Aegilops neglecta

Discussion of the synonym / Таксоны / Forum

Proposal 588. To reject Aegilops ovata Linnaeus (Gramineae). Proposed by J. Lambinon, Taxon 30: 361-362. 1981. Votes: 3-9. Literature: A. Eig, Feddes Repert., Beih. 55: 141. 1929; W. Greuter, Boissiera 13: 170-171. 1967; M. Kergu6len, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 123: 317-318. 1976. Linnaeus's 1753 concept of A. ovata included two plants now referred to A. geniculata Roth and A. neglecta Req. ex Bertol. (accepting Flora Europaea generic concept) or Triticum vagans (Jord. & Fourr.) Greuter and T. neglectum (Req. ex Bertol.) Greuter (following generic concept of Greuter, 1.c.). Eig (I.c.) used A. ovata in the sense of the former, as have apparently most authors in the past 200 years, but he did not formally choose a lectotype. Greuter (I.c.), however, has argued that Roth in 1793 was the first to correct Linnaeus's confusion of two species and he applied the name in the sense of the illustration published by Scheuchzer in 1719 which was cited by Linnaeus. Greuter himself appears to be the first author to formally lectotypify A. ovata, and he chose the Scheuchzer illustration, which would result in the name being correctly applied in a sense contrary to its traditional usage (although the Committee is not entirely clear whether parts A, B and C of the illustration all represent one species). However, Greuter also commented that if an appropriate specimen could have been found in the Linnaean herbarium to correspond with Eig's usage, this could have been followed, but that such a specimen should have been in Linnaeus's hands by 1748 when the phrase name he used in 1753 was first published in Hortus Upsaliensis. In the absence of such a specimen Greuter chose the Scheuchzer illustration as type, and the name A. ovata has effectively been dropped from usage as a nomen ambiguum since then (for example in Flora Europaea). The Committee is indebted to Dr C. E. Jarvis for communicating some comments on typification of the name from Dr G. Lopez Gonzflez of Madrid. Loefling sent two specimens of Aegilops to Linnaeus on 31 July 1752 under the numbers 70 la and 701 b of the 'Spanish list', and some members of the Committee feel that full consideration of these as potential lectotypes of A. ovata should be given before any decision is taken on rejection of the name. Three members, however, consider that Greuter's formal lectotypification of 1967 cannot be over-turned, and so favour acceptance of the proposal now. The majority reject the proposal pending further investigation of the question of the type of the name. Rejection of the proposal should not be construed as recommendation that the name A. ovata should be taken up in the sense of A. neglecta.