EDWARD NATHANIEL BANCROFT'S OBSCURE BOTANICAL PUBLICATIONS AND HIS FATHER'S PLANT NAMES

Summary The plants newly described by E.N. Bancroft, particularly in newspapers, are identified; of these, Cassia porturegalis (Leguminosae) is C. italica (Mill.) Spreng., a name published in 1800. Resulting from a search of early Jamaican botanical literature, overlooked binomials are identified, as are the overlooked names of other Caribbean plants: Psidium wrightii Krug & Urban, non Wright (Myrtaceae) becomes P. parvifolium (Griseb.) Griseb. Names published by Bancroft senior are considered and appended is a list of a further 80 overlooked names of New World plants: all are identified except for some species of Alloplectus, Opuntia, Passiflora and Zea , which remain obscure, while Chaetanthera tenella gives way to C. ramosissima (Compositae).