Polypodium spinulosum Burm. f., Fl. Ind.: 233, tab. 67, fig. 1. 1768.

≡ Synaphea spinulosa (Burm. f.) Merr. in Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 44: 354. 1919. (Proteaceae)

Lectotypus (designated by GEORGE, 1995: 277): [AUSTRALIA]: sine loco, s.d., Anon. s.n. (G-PREL [G00818240]!).

Notes. – Polypodium spinulosum was based on a sterile specimen that was erroneously supposed to originate from Java and an illustration. This name does in fact represent an endemic Proteaceae from Western Australia: Synaphea spinulosa (MERRILL, 1919: 354; 1920: 347).

GEORGE (1995: 277) cited the single specimen of original material extant in G-PREL as holotype. This implicit lectotypification is accepted here.

GEORGE (1971: 177; 1981: 53) suggested that the type specimens of Acacia truncata (see above Adiantum truncatum) and Synaphea spinulosa may have been collected in 1697 during the VOC expedition conducted by Wilhelm Vlaming. Thus one of the oldest collections made by Europeans in Australia. Vlaming’s ship was the first Dutch ship to stop in Australia on the way to Java. During the course of the 18th century, the VOC ships took a more direct sea road from the Cape to Java often sailing the coast of Western Australia before reaching Java (BRUIJN, 1980). Those Australian specimens could also have been collected later in the mid 18th century when Kleynhoff, Pryon or van Santen travelled to Java.