ABSTRACT. Myrsine africana L. var. glandulosa J. M. Zhang is a new synonym of M. africana var. africana.

Zhang (1995) described Myrsine africana var. glandulosa as a new taxon, and he indicated that it differs from the type variety in having fruits with dense black glands 0.5--1 mm long, "pericarpio dense nigris glandulosis 0.5--1 mm longis." An examination of the paratypes at KUN (e.g., C. W. Wang 83690 and J. S. Xin 6 from Yunnan and C. P. Song 39512 from Sichuan) readily reveals that that the alleged "black glands" on the fruits represent nothing but fungal infection. This fungal infestation appears to be quite common on fruiting material, and additional diseased collections (all of which are at KUN) not examined by Zhang are: CHINA. Yunnan: Yongren, H. T. Tsai 52848; Kunming, C. W. Wang 62650, 62785; Lijiang, T. T. Yi 8139; Zhongdian, K. M. Feng 3123; Heqing, R. C. Ching 24212; Xundian, F. T. Wang 5884; Luquan, P. I. Mao 1817; Songming, P. Y. Chiu 54209, 60697; Mengzi, C. W. Wang 83468. Sichuan: Muli, S. K. Wu 3326.

The fungus is believed to be a species of Heydenia Keiss of the Deuteromycetae (Imperfect Fungi), and the hemispherical black tops of sporocladia were misinterpreted by Zhang (1995) as glands. In addition to Myrsine africana, the fungus also infests M. semiserrata Wallich (Tai, 1979), and both species of Myrsine are distributed in the greater part of South China (Chen, 1979).

Myrsine africana, L. Sp. Pl. 1: 196. 1753.

Myrsine africana var. glandulosa J. M. Zhang, Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 15: 47. 1995. Syn. nov. TYPE: China. Gansu: Wenxian, Bikou, 7 Apr. 1964, 700 m, T. P. Wang 18881 (holotype, WUG).

Literature Cited

Chen, C. 1979. Myrsinaceae. Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 58: 1--147.

Tai, F. L. 1979. Sylloge Fungorum Sinicorum. Science Press, Beijing.

Zhang, J. M. 1995. A new variety of Myrsine. Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 15: 47--48.