Revisión taxonómica de Ornithogalum subgen. Cathissa (Salisb.) Baker (Hyacinthaceae)

As a part of a taxonomic revision of the Iberian taxa of Ornithogalum, results corresponding to O. subgen. Cathissa are reported. Quantitative and qualitative characters are studied in detail, and they are evaluated for the taxonomic value of morphological characters of the three considered taxa: O. concinnum, O. broteroi, and O. reverchonii. A complete description is presented for all accepted species, and data on their biology, habitat, and distribution are also included. Moreover, a key is provided to facilitate identification.En el marco de una revisión de las especies ibéricas de Ornithogalum, se presentan los resultados correspondientes a los táxones de O. subgen. Cathissa. Se estudian con detalle y se evalúa cualitativamente y cuantitativamente el valor taxonómico de los caracteres morfológicos de los tres táxones considerados: O. concinnum, O. broteroi y O. reverchonii. Para cada especie se presenta una descripción completa, y datos sobre su biología, hábitat y distribución. Además, se aporta una clave para facilitar la identificación de los táxones aceptados

(2483) Proposal to conserve the name Scilla (Hyacinthaceae) with a conserved type

Following Rafinesque's (Flora Tellur. 2: 13. Jan-Mar 1837) typification, the well-established name Scilla will have to be applied in a sense that is contrary to its traditional usage, and applied to plants currently placed in a different subfamily. Furthermore, the current Asparagaceae tribus Urgineeae would be replaced by Asparagaceae tribus Scilleae, currently a synonym of Asparagaceae tribus Hyacintheae. This solution would not favour the goal of nomenclatural stability enunciated in the Melbourne Code; certainly, it would create unnecessary instability for the names of a subfamily or of a tribe, depending on family delimitation, and of two genera currently well-established and with high economic importance. To avoid this, we formally propose to conserve Scilla with a conserved type (Art. 14.9 of the ICN), following Hitchcock's ((in Sprague, Nom. Prop. Brit. Bot.: 146. Aug 1929) typification on Scilla bifolia L., which will maintain current usage of Scilla. Unfortunately, the quite recently published Charybdis is unavailable for use without conservation, but, depending on the outcome of the parallel request for a binding decision, the name Squilla may be available for the species included in it. Acceptance of the present proposal will surely minimize future confusion for taxonomists, conservationists and horticulturists.This work was partly supported by H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme of the European Commission, project 645636: “Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications” (FlyHigh)

Reinstatement of Squilla Steinh., a priority name against the illegitimate Charybdis Speta (Hyacinthaceae, Urgineoideae)

Squilla Steinh. was considered to be an orthographic variant of Scilla L., and therefore the new genus Charybdis Speta was created to include Scilla maritima L. and related taxa occurring in the Mediterranean. Molecular phylogenetic studies recovered Charybdis as distant from Urginea; this finding was also supported by morphology and phytochemistry data. However, after typification of Scilla using S. maritima by Rafinesque, Charybdis became illegitimate under Art. 52 of the Shenzhen Code as its name became superfluous when published. A binding decision was requested from the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants (NCVP) on whether Scilla L. and Squilla Steinh. are sufficiently alike to be considered orthographic variants and, hence, to be confused. Most members of the committee favour treating Squilla as not confusable with Scilla, which leaves the former name available for the current concept of Charybdis. In this context, we reevaluate the taxonomy of the genus, accepting 12 species of which eight are accommodated in Squilla as new combinations. Conversely, one of the species of Charybdis is transferred here to Urginavia. Nomenclatural types (including designation of 13 lectotypes, one neotype and one epitype) and the most relevant synonyms are given for each accepted taxon. An identification key is also presented for Squilla to assist future taxonomic studies in this group. We also include a revision of the taxonomic circumscription of the taxa related to S. undulata.This work was partly supported by the grants ACIE18-03, UAUSTI18-02 and UAUSTI19-08 from the University of Alicante

(48) Request for a binding decision on whether Scilla L. (Hyacinthaceae subfam. Hyacinthoideae) and Squilla Steinh. (Hyacinthaceae subfam. Urgineoideae) are sufficiently alike to be confused

