Reinwardtia (Dec 1956)
THE GENUS CULLENIA Wight * (Bombacaceae)
Abstract
The monotypic genus Cullenia was established by Wight (IconesPI. Ind. or. 5 (1) : pi. 1761—62 & text, 1851), who differentiated it fromDurio Adans. mainly by the lack of a corolla and the position and shapeof the anthers. The only species, originally described as Durio ceylanicusby Gardner, was cited by Wight as Cullenia excelsa Wight. K. Schumanncorrected the specific epithet rather casually and atributed it (wrongly)to Wight. Bentham (in Benth. & Hook., Gen. pi. 1: 212. 1867); Baillon(Hist. pi. 4: 159. 1872), Masters (in Hook, f., Fl. Br. Ind. 1: 350. 1874)and Beccari (Malesia 3: 219. 1889) accepted the genus.Bakhuizen van den Brink (in Bull. Jard. bot. Buitenzorg III, 6: 228.1924) incorporated the genus in Durio.In my opinion Cullenia represents a "good" genus by its lack ofcorolla. Alston, although accepting Bakhuizen's reduction, informed mepersonally, that he, too, is inclined to consider Cullenia different fromDurio.The pollen were described as being naked and pedicellate by Gardner;this wrong statement was corrected by Wight; the anthers are pedicellateand one-celled.In this paper a new Cullenia species is described, which strengthensthe position of the genus; both species are restricted to the rain forestregion of Ceylon and the Southern Indian Peninsula.
