Rubus non-spinosus Ortega 1784

Rubus non-spinosus Ortega (1784: 524)

Lectotype (designated here): [icon] “ Rubus non spinosus, mai. fruct. nigr.” in Barrelier (1714: ic. 395) (Fig. 2). Ind. Loc: not indicated.

Ortega, in volume 6 of Quer’s Flora Española (1784: 524) published the name Rubus non-spinosus. In the index of the volume he lists the species in the Linnaean binary form. Obviously he considered these as the formal names of the plants. He added as author ‘ Barr.’, which refers to Barrelier (1714). Because he also refers to p. 223 of his own volume the text about the taxon on that page is included in the protologue. He cites both Barrelier (1714: “Obs. 1373. Icon. 353”) and Tournefort (1700: 614), so that both are part of the protologue. No specimen of Barrelier could be found, only an image (Barrelier 1714: icon 353 [recte 395]) (Fig. 2). On the other hand, in the herbarium of Tournefort is a good specimen of a thornless form of R. ulmifolius (Tournefort 6078 [at P-TRF]) (Fig. 3) but revised as R. fruticosus var. inermis (see this taxon below). However, this material was not cited in the protologue and neither can it be treated as original material used by Ortega to describe his species. We have not found any original material of this name in the herbaria consulted (e.g., BM, E, H, P, MA). Thus, the Barrelier’s illustration “ Rubus non spinosus, mai, fruct. nigr.” (1714: 395) cited by Ortega (without the abbreviations) in the protologue of R. non-spinosus is designated as the lectotype of the name. This drawing illustrates a complete plant, with leaves, flowers and fruits, without prickles, and matches with the traditional concept and current use of the name as a thornless form of R. ulmifolius.