Hideaki Ohba, Shinobu Akiyama and Gerard Thijsse
This is a later homonym of Meliosma oldhamii Maxim. in Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Péacute; tersbourg 12: 64 (June 26, 1867) based on the same type.
The specimens, [908. 190-1397] (L 0104245) and [908. 190-1440] (L 0104243), have matured fruits and seem to be collected in later season from the same tree or population from which the type was collected.
When Miquel published this species in Ann. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. 1: 91, 1863, he cited two specimens: “Iaponia, in muris Decimae & alibi, teste Thunberg” and “In saxetis & ruderibus circa urbem Nangasaki insulae Kiusius: Siebold.” So we consider that these two specimens are syntypes. Later he cited three specimens in Prolusio (in Ann. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. 2: 157, 1866): “Thunber a. 1777 tetexit”, “in monte Takatika in Hiugo invenit (“frutex repens”) Siebold” and “in saxetes & ruderibus circa Nangasaki Pierot.” We could not find the specimen collected by Siebold in Nangasaki.
The lectotype specimen, Siebold s.n. [908. 269-383], is V. grypoceras. The syntype specimen, Buerger s.n. [908. 269-403], consists of four plants: the lower and middle right are V. grypoceras, the upper and middle left are V. obtusa (Miq.) Makino.
The lectotype specimen, Buerger s.n. [908. 269-384], consists of five plants. At least upper left and middle are V. obtusa; the upper right and lower right represent V. grypoceras var. exilis. The lower left seems to belong to the same variety.
Siebold [908. 269-375] consists of five plants; the lower two are V. grypoceras with narrowly ovate or lanceolate deeply incised stipules. Siebold [908. 269-370] consists of two individuals; the left one is V. ovato-oblonga but the right is V. grypoceras.
This is a seashore type of V. grypoceras which is found around Nagasaki.