Timonius hirsutus Merrill (1917b: 242)

Chen, Junhao & Wong, Khoon Meng, 2020, Typification and nomenclatural notes on Bornean Timonius (Rubiaceae: Guettardeae), Phytotaxa 446 (2), pp. 114-120 : 117

Timonius hirsutus Merrill (1917b: 242)

Type: — BORNEO. Malaysia, Sarawak, Baram , Miri, 20 Apr 1895 (♂), Hose 651 (lectotype A [A00312908], designated here; isolectotype L [L0001476]) .

Notes: —Although Merrill mentioned a single collection (Hose 651) in his protologue, a few duplicates of this collection exist, and apparently there was also a PNH specimen that must have been destroyed during the war. The holotype of Merrill’s Bornean species was deposited in PNH ( Merrill 1917a). Chen et al. (2015) stated that the holotype in PNH was destroyed, but did not select a lectotype among the extant type material. Therefore, we here designate a well-preserved A sheet as lectotype.

The name “ Timonius hirsutus ” has been used three times. The name was first used by Merrill (1917b) for the Bornean species above. The second name Timonius hirsutus Ridley (1918: 81) postdates the Bornean name and is a synonym of the Malayan species Antirhea atropurpurea ( Craib 1932: 132) Chaw in Wong (1988: 493). Subsequently, Merrill (1921b: 480) transferred Greenea hirsuta Elmer (1913: 1857) into Timonius , generating the illegitimate combination Timonius hirsutus (Elmer) Merr. for a species from the Philippines. Therefore, Timonius hirsutus Merr. as used for the Bornean species takes precedence.