Distimake ericoides (Meisner) Petrongari & Sim.

Petrongari, Fernanda Satori, Simões, Ana Rita & Simão-Bianchini, Rosângela, 2018, New combinations and lectotypifications in Distimake Raf. (Convolvulaceae), Phytotaxa 340 (3), pp. 297-300 : 297

Distimake ericoides (Meisner) Petrongari & Sim. -Bianch. comb. nov.

≡ Ipomoea ericoides Meisner (1869: 251) ≡ Merremia ericoides (Meisner) Hallier f. (1893: 552) ≡ Merremia digitata ( Sprengel 1825: 808) Hallier f. (1893: 552) var. ericoides (Meisner) D.F. Austin & Staples (1983: 484) . Lectotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. “ S. felis ad Rio Trahiras, prov. Goyaz ”, [1819], J.B.E. Pohl s.n. [“ Diar. No.?” 1772, “Kat. No.?” 1980] (BR0000006972608!; Isolectotypes: F0054876F!, K000612897!, W0062201!, W0062202!; Probably destroyed: B [photo F 13789!]).

Notes: — Austin & Staples (1983) treated Merremia ericoides as a variety of Merremia digitata . After having analyzed the type specimens and a larger number of specimens than Austin & Staples, we think that M. digitata var. ericoides is morphologically distinct enough from the typical variety to be recognized as a species. It is distinguished by being a small subshrub with short internodes, sessile leaves, and glandular stem and leaves, unlike M. digitata which is a twiner with internodes ca. 2 cm long, subsessile leaves, and stellate hairs. Although Meisner cited only one collection, we have located a handful of morphologically identical specimens that are certainly its duplicates. Most of them lack a complete label but can be recognized as duplicates for having labels or annotations which allow us to identify the collector (Pohl) and/or one of the two numbers (1772 or 1980), as well as an indication of donation from Wien herbarium (=HRB. MUSEI PALAT. VINDOB.), Pohl’s main herbarium. Only the specimens BR0000006972608 at BR herbarium and W0062201 at W herbarium, possess labels with Meisner’s handwriting. As the BR specimen is part of the “Herbarium Martii”, one of the reference collections to Flora Brasiliensis , we choose it as lectotype.