Senecio otophorus Weddell (1856: 98)

Calvo, Joel & Freire, Efraín, 2016, A nomenclator of Senecio group Lasiocephalus (Compositae, Senecioneae): nomenclatural and taxonomic notes and new typifications, Phytotaxa 260 (2), pp. 116-130 : 123-124

13. Senecio otophorus Weddell (1856: 98) . Aetheolaena otophora (Weddell) Nordenstam (1978: 56) . Lasiocephalus otophorus (Weddell) Cuatrecasas (1978: 311) . Type:— COLOMBIA. Provincia de Mariquita [Tolima], savannes près des neiges du Tolima, Jan 1843, J.J. Linden 906 (lectotype: P-01816698 digital image!, designated here; isolectotypes: F-0076963F (fragment) digital image!, G-00300517 digital image!, P-01816697 digital image!)

Senecio otophorus var. microcephalus Hieronymus (1894: 66) [“microcephala”]. Aetheolaena otophora var. microcephala (Hieronymus) Nordenstam (1997: 48) . Lasiocephalus otophorus var. microcephalus (Hieronymus) Cuatrecasas , nom. nud., in sched. (Art. 38.1) (F-0076964F digital image!). Type:— ECUADOR. Cañar, páramos de Huaira-caja [Huairacaja], Chanin, Pilzhum [Pilzhun], 8 Oct 1888, F.C. Lehmann 4912 (lectotype: K-000497728 digital image!, designated here; isolectotype: F-0076964F digital image!).

Senecio otophorus var. panduratus Cuatrecasas (1950: 38) . Lasiocephalus otophorus var. panduratus (Cuatrecasas) Cuatrecasas , nom. nud., in sched. (Art. 38.1) (F-0076965F digital image!). Type:— ECUADOR. Azuay, páramos, in vicinity of Toreador , between Molleturo and Quinoas, 15 June 1943, J.A. Steyermark 53206 (lectotype: F-0076965F digital image!, designated here; isolectotypes: GH-00009580 digital image!, NY-00259321 digital image!, US-00123334 digital image!).

Senecio otophorus var. christophori Cuatrecasas (1951: 22) . Lasiocephalus otophorus var. christophori (Cuatrecasas) Cuatrecasas (1990: 313) . Aetheolaena otophora var. christophori (Cuatrecasas) Nordenstam (1997: 47) . Type:— COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca, Bogotá, río San Cristóbal, 20–26 Sep 1917, F.W. Pennell 2047 (holotype: NY-00259320 digital image!; isotypes: F-0051346F digital image!, GH-00009579 digital image!, US-00123333 digital image!).

Senecio subhastatus Weddell , nom. nud., in sched. (Art. 38.1) (P-03729416 digital image!).

Nomenclatural notes: — Weddell (1856) mentioned in the protologue two collections from Colombia: “dans les savanes, près des neiges du Tolima! [...] (Linden, exsicc., n. 906)” and “ Bogota! (Goudot)”. In accordance with Cuatrecasas (in sched.), we identify Goudot’s collection (P-03729417 digital image!) as S. otophorus var. christophori Cuatrecasas (1951: 22) . Then, we exclude it from further considerations in case any future botanist would consider elevate the rank of this taxon. Concerning Linden’s collection from Tolima we located three specimens (G and two at P), besides a plant fragment from the G specimen at F. Since the specimen P-01816698 is the most complete and best preserved, and perfectly fits with the information of the protologue, it is designated here as the lectotype of the name S. otophorus Weddell (1856: 98) . We also found three specimens numbered “Linden 906” that we do not consider original material for the following reasons. Two of them (G-00300054 digital image! and K-000497729 digital image!) have a label without a precise locality (“ New Granada ”) and are dated “1842”, which differs from the collection date of the lectotype “ January 1843 ”. The third specimen (GENT-10156476 digital image!) only shows the number collection and it does not allow us to unequivocally associate this specimen with the collection done in Tolima in January 1843.

Taxonomic notes: —This species is very variable; it is known from northern Peru to northern Colombia and is expected to be present in Táchira State ( Venezuela). Further studies are needed in order to firmly settle its infraspecific taxonomy.

Distribution: — Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela?