Gaultheria sect. Brossaea ser. Leucothoides.

Fritsch, Peter W., Armstrong, Kate E., Aung, Mu Mu, Fujikawa, Kazumi & Lu, Lu, 2023, Gaultheria (Ericaceae) of Myanmar: an updated species list for the country, a new species, and a new species combination, Phytotaxa 595 (1), pp. 37-61 : 41

Classification — Gaultheria sect. Brossaea ser. Leucothoides.

Phylogenetic placement — Leucothoides s.l. clade.

Literature — Kress et al. 2003, Fang & Stevens 2005, Fritsch et al. 2008.

Myanmar specimens — Kachin: [Myitkyina District, Chipwi Township,] Hpare, near village, 6,000 ft, 7 April 1938, C.W.D. Kermode 17185 (K K000618941!); [Myitkyina District, Chipwi Township,] Ngawchang Valley and tributaries, near Htawgaw, 7,000 ft, 7 March 1939, F. Kingdon-Ward 381 (A!, NY 02651434!*, NY 02651435!*); [Putao District, Nawngmun Township, Hkakaborazi National Park,] Adung Valley , 6,000 ft, 16 February 1931, F. Kingdon-Ward 9243 (A!, BM BM013823056!*); [Putao District, Nawngmun Township, Hkakaborazi National Park,] Adung Valley , 7,000–8,000 ft, 16 March 1931, F. Kingdon-Ward 9305 (A!); [Putao District, Khaunglanphu Township,] North Triangle , Uring Bum, above Ahkail, 7,000 ft, 3 November 1953, F. Kingdon-Ward 21551 p.p. (A, right-hand specimen on sheet! mixed with G. semi-infera ); [Putao District, Khaunglanphu Township,] North Triangle , Uring Bum, above Ahkail, 3 November 1953, F. Kingdon-Ward 21551A (BM BM000834409!) .

Notes —Because no holotype was indicated in the protologue of Gaultheria fragrantissima , the selection of a lectotype is warranted. We have reviewed the N. Wallich specimens labeled as Gaultheria fragrantissima on JStor Global Plants and the K (http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/navigator.do) and BM (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/ scientific-resources/collections/index.htmldatabases) specimen databases. We also received specimen images of the Wallich material of G. fragrantissima at CAL. We found that some of the specimens correspond to Wallich’s list 765 “ Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall. in Herb. 1824 Napalia 1821.” Because the species was described in 1820, this material cannot be considered part of the type material. The only specimens referable to Wallich and examined by us that can be considered to have been definitively collected prior to the date of publication is the BM specimen 000521849, with the (presumable collection) date of 1818, and the LINN specimen 791.3, which indicates a date of 1819, also presumably the collection date. The specimens, both of which are in flower and not fruit, are entirely consistent with the description in the protologue (which includes floral characters but not fruit). We have chosen the BM specimen as the lectotype because its label is clearly in Wallich’s handwriting ( Wallich 1829), whereas the writing on the sheet of the LINN specimen appears to not be in Wallich’s hand and has “ Nepal ” instead of Wallich’s “Napal” or “Napalia.”

The following are possible isolecotypes. The specimen A00014987 (“Napal”) has Wallich’s handwriting but lacks a collection date; the upper-left branchlet is in fruit and can be excluded on that basis, being inconsistent with the protologue. The right-hand branchlet of L 0007100 (“Napal”) may be an isolectotype but is without date (the left-hand branchlet is not G. fragrantissima and appears to be G. stapfiana ). The label of the NY 00010865 specimen appears to be in Wallich’s hand but lacks a collection date. The specimen US 00116827 lacks both a collection date and Wallich’s handwriting.