (Harvard University Botany Librar-
ies) kindly provided a copy of the article by Andr?.
Martin Cheek (K) and two anonymous reviewers made
critical comments that improved this note.
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DIOSPYROS FOLIOSA: THE CORRECT NAME FOR D. ELLIPTICA
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