We are requesting a binding decision as to whether Scilla L. and Squilla Steinh. are to be treated as independent names or are sufficiently alike to be confused (under Art. 53.5 of the ICN, McNeill & al. in Regnum Veg. 154. 2012), and accordingly either orthographic variants with the current typification (under Art. 61.2 of the ICN) or treated as homonyms, if the conservation of Scilla with S. bifolia as type is approved (cf. Martínez-Azorín & Crespo in Taxon 65: 1427-1428. 2016). In our opinion, Steinheil ((in Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 6: 276. 1836) pointed out in the protologue of Squilla the differences between the two names, which he applied deliberately to two very different groups of plants now considered to belong to two different subfamilies, Hyacinthoideae and Urgineoideae respectively. Furthermore, those two generic names show important orthographic differences that strongly affect their pronunciation and make them easy to differentiate and recognise. As noted by Martínez-Azorín & Crespo (l.c.), Charybdis was superfluous when published, and is therefore illegitimate under Art. 52 of the ICN, as its type is the previously designated Rafinesque's type of Scilla L., a typification that was probably unknown to Speta (in Phyton (Horn) 38: 58. 1998). This makes Charybdis not available for use. Were our proposal to conserve Scilla with a conserved type (Martínez-Azorín & Crespo, l.c.) accepted, it would be the best choice to accept Squilla and Scilla as different names and thus Squilla would be available for the taxa currently included in the illegitimate Charybdis, thus avoiding the necessity to provide a new generic name for those plants (or propose Charybdis for conservation). This would not be very disruptive, since most of the needed combinations in Squilla are already available.This work was partly supported by H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme of the European Commission, project 645636: “Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications” (FlyHigh)

Validation of several species names in Hyacinthaceae

Hyacinthaceae includes many taxa of hysteranthous or proteranthous plants, in which leaves and inflorescences are not coetaneous. Many herbarium sheets of such taxa, including type specimens, were prepared with samples gathered at different times to include as many vegetative and reproductive structures as possible to facilitate future identification. As a result of our taxonomic work being undertaken on several genera of the family, we found that holotypes of 14 taxa include different gatherings and are therefore not validly published, according to Art. 8.2 of the Melbourne Code. Validation of those names is effected in the same genera and ranks as they were first described, and a brief discussion is added for each case. Furthermore, four additional names are discussed in which a conclusive interpretation about invalid publication is not possible according to the available data, and hence their acceptance as valid names is here suggested

At Least 23 Genera Instead of One: The Case of Iris L. s.l. (Iridaceae)

Background: Iris L. s.l. is one of the most diverse and well-known genera in the Asparagales, with approximately 250–300 circumscribed species and significant economic impact. The taxonomy of the genus has suffered dramatic changes in the last century, particularly in the last decades after the application of molecular techniques. As a result several contrasting systematic arrangements are currently available to taxonomists. Many genera that were split from Iris s.str. in the past, on the basis of morphology (e.g., Hermodactylus, Iridodictyum, Juno, Pardanthopsis, and Xiphion, among others), are now a priori re-included in a very widely circumscribed Iris s.l. (incl. Belamcanda). This resulted in a more heterogeneous genus that is more difficult to define on morphological grounds. Testing congruence between taxonomic treatments and the results of recent molecular studies of Iris has never been performed, mostly due to the lack of proper taxonomic context. Results: We generated several conventional phylogenies for Iris & outgroups using extensive sampling of taxa (187) and characters (10 plastid loci). We demonstrate that the natural history of Iris, written either as conventional molecular phylogenies or, if viewing in the context of the comparative approach, as a nested most parsimonious hierarchy of patterns, appear to be fully congruent with the narrow taxonomical treatment of the genus, restricted to the rhizomatous "bearded" taxa. The resulting topologies place Belamcanda, Pardanthopsis, and Gattenhofia as sisters to Iris s.str. and genus Siphonostylis as sister to Iris s.l. Conclusion: The present study clearly justifies the splitting of Iris s.l. into at least 23 genera, 18 of which have already been accepted in the past by numerous authorities. These genera are characterized by unique combinations of partly overlapping morphological characters and biogeography. Moreover, nearly the same entities, which we here recognize at a generic rank, were for centuries frequently referred to by horticulturists as "working-name" groups

Nicipe rosulata (Ornithogaloideae, Hyacinthaceae), a New Species from the Little Karoo in South Africa, with a New Combination in the Genus

A new species of Nicipe from the Little Karoo in South Africa is here described. Nicipe rosulata sp. nov. is characterized by its (3‐)5‐8 short and broad, somewhat leathery leaves disposed in a basal rosette, its narrowly ovate, acute-apiculate capsules, and its long papillate-echinulate seeds. This species is at first sight related to Nicipe britteniae and Ornithogalum lithopsoides based on their short leaves with ciliate to fimbriate margins, but it differs in floral and vegetative characters that clearly support its recognition as a distinct species. Nicipe britteniae differs from N. rosulata by the hard, distichous, ensiform, conduplicate, and densely fimbriate leaves and the rugose seeds. Ornithogalum lithopsoides clearly differs by the more numerous and much thinner leaves, and the rugose seeds, among other characters. Here we provide a detailed morphological description for Nicipe rosulata, including ecological and chorological data, and discuss relationships with its close allies. Finally, the recently described Ornithogalum lithopsoides, also from the Little Karoo, clearly belongs to Nicipe based on the leathery rosulate leaves all arising nearly at the same level, the relatively small flowers, the tepals with a dark longitudinal band mostly visible on the abaxial side, and the small capsules and seeds. This new combination in the latter genus is also presented here.This work was partly supported by the Fundación Ramón Areces (Spain) and Universidad de Alicante (Spain)

Eliokarmos humanii (Hyacinthaceae, Ornithogaloideae), a new species from Namaqualand in South Africa and a new combination in the genus

A new species of the southern Africa endemic genus Eliokarmos, that includes the well-known chincherinchees, is described from the vicinity of Kotzesrus, Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Eliokarmos humanii sp. nov. is unique in the genus based on its single, slightly fleshy, suborbicular, convex leaf with ciliate margin, and the short subspiciform inflorescence with almost sessile flowers. A complete description is presented for this species, and data on morphology, ecology, and distribution are reported. In addition, Ornithogalum richtersveldensis, recently described from northwestern South Africa, is transferred to Eliokarmos based on its morphology and biogeography, and a new combination is presented for this species in the latter genus.This work was partly supported by H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme of the European Commission, project 645636: ‘Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications’ (FlyHigh), and the grants ACIE18–03 UAUSTI18–02 and UAUSTI19-08 from the University of Alicante

Trimelopter cordifolium (Hyacinthaceae subfam. Ornithogaloideae), a new species from South Africa

The study of wild and cultivated material of Trimelopter from the Northern Cape province of South Africa revealed an undescribed species that shows a unique syndrome of morphological characters. We here describe Trimelopter cordifolium based on plants approaching T. psammophorum but differing in its small, cordate, psammophorous leaf, shorter inflorescence and pedicels, smaller flowers and bracts, and more prominently sculptured ovary. We provide a complete morphological description as well as data on ecology and distribution. We also report new data and illustrations of T. psammophorum, which complement its scarce description in the protologue.This work was partly supported by H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Programme of the European Commission, Project 645636: ‘Insect-plant relationships: insights into biodiversity and new applications’ (FlyHigh) and the complementary supporting funds UAUSTI19-08, UAUSTI22-05, ACIE18-03, ACIE21-01, ACIE22-01, VIGROB2021-166, and VIGROB2022-166 (University of Alicante, Spain)

SEM observations on the seed surface of Hyacinthaceae

Data on seed morphology of 132 species from 40 genera of all subfamilies (Ornithogaloideae, Hyacinthoideae, Urgineoideae, Oziroëoideae) of Hyacinthaceae are presented. So far, this is the most extensive study on the seed surface of Hyacinthaceae using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and we also give insights into the systematic implications of seed surface micromorphology