Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. (Orchidaceae)

Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, pp 705 - 708 in: Order out of Chaos, Order out of Chaos: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types, London: The Linnean Society of London, pp. 705-708 : 705

Orchis bifolia Linnaeus , Species Plantarum 2: 939. 1753.

“ Habitat in Europae pascuis asperis. ” RCN: 6806.

Lectotype (Lojtnant in Feddes Repert. 89: 14. 1978): Herb. Linn. No. 1054.15 (LINN).

Current name: Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich. (Orchidaceae) .

Note: Baumann & al. (in Mitteilungsbl. Arbeitskr. Heim. Orchid.

B a d en -W iirttem berg2 1\ 540, Abb. 43. 1989) rejected the earlier

typification by Lojtnant because they believed the type to be a post- 1753 addition to the herbarium, and designated a Mattioli

illustration in its place. However, the sheet treated as the type by

Lojtnant was annotated by Linnaeus with “ bifolia ” and “ 3”, the

number corresponding with the account of this species (i.e. Orchis no. 3) in Species Plantarum, and there is nothing to suggest that it was not in Linnaeus’ possession by 1753. The annotation “ Sw. 9” is a much later addition by James Edward Smith. Consequently,

Lojtnanfs typification, which has priority over that ol Baumann & al., is accepted here.