Kalanchoe uniflora (Stapf) Hamet (1910: 52)

Smith, Gideon F., 2024, Revisiting the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Malagasy Kalanchoe uniflora (K. subg. Alatae; Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), which has Kitchingia uniflora as its basionym, and its homotypic and heterotypic synonyms, Phytotaxa 645 (1), pp. 66-76 : 68-74

Kalanchoe uniflora (Stapf) Hamet (1910: 52) ( Figs 1 and 2 )

Basionym:— Kitchingia uniflora Stapf (1908: 258) .

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Ex hort., cultivated in the Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, material originally received from Georges Bouvet (1850–1929), Angers, France, herbarium specimen (and cuttings) dispatched from France to Herb. K as early as January 1908, with the (living) material grown at Kew and a (preserved) specimen deposited on 10 April 1908, Georges Bouvet s.n. (lectotype Herb. K barcode K000232789 ! [image of the specimen accessible online at https://data.kew.org/records/occurrences/search?q=lsid:urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:274508- 1#tab_recordImages]), here designated ( Fig. 3 ) .

Homotypic synonym:— Bryophyllum uniflorum (Stapf) Berger (1930: 412) .

Heterotypic synonyms:— Kalanchoe ambrensis Perrier de la Bâthie (1928: 23 [see also p. 30]); Bryophyllum ambrense (H.Perrier) Berger (1930: 412) .

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Central-north Madagascar, Ambre massif [Montagne D’Ambre, Amber Mountains], between altitudes of 1000 and 1400 m above sea level, flowers bright purple, September 1926, [ J. M.] H.[ A.] Perrier de la Bâthie 17735 (here corrected to lectotype, from holotype, the latter having been the interpretation of Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81), Herb. P barcode P 00374201! [image of the specimen accessible online at http://coldb. mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00374201]), second-step lectotype here designated.

Designations not validly published:—“ Kalanchoe uniflora (Stapf) Hamet (1910: 52) var. typica ” Boiteau & Manonni (1949: 9), nom. inval. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 24.3).

“ Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx ” Boiteau & Manonni (1949: 9), nom. inval. ( Turland et al. (2018: Art. 39.1).

Nomenclatural notes on