NOMENCLATURAL NOTE

 

A nomenclatural correction in Colchicum L. (Colchicaceae: Colchiceae) in southern Africa: two new combinations for C. coloratum J.C.Manning & Vinn., nom. superfl.

 

 

John C. Manning^{I, II}

^ICompton Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont 7735, South Africa
^IIResearch Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa

Correspondence

 

 

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ABSTRACT

The new combinations Colchicum burchellii (Baker) J.C.Manning & Vinn. and C. burchellii subsp. pulchrum (Schltr. & K.Krause) J.C.Manning & Vinn. are provided for the taxa currently known respectively under the names C. coloratum subsp. burchellii (Baker) J.C.Manning & Vinn. and C. coloratum J.C.Manning & Vinn., nom superfl.

Keywords: Africa; Androcymbium Willd.; nomenclature; taxonomy.

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Introduction

The circumscription of the genus Colchicum L. (Colchicaceae: Colchiceae) was substantially enlarged by Manning et al. (2007) to include the largely sub-Saharan Androcymbium Willd. on the basis of their molecular phylogenetic analysis showing that Colchicum (including Bulbocodium L. and Merendera Ramond) constituted a clade that was deeply nested within Androcymbium. This relationship and its taxonomic implications have been confirmed by subsequent analyses (Nguyen et al. 2013). At the time, Manning et al. (2007) provided the necessary combinations in Colchicum for the taxa previously treated in Androcymbium. It has emerged, however, that they erred in their treatment of the species A. burchellii Baker and A. latifolium Schinz (= A. pulchrum Schltr. & K.Krause) and this is corrected here.

 

Nomenclature

Androcymbium burchellii Baker and A. latifolium Schinz (= A. pulchrum Schltr. ex K.Krause) were treated as two distinct species in A. series Therocymbia U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll-Doblies (Müller-Doblies & Müller-Doblies 1998, 2002). The two taxa appear to differ, however, solely in the colouring of the foliage leaves and the bracts, and A. latifolium was subsequently treated as a subspecies of A. burchelli under the name A. burchellii subsp. pulchrum (Schltr. & K.Krause) Pedrola et al. (2003). This taxonomy was followed by Manning et al. (2007) when they proposed new combinations for these taxa in Colchicum.

The two earlier names Colchicum latifolium Sibth. & Sm. (Sibthorp 1823) and C. pulchrum Herb. ex Baker (Baker 1879) preclude the transfer of both of these epithets to Colchicum (Turland et al. 2018: ICN, Art. 53.1) and Manning et al. (2007) accordingly proposed the replacement name C. coloratum J.C.Manning & Vinn. for the taxon, with the two subspecies coloratum and subsp. burchellii (Baker) J.C.Manning & Vinn. The replacement name C. coloratum for the combined taxon is, however, nomenclaturally superfluous if this subspecific taxonomy is followed since the name A. burchellii Baker (Baker 1874), as a synonym, is available as an earlier epithet and should have been used (Turland et al. 2018: ICN, Art. 7 7.4). The combination A. burchellii subsp. pulchrum (Pedrola et al. 2003) establishes the priority of this epithet at subspecific rank (Turland et al. 2018: ICN, Art. 11.2). The correct combinations are provided below.

Should the two taxa be treated as distinct species, however, then the combination C. coloratum J.C.Manning & Vinn. is available for the component that includes the type of A. pulchrum.

Colchicum burchellii (Baker) J.C.Manning & Vinn., comb. nov. Androcymbium burchellii Baker in J. Bot. (British & foreign) 12: 246 (1874). Colchicum coloratum subsp. burchellii (Baker) J.C.Manning & Vinn. in Taxon 56: 879 (2007).

Colchicum burchellii subsp. pulchrum (Schltr. & K.Krause) J.C.Manning & Vinn., comb. nov. Androcymbium pulchrum Schltr. & K.Krause in Krause in Notizbl. Bot. Gard. Berlin 7: 522 (1921). A. burchellii subsp. pulchrum (Schltr. & K.Krause) Pedrola et al. in Bot. Macaron. IV Ci 24: 113 (2003). Colchicum coloratum J.C.Manning & Vinn. in Taxon 56: 879 (2007), nom. superfl. [as a new name for A. pulchrum Schltr. & K.Krause].

= Androcymbium latifolium Schinz in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 4: 415 (1896).

 

References

Baker, J.G., 1874, 'On the genus Androcymbium, with descriptions of seven new species', Journal of Botany (British and foreign) 12, 243-246.         [ Links ]

Baker, J.G., 1879, 'A synopsis of Colchicaceae and the aberrant tribes of Liliaceae', Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 17, 404-510.         [ Links ]

Krause, K., 1921, 'Revision der Gattung Androcymbium', Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin-Dahlem 7, 512-526.         [ Links ]

Manning, J.C., Forest, F. & Vinnersten, A., 2007, 'The genus Colchicum L. redefined to include Androcymbium Willd. based on molecular evidence', Taxon 56, 872-882, https://doi.org/10.2307/25065868.         [ Links ]

Müller-Doblies, U. & Müller-Doblies, D., 1998, 'De Liliifloris Notulae 6. De decuria prima specierum novarum generis Androcymbium sect. Androcymbium (Colchicaceae) in Africa Australis s.l.' Feddes Repertorium 109, 551-572, https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.19981090712.         [ Links ]

Müller-Doblies, U. & Müller-Doblies, D., 2002, 'De Liliifloris Notulae 7. De decuria altera specierum novarum generis Androcymbium (Colchicaceae) in Africa Australis s.l.', Feddes Repertorium 113, 545-599, https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.200290006.         [ Links ]

Nguyen, PA.T., Kim, J.S. & Kim, J.-H., 2013, 'Molecular phylogenetic relationships and implications for the circumscription of Colchicaceae (Liliales)', Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 172(3), 255-269, https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12037.         [ Links ]

Pedrola-Monfort, J., Membrives, N., Montserrat, J.M. & Caujapé-Castells, J., 2003, 'Systematic relationships of some species of the genus Androcymbium Willd. (Colchicaceae) in western South Africa', Botanica Macaronesica IV, Ciences 24, 107-126.         [ Links ]

Schinz, H., 1896, 'Beiträge zur kenntnis der Afrikanischen Flora'. Bulletin de l'Herbier Boissier 4, 415-416.         [ Links ]

Sibthorp, J., 1823, Flora Graeca, vol. 4(1), R. Taylor, London.         [ Links ]

Turland, N.J., Wiersema, J.H., Barrie, F.R., Greuter, W., Hawksworth, D.L., Herendeen, P.S., Knapp, S., Kusber, W.-H., Li, D.-Z., Marhold, K., May, T.W., Mcneill, J., Monro, A.M., Prado, J., Price, M.J. & Smith, G.F. (eds.), 2018, International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017, Regnum Vegetabile 159, Koeltz Botanical Books, Glashütten, https://doi.org/10.12705/Code.2018.         [ Links ]

 

 

Correspondence:
John C. Manning
e-mail: J.Manning@sanbi.org.za

Submitted: 28 March 2022
Accepted: 25 January 2023
Published: 29 March 2023