Typification of Láng’s names in Polycnemum (Amaranthaceae s. l.)
Author
Iamonico, Duilio
Author
Somlyay, Lajos
text
Phytotaxa
2014
2014-12-10
188
2
118
120
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.188.2.6
journal article
10.11646/phytotaxa.188.2.6
1179-3163
5147225
Polycnemum verrucosum
Láng (1824: 179)
.
Lectotype
(designated here):―
HUNGARY
.
“Habitat in plagis arenosis, aridis, comitatus Pestiensis, Cumaniae, Faszygiae”, s.d.,
A
.
F
.
Láng
s.n.
(
BP
707552!) (Fig. 2). ≡
Polycnemum arvense
var.
verrucosum
(Láng)
Oborny (1884: 334)
.
FIGURE 1
.
A.
Lectotype of
Polycnemum heuffelii
Láng
(BP 707539!).
B.
Lectotype of
Polycnemum verrucosum
Láng
(BP 707552!).
Láng (1824: 179)
described
Polycnemum verrucosum
from
Hungary
“…
in plagis arenosis, aridis, comitatus Pestiensis, Cumaniae, Faszygiae
”. This provenance covers a fairly large part of the Great Hungarian Plain, namely the territory of historical
Pest County
, the regions of Kunság (“
Cumania
” in Latin; the present-day Kis- and Nagykunság) and Jászság (“
Iazygia
”, “
Jazygia
”, or “
Jaszygia
” in Latin; the version “
Faszygia
” appearing in the protologue is an orthographic error).
Three relevant specimens were traced, two found at
W
(both indicated as “
syntypus
” by
R
. Masson and
J
. Walter in 2013), and one at
BP
. The specimen W-1889-0266487 (image at http://jacq.nhm-wien.ac.at/djatoka/jacq-viewer/ viewer.html?rft_id=w_18890266487&identifiers=w) bears a label reading “
Polycnemum verrucosum
(mihi) Láng
[Láng’s script]
Auf Steppen in Pester
C
.
[probably Reichenbach’s script]”. Indeed, this specimen comes from the herbarium of the younger Reichenbach who likely received it from his father (see
Burns-Balogh 1988
). Apparently, it was the elder Reichenbach who got the specimen from Láng (see
Reichenbach 1832: 583
), but the date of collection is unknown. The specimen W-0026899 (image at http://jacq.nhm-wien.ac.at/djatoka/jacq-viewer/viewer.html?rft_id=w_ 0026899&identifiers=w_0026899) bears two individuals (plus three branches), accompanied by two original labels by Láng, thus representing two gatherings (from the herbaria of
I
.
I
. Schiffer and
E
. Fenzl, respectively). Although the texts on the labels match the protologue, since the collection dates are lacking, it cannot be ascertained whether these specimens are pre-1824 or not. Therefore, we prefer to consider all the specimens in
W
as not being original material.
Fortunately, the specimen BP-707552 (from Sadler’s herbarium) is unequivocally part of the original material, representing a single gathering and bearing two labels with the original annotations by Láng. The text of the right-hand label (“
Polycnemum verrucosum
(mihi)… In plagis arenosis
C
. [Cottus] Pestiensis Cumaniae Jaszygiae
”) includes a detailed description, and a reference to an article (“
Descrip. vide Bot.
[Botanische]
Zeit.
[Zeitung]
823
[1823]”) in which Láng apparently intended to introduce his new species. The fact that this article was eventually published without a description (
Láng 1823: 27
) proves that the label was written by Láng before 1824. The left-hand label bears a reference to the protologue (“
Vid. Syl. pl. nov.
”), and probably was added subsequently to the sheet. All things considered, since the specimen BP-707552 seems to be the only certain original material, fully corresponding to both the protologue and the current concept of the species (e.g.,
Ball 1993
,
Iamonico 2013
), it is designated here as the
lectotype
of the name
P. verrucosum
.