Erismadelphus

Erismadelphus Mildbr. is remarkable because it is the only African genus of the Vochysiaceae, a family represented in tropical America by no less than 5 genera and 180 species. Erismadelphus was discovered in 1913 by Prof. J. MILDBREAD and has hitherto been represented by only one species: E. exsul Mildbr. Recent examination of the African collections has, however, revealed the existence of two other taxa. Unfortunately the type of E. exsul (Mildbraed s.n. from Elon, French Cameroons) was destroyed at Berlin during the 1939-45 war and no duplicates or cotypes are known to exist. In response to an enquiry Prof. MILDBREAD, to whom we are very grateful, informed one of us that in his view Corbisier 1362 from Eala in Belgian Congo was identical with his original type. Prof. MILDBRAED and KEAY have, in fact, together examined Corbisier 1362 in the Herbarium of the Jardin Botanique de l’Etat at Bruxelles through the courtesy of Prof. ROBYNS. Duplicates of Corbisier 1362 are at Kew and Paris, they agree in every respect with MILDBRAED’s original description and figure and we therefore propose that this specimen be adopted as the neotype (lectotype).