Anarrhinum fruticosum subsp. fruticosum

LECTOTYPIFICATION

The protologue of Anarrhinum fruticosum (Desfontaines 1798: 52) consists of a short diagnosis (“ ANARRHINUM frutescens; ramis virgatis, filiformibus; foliis perennantibus; imis spathulatis; racemis interruptis; corollis ecaudatis”), a detailed description (in Latin), and several geographical provenances (“HABITAT in Atlante prope Tlemsen [currently Tlemcen in western Algeria], Mascar [central Algeria] et Cafsam [currently Gafsa in northern Tunisia]”). Desfontaines (l.c.) also published an excellent illustration (“Tab. 142”) that is part of the original material and therefore considered for the typification purpose. Tab. 142 illustrates a stem with leaves, flowers (with several details) and fruits (Fig. 1). This morphology is consistent with the current concept of the species (Fernandes, 1972; Sutton, 1988; Amich 2009).

Sutton (1988: 255) indicated: “Type: Algeria: in Atlante prope Tlemsen [Tlemcen] Desfontaines s.n. (syn. P-Desf.?); Mascar Desfontaines s.n. (syn. P-Desf.?). Tunisia: Cafsam [Gafsa] syn. P- Desfontaines s.n. (syn. P-Desf.?)”. However, this is not an effective lectotype designation, because three different “specimens” were mentioned as “type” (see Art. 8.1 of ICN). Furthermore, no specimen of Anarrhinum fruticosum collected by Desfontaines and deposited at P was traced. In addition, note that Sutton (1988: 255) indicated this material with a question mark, and he also mentioned “I have not been able to examine Desfontaines material at Paris yet to make the selection”.

René Louiche Desfontaines (1750-1833) was a French botanist, professor at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The personal herbarium of this author is now preserved at many herbaria, i.e. BM, C, CGE, FI (acquired via Webb) LIV, MPU, P (incl. PC, P-DESF, P-JU and P-LA) (see Stafleu & Cowan 1976: 627, 628).

We have found a herbarium sheet of Anarrhinum fruticosum at MPU (barcode MPU020302). The sheet bears two fragments with leaves, flowers and fruits, and the following label: “ Anarrhinum fruticosum / ex herbario D. Desfontaines ” [probably handwritten by Candolle] (image available at https://herbier.umontpellier.fr/zoomify/zoomify.php?fichier= MPU020302). Unfortunately, the date of collection or the provenance of the specimen is not reported on the label of the sheet and, as a consequence, we cannot be sure that it has been collected before 1798. Therefore MPU020302 cannot be treated as original material and is not eligible as lectotype of Anarrhinum fruticosum.

Another specimen was found at B (Willdenow Herbarium, barcode B-W11330-01-0, image available at https://www.jacq. org/detail.php?ID=940496). This specimen, a stem with leaves and flowers, is annotated by Willdenow as: “ An. fruticosum 1” [at the top of the sheet] and “Desfontaines W” [at the bottom]. However, this material cannot be treated as original material of A. fruticosum because the date of collection and provenance of the specimen are not reported on the sheet. We have not found any specimen of this species collected by Desfontaines in any of the consulted herbaria (e.g., BM, C, CGE, FI, LIV, P).

In conclusion, among the mentioned elements, only the illustration published by Desfontaines (1798: pl. 142) can be used for the lectotypification purpose. This illustration matches both the protologue and current concepts of the name (e.g., Sutton 1988; Bolòs & Vigo 1996; Bolòs et al. 2005; Ibn Tattou 2007; Amich 2009).