Eliasson, Uno

English

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DOES SCA.LESlA. HELLERl OCCUR ON SOUTH ISABELA? 
by 
Uno Eliasson. 
Department of Systematic Botany. University of Goteborg. Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22. S-41319. 
Goteburg, Sweden 
Scalesia helleri Robins. is known from Sante Fe (Barrington) and southern Santa Cruz, on both islands 
preponderantly inhabiting steep coastal cliffs. Some years ago, Dr. Henk van der Werff drew my attention 
to two sheets of S. he/leri in the U.S. Nat. Herbarium in Washington. These specimens were assumed to 
have been collected on south Isabela (Albemarle). Through the courtesy ofthe Director of the Herbarium, 
I was allowed to borrow them for examination. They were found to represent S. helleri typical of 
specimens collected on Santa Fe and in some places on Santa Cruz. The information on the labels is as 
follows: 
Scalesia helleri Robins., Albemarle Island, coast west of Villamil, June 6, 1960, Coli. 
Raymond Leveque, Nos. 92, 109 (U.S. Nat. Herb., Nos. 2826939, 2826940). 
I sent a letter to Dr. Leveque, suggesting that the specimens might have been mislabeled and in reality had 
been taken on Santa Fe. The following is an excerpt from his reply of 7 February 1978: 
"I have checked my diary and find that on 4th of June 1960 (not 6th) I was indeed at Villamil, 
Albemarle, in company of Jacob Lundh. We walked 3 hours west of Villamil, along the coast, 
along some ponds where we looked for flamingoes etc., and reached a place called Baraona, 2 
lagoons after a small coastal hill. Where exactly the Scalesia helleri was taken I cannot now 
remember, if at all, and I never made a list ofthe plants I collected .... Another thing: although 
I went twice to Barrington at least, for short trips, I almost surely did not collect S. helleri 
there ... " 
Although I regard occurrence of S. helleri on south Isabela as unlikely, I would like to ask scientists and 
others visiting the actual area, kindly to watch for any Scalesia with lobed leaves. I do not think it will be 
found. If I am wrong, the record would be extremely interesting, and I would be grateful for all 
information. 
o· 
Known range of Scalesia helleri (within dotted line). The arrow points at the approximate location, where 
the species is said to have been found on Isabela. 
21 
Noticias de Galapagos, no. 36 1982


Does Scalesia helleri occur on Isabela?

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Does Scalesia helleri occur on Isabela?

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