Blechnum indicum Burm. f.

Mazumdar, Jaideep, Callmander, Martin W. & Fumeaux, Nicolas, 2019, Typification and nomenclature of the ferns described in N. L. Burman’s Flora Indica, Candollea 74 (1), pp. 93-109 : 96

Blechnum indicum Burm. f. , Fl. Ind.: 231. 1768 [nom. cons. prop., in prep.].

≡ Telmatoblechnum indicum (Burm. f.) Perrie, D.J. Ohlsen & Brownsey in Taxon 63: 755. 2014.

Typus: AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: Evans Head behind surf shed, 18.XI.1972, Coveny 4712 ( NSW [ NSW267420 ] image seen ; iso-: A, AD, BM [ BM001048200 ] image seen, BRI [ BRI-AQ0020702 ] image seen, G, K [ K001092743 , K001092744 ] images seen, L, LE, TNS, UC [ UC1431736 ] image seen) [typ. cons. prop., in prep.].

Notes. – BURMAN (1768: 231) ’s description was based on a Pryon collection from Java. Asingle Pryon collection is preserved in G-PREL [G00800023] ( Fig. 2 ). It bears in Pryon’s handwriting the polynomial cited in the protologue (“ Filix lonchitidis facie alis denticulatis dupliciter auriculatis ”) and undoubtedly corresponds to the description.

CHAMBERS & FARRANT (1998a: 710; 2001: 315) erroneously stated that the type was lost and replaced by the extant Pryon specimen mentioned above, which would not match the description of the species and thus the plants currently known as Blechnum indicum , but the widespread Asplenium longissimum Blume published in 1828 ( BLUME, 1828), as correctly determined by F. Ballard (on Sept. 10, 1951). They designated therefore a neotype.

As the Pryon specimen clearly represents the type of Burman’s name, making it the oldest available name for A. longissimum , Chambers & Farrant’s neotypification cannot be accepted. In order to enable the further use of both names and to preserve nomenclatural stability ( TURLAND et al., 2018: Art. 14.2), a proposal to conserve Burman’s name with a conserved type is needed (MAZUMDAR et al., in prep.). The gathering selected by Chambers & Ferrant as neotype will be retained as conserved type.

Figures

Fig. 2. – Original material of Blechnum indicum Burm. f., a Pryon collection from Java with the polynomial cited in the protologue representing Asplenium longissimum Blume in G-PREL.