Baretia Timaná, 2023

Timaná, Martín E., 2023, Honoring Jeanne Baret: Baretia lanata Timaná, comb. nov. (Caryophyllaceae), a new endemic genus and species combination for the Flora of Chile, Adansonia (3) 45 (27), pp. 497-505 : 502

Genus Baretia Timaná , gen. nov.

Densely lanuginose, suffruticose, perennial, hemispheric, dioecious shrub; leaves opposite, exstipulate; blade sessile. Inflorescence terminal, single-flowered; flowers dioecious, haplostemonous, tetracyclic, dichlamydeous, strongly perigynous; receptable infundibuliform, floral disk present; calyx valvate, sepals 5, coriaceous, free above the receptacle cup; petals 5; style single; stigma capitate; ovary unilocular, 3-carpellate, 3-ovulate, placentation central basal; fruit dry, indehiscent, one-seeded; embryo curved. Chromosome number unknown.

TYPE AND ONLY SPECIES. — Baretia lanata (Phil.) Timaná , comb. nov.

ETYMOLOGY. — It is an immense pleasure to name this genus in honor of the French botanist and explorer Jeanne Baret (also spelled Barret) (1740-1807), the first known woman to circumnavigate the globe. She traveled, disguised as a young man, as a field assistant of botanist and explorer, Philibert Commerson (1727-1773). They were members of the French expedition around the world led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville during the years 1766 to 1769 on board the ships Boudeuse and Étoile ( Godley 1965; Bougainville & Freijomil 2005). Baret’s life, achievements, scientific work, but also struggles during the expedition have been depicted in detail by Ridley (2011), Clode (2020), and Telleria (2021). A more botanical approach to her life and work is given by Thiers (2020). According to Thiers, Commerson and Baret collected nearly 30 000 specimens representing nearly 5 000 species, including the type specimen of Bougainvillea spectabilis supposedly collected by Baret in Brazil, although this suggestion, put forward by Ridley (2011), has been dismissed as highly speculative by professional botanists such as Knapp (2011) and Lack (2012). However, based on the specimens now preserved in the Paris herbarium (a total of 4 022 according to a search of its online database of digitalized specimens), only Commerson was credited with those collections. Baret collected in the Strait of Magellan, in Chilean territory, between December and January 1767 -1768 ( Godley 1965). To this date, her contribution to botany has only been recognized with a species in the Solanaceae family, namely Solanum baretiae Tepe , from northern Peru ( Tepe et al. 2012). According to Thiers, Commerson had planned to name a new genus for her, as Baretia (now Turraea L., Meliaceae ), as evidenced in the label on the specimen annotated by Commerson as “ Baretia bonafidia ” (Paris herbarium, specimen P 00391569). Although the name Baretia is mentioned (yet not fully described) in many 19th century botanical reference books (based on a search of the Biodiversity Heritage Library database), the binomial was never published, because, as stated by Knapp (2011) when the specimen finally arrived in Paris that genus already had a name. This publication aims to fulfill Commerson’s intention to honor his loyal scientific partner and travel companion.