Lavatera africana Cav., 1788

Iamonico, Duilio, 2016, Nomenclatural notes and morphological observations on Malva subovata s. l. (Malvaceae), Phytotaxa 275 (1), pp. 23-34 : 24-25

Lavatera africana Cav. and L. africana Mill.

Cavanilles (1788: 282) described L. africana from “ Hispania et Africa septentrionali ”, and provided a short diagnosis (“ Caule fruticoso, foliis canescentibus quinquelobatis, crenatis: floribus cernuis, geminis ”), a long description, the flowering time (“ Habui floridam mensibus iunio et iulio ”), and an illustration (Tab. CXXXIX). The image is original material for the name.

In the Cavanilles Herbarium at MA there is one sheet (no. 475893-1-1, image available at http://herbario.rjb.csic. es/zoom3.php?filename= Lavatera_africana _475893) that bears two parts of plants and four labels. On the basis of the annotations, it is clear that they were added in progressive phases:the first label reports“ Lavatera . Tenerife.”,so showing doubts in the identification at species level; the second label includes the new name “ Lavatera africana Broussonet. ”; the third label is a determination by Cavanilles (“ Lavatera africana Cav. Tenerife Legit Broussonet Det. Cavanilles ”); the fourth label is a revision by R. Fernandes [“ Lavatera maritima Gouan (= L. africana Cav. = L. maritima subsp. bicolor Rouy ) Coimbra— V—1964 ”]. Fernandes (1968a) proposed this specimen as the lectotype of the Cavanilles name L. africana . He widely discussed the locality of the collection (Tenerife really referring to Mogador) proving that the specimen preserved at MA is linked to Cavanilles (1801: 73) who reported “El señor Broussonet la cogió no lejos de Mogador ” (= “Mr. Broussonet collected it not far from Mogador ”). I agree with Fernandes (1968a). However, Cavanilles (1788: 282) has not cited the Broussonet collection in the protologue, so I have doubts in considering this specimen as part of the original material, and I prefer to avoid the use of the Broussonet’s specimen for lectotypification purposes. As a consequence, Cavanilles’ illustration, which appears to be the only extant original material for the name L. africana , is here designated as the lectotype of this name.

The name by Cavanilles (1788) is illegitimate under the Art. 53.2 of ICN, being a later homonym of L. africana Miller (1768 : Lavatera n.2). Miller’s name is widely discussed, and will be lectotypified in an ongoing work on Lavatera sect. Lavatera (Iamonico in prep.).