Acalypha angatensis Blanco

ACALYPHA ANGATENSIS Blanco FI. Filip. (1837) 750 (sp. nov.) ; ed. 2
(1845) 516; ed. 3, 3 (1879) 150.
Acalypha tomentosa Blanco FI. Filip. (1837) 750 (sp. nov.) ed. 3, § (1879.^
151=ACALYRHA ANGATENSIS Blanco.
There is no doubt that the two species described by Blanco
are identical, but the former has page priority. Acalypha to-
mentosa was excluded by him in the second edition of the “Flora
de Filipinas,” but included by Naves and Villar in the third.
In the original description Blanco observes “Se distinguen poco
entre si [A. angatensis and A. tomentosa'] estos dos arboles.”
Acalypha angatensis Blanco is, I consider, referable to the form
that has been described as Acalypha grandis Benth. var. velutina
Muell.-Arg., but this being so Blanco’s specific name is much
older than Acalypha grandis Benth. or any of its synonyms.
Fernandez-Villar retained Acalypha angatensis as a distinct spe-
cies, and Mueller considers it under his section Evucalypha,
Pleurostachyae, Hypandrae (de Candolle Prodromus 152.1866)
805). Blanco described Acalypha angatensis as having short
petioles and in having monoecious flowers, the staminate ones
above the pistillate ones in the same spike. This is not true of
normal Acalypha grandis, which is usually dioecious. However,
some of our material ^Elpjrer 5727) agrees with Blanco’s descrip-
tion in the short petioles and In the disposition of the flowers,
and I am not able to distinguish this specimen specifically from
Acalypha grandis var. velutina or from A. angatensis Blanco, In
the rather abundant duplicate material collected in Angat and
destined for issue to illustrate Blanco’s species, many of the speci-
mens present duly male, or only female flowers; about six
specimens present male flowers and female flowers in different
inflorescence on the same branches, and one specimen presents
the male flowers in the same spike with the female ones and above
the latter as Blanco describes the species.
Illustrative material from Angat, Bulacan Province, Luzon,
September, 1913 (Merrill: Species Btancoanae No. 333).
* fjfc
MJETHJ* ILL'.
SPECIES HLAMCOANAE NfJ.333
382. Acalypha angat&nsls Blanco
Acalypha tomentosa Blanco
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
03925643
03925643