Arenaria musciformis Triana & Planchon (1862: 150)

Montesinos-Tubée, Daniel B. & Iamonico, Duilio, 2023, Typifications of Andean Arenaria names (Caryophyllaceae), with a nomen novum, Phytotaxa 579 (1), pp. 54-60 : 55-57

Arenaria musciformis

Triana & Planchon (1862: 150) validly published Arenaria musciformis by a detailed description; the provenance and habitat were also reported (“Plateau de Tequerres, alt. 3400 mètres, dans les lieux humides”). According to HUH-Index of Botanists (2013+), Triana’s and Planchon’s Herbaria and types are mainly deposited, respectively, at COL/MPU and NA (see also Stafleu & Cowan 1983, 1986). We traced the following three specimens of Triana’s Herbarium: P (barcode P00335831), COL (barcode COL000001165), and F (barcode F0053262F).

The P specimen bears the following two labels (Triana’s handwriting): “VOYAGE DE J. Triana | 1851-1857 | Arenaria musciformis Tr. et Pl. | Paramos de Tuquerres | NOUVELLE-GRENADE.―Prov. de Pasto hauteur 3400 mts. Flora, No 512 ” and (in pencil) “ Arenaria musciformis | N. 512 | Paramos de los Tuquerres | Tuquerres. Alt 3400 ”. P00335831 is labelled as “ Type ” and it is part of the original material.

The specimen COL000001165(image available at http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/es/colecciones/detail/11423/) is part of the Triana’s Herbarium as indicated in the label (“HERBARIO DE J. TRIANA”, printed) and it was collected at “Prov. de Tuquerres“; it was labelled as an isotype. Note that no date of collection was provided either in the label or as an annotation in the sheet. Therefore, we cannot be sure that the sheet is an ante-1862 addition to the collection, despite 1) the online form linked to this COL specimen states “Fecha colección 1 de Enero de 1851” (an information not reported in the specimen), and 2) Stafleu & Cowan (1983) reported that Triana “working of Flora colombiana, from 1857 in France... in Montpellier, later in Paris”. Hence, we prefer to avoid COL000001165 for the lectotypification purpose.

Finally, F0053262F (image available at https://fm-digital-assets.fieldmuseum.org/53/803/V0053262F.jpg) is a very little fragment of type, as annotated (in pencil) in the bottom of the sheet (“ Type fragment ”). A further annotation (bottom-left corner of the sheet) states “ Arenaria musciformis Triana & Planch. Triana. Colombia ”. This F specimen is evidently a part of the original material. However, as a fragment of a type, it is not clear to which specimen it is linked (probably the P specimen mentioned above). Therefore, this specimen is also excluded from the lectotypification process.

No further specimens were found.

All things considered, we consider only the P specimen (P00335831) as eligible for the lectotypification purpose, and it is here designated as the lectotype of the name Arenaria musciformis . Note, moreover, that Triana worked in France (Montpellier and Paris) from 1857 onwards ( Stafleu & Cowan 1983). The evaluated type material has the following relevant characters matching the current concept in Arenaria : linear-lanceolate pubescent leaves with an acuminate-mucronate apex, a very prominent midvein, petioles 0.1–0.9 mm long, ovate-oblong, acuminate sepals with a ciliate scarious margins, five petals, and dehiscent capsules with lenticular seeds.

Arenaria musciformis Triana & Planchon (1862: 150) .

Lectotype (designated here):— COLOMBIA. Pasto : Paramos de los Tuquerres, 3400 m, 1851, J.J. Triana 512 (P00335831!, image available at https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/p00335831).

Distribution and ecology:― Arenaria musciformis occurs in Colombia and Venezuela ( Briceño & Morillo 2002, Hokche et al. 2008, Bernal et al. 2019) in tropical Andean ecosystems at 3400–4350 m a.s.l. ( Hupp et al. 2017, Llambí et al. 2018).

Note:― Arenaria musciformis is morphologically similar to A. venezuelana Briquet (1911: 383) from which it differs by the following characters: margins of the leaves glabrous (vs. pubescent in A. venezuelana ) and sepals pubescent only at the base (vs. sparsely pubescent on the whole surface in A. venezuelana ).

Examined specimens:― COLOMBIA. Cordillera Oriental, Departamento de Santander; Páramo del Almorzadero, extremo sur, Peralonso , 3200 m, 19 July 1940, Cuatrecasas & García 9906 (COL000368918!, US03621934!). Boyacá, Cordillera Oriental; Sierra Nevada del Cocuy; Alto Titacuva, 4075 m, 27 April 1959. Barclay & Juajibioy 7475 (MO!). Norte de Santander, Páramo del Hatico , in route from Toledo to Pamplona, 2900 m, 12–13 March 1927, Killip & Smith 20654 (K!, US 03621936!). South Colombia , in trail from Tuquerres, 3000 m, February 1881, F.C. Lehman 592 (K!). Boyacá, Guicán, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, 4040 m, 22 November 1978, Rangel, Sturn et al. 1578 (NY!) . VENEZUELA. Mérida; Páramo del Aguila along the road from Mucuchies towards the pass de Aguila, near the summit ridge of Cerro El Balcón , 4120 m, 10 October 2007, Sklenar et al. 10139 (PRC435528!). Mérida; Trail leading from El Royal, between Las Escaleras and La Negrita, 2990–3600 m, 30 October 1978, Luteyn et al. 6091 (NY!). Mérida, Pica El Aguila, 4000 m, 16 November 1980, Maas & Tillett 5309 (NY!). Mérida; paramo de Laguna de Mucubají , near Apartaderas and San Rafael, 3800 m, 18 October 1953, Maguire 39422 (NY!) .