Gomphrena fallax Seubert (1875: 220)

Bena, Maria Julia, 2017, Typification and nomenclatural notes on twenty-seven names of Gomphrena L. (Amaranthaceae) linked to the South American flora, Phytotaxa 296 (2), pp. 131-146 : 135

Gomphrena fallax Seubert (1875: 220)

The protologue of Gomphrena fallax Seubert (1875: 220) includes a detailed diagnosis, the habitat, and the indication of a syntype [“ crescit ad Alegres in prov. Minarum: Pohl 1851 (in herb. Caes. Vindob. [Caesareae Vindobonensis])”]. According to Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (http://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/en/research/botany/collections/lost_ families) this specimen was lost (Armin Löckher, pers. com.), since the collection at W (where the herbarium Caesareae Vindobonensis is deposited) was destroyed during the II World War.

Holzhammer (1956: 206) recognized Gomphrena fallax as a variety of G. desertorum Martius (1826a: 3) , and cited “typus varietatis: Brasilia (Pohl) Herb. München”. De Siqueira (1992: 104) treated Holzhammer’s variety and also G. fallax as synonyms of G. desertorum , indicating: “ Gomphrena fallax Seub. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 13: 220. 1875. (Brasilia, s.l.: POHL 1851, s.n., s.d., M! Fotografía do Holotipo)”. Pedersen (1997: 228) recognized G. fallax as variety of G. celosioides Martius (1826b: 123) , indicating “Type: Pohl 1851 (lecto-M)”.

Holzhammer was the first author who indicated the word “typus”, and this is to be interpreted as a lectotypification of the name Gomphrena fallax , while the later Pedersen’s statement cannot be retained. The holotype indication by De Siqueira (1992: 104) is incorrect.

I accept here Pedersen’s (1997) recognition of Gomphrena fallax as a variety of G. celosioides .

Gomphrena fallax Seubert (1875: 220) ≡ Xeraea fallax (Seub.) Kuntze. (1891: 545) ≡ Gomphrena desertorum var.

fallax (Seub.) Holzhammer (1956: 206) ≡ Gomphrena celosioides var. fallax (Seub.) Pedersen (1997: 228)

Type (lectotype designated by Holzhammer 1956: 206):— BRAZIL. In Brasilia , 1839, Pohl 1851 (M-0241717!, image of the lectotype available at http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.m0241717) ; isolectotypes BR-6951139!, BR-6950484!, images of the isolectotypes available at http://plants.jstor.org/stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.br0000006951139, and at http://plants.jstor.org/ stable/10.5555/al.ap.specimen.br0000006950484 respectively).