Phytochemistry as a means for checking erroneously localized specimens

In Flores, Timor, and some other of the Lesser Sunda Islands at least two distinct species of Eucalyptus occur, E. alba (vern. hoë) in the lowland and low hills and a second species (vern. anpupu) in the hills and mountains. A century ago Blume described some eucalypts from the Leyden Herbarium based on duplicates he had received from the Paris Herbarium, collector unknown. Two sheets he assigned to E. obliqua L’Hérit. localizing them in Tasmania, another one which he called E. decaisneana Bl. he assigned to Timor. The latter has in the past sometimes been associated with the mountain species ’anpupu’, but Dr. Blake, in 1951, came to the conclusion that Blume’s type of E. decaisneana must belong to E. obliqua and cannot hail from Timor, but must be localized either in SE. Australia or in Tasmania. ’Anpupu’ is a still undescribed new species which we hope will be named by Dr. Blake. To me it seems logical that this specimen is also from Tasmania.