Three new Reductions in the Anacardiaceae

A few botanists seem to have had difficulties in placing species of Anacardiaceae under the proper genus, even after Hooker gave an excellent key to 21 genera in the FI. Br. Ind. 2; 7. 1876. When Mr F. H. Hildebrand, engaged in identification of Papuan trees at the Rijksherbarium, Leyden, expressed his doubts of the generic identity of Rhus novo-guineensis Laut., and suggested that it might be a Pentaspadon, an attempt was made to verify this idea. Lauterbach described Rhus novo-guineensis in 1910. Both specimens mentioned by him, Versteeg 1314 and 1802, are in the Rijksherbarium, and on examination both appeared to belong undoubtedly to Pentaspadon. The genera Rhus and Pentaspadon differ in the styles, 3 in number in Rhus, 1 in Pentaspadon; furthermore in Rhus the stamens are all equal, though sometimes reduced in $ flowers, whereas in Pentaspadon 5 stamens alternate with 5 staminodes. The fruit in Rhus is small, like a currant, in Pentaspadon it has the size of an almond.