Medinilla rubicunda ( Jack) Blume

Abstract, Kartonegoro A. & Medinilla, Malesian, 2022, Annotated checklist of the Medinilla (Melastomataceae) of Malesia, Rheedea 32 (4), pp. 221-279 : 250

187. Medinilla rubicunda ( Jack) Blume , Flora 14: 512. 1823. Melastoma rubicundum Jack, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14(1): 18. 1823. Neotype (designated here): SINGAPORE, Nee Soon, Seletar Forest, behind vegetable gardens, 22.01.1949, J. Sinclair s.n. (BO [BO-1750500]; isoneo SING n.v.).

Medinilla crassifolia ( Reinw. ex Blume) Blume , Flora 14: 511. 1831. Melastoma crassifolium Reinw. ex Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 17: 1075. 1826. Lectotype: (designated by Bakhuizen van den Brink, 1943: 189): INDONESIA, Java, C.L. Blume s.n. (L [ L 0008951 ]; isolecto E [ E00197625 ], K [ K000867136 , K000867137 , K000867139 ]).

Melastoma diaphanum Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 17: 1075. 1826. Medinilla crassifolia var. diaphana (Blume) Blume , Flora 14: 511. 1831. Lectotype: (designated by Bakhuizen van den Brink, 1943: 189): INDONESIA, Java, C.L. Blume s.n. (L [L.2542965].

Medinilla hasseltii Blume , Flora 14: 513. 1831. Lectotype: (designated by Bakhuizen van den Brink, 1943: 190): INDONESIA, Java, [West Java province], Tjiherang, H. Kuhl & J. C. van Hasselt s.n. (L [ L 0008950 ]; isolecto S [S-G-3977]).

Medinilla cuspidata Blume, Mus. Bot. 1(2): 18, 1849. Lectotype: (designated by Bakhuizen van den Brink, 1943: 189): INDONESIA, Borneo, [Central Kalimantan province], G. Rantau, P.W. Korthals s.n. (L [L.2543148].

Medinilla inaequalis Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. 1: 542. 1855. Lectotype (designated here): INDONESIA, Java, 1802, T. Horsfield s.n. (lecto K [ K000867135 ]; isolecto U [ U 0004063 ]).

Medinilla naudinii Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28: 86. 1872. Type: INDONESIA, Java, C.L. Blume s.n. (holo P [ P05260818 , P05260819 ]) .

Medinilla caudatifolia O.Schwartz, Mitt. Allg. Inst. Bot. Hamburg 7: 252. 1931. Type: INDONESIA, Borneo, [West Kalimantan province], Bukit Raya , 1250 m, 17.12.1924, J.K.A. Winkler 901 (holo HBG [ HBG523053 , HBG523054 ]; iso BO [BO-1763295], C [ C10014664 ], P [ P05260881 ]) .

Medinilla hasseltii var subsessilis O.Schwartz, Mitt. Allg. Inst. Bot. Hamburg 7: 255. 1931. Type: INDONESIA, Borneo, [West Kalimantan province], Bukit Mulu , J.K.A. Winkler 458 (holo HBG [ HBG523055 , HBG523056 ]) .

Distribution: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, the Philippines ( Regalado, 1995).

Notes: Maxwell (1978) stated that M. rubicunda has an extended distribution into Indochina and India following some previous authors, and believed that Wallich 4086 from Penang was the type for the species ( Triana, 1872; Clarke, 1879; Cogniaux, 1891; Ridley, 1922). However, Singapore is the actual type locality of M. rubicunda as stated by Jack ( Jack, 1823). Detailed observations revealed that Wallich 4086 did not match the description of M. rubicunda . The type of M. erythrophylla Lindl., Wallich 4085, from India is close similar with Wallich 4086. Based on that, both are considered as the same species of M. erythtophylla and differs from M. rubicunda . Here, it is agreed with Bakhuizen van den Brink (1964) that M. rubicunda is conspecific with M. crassifolia , the widespread species in Malesia. Following the ICN code (Art. 11.4, Turland et al., 2018), M. rubicunda is the older name and has priority over M. crassifolia . The original type specimen of M. rubicunda was lost during a shipwreck. Therefore, the neotype was designated here from a close to locality in Singapore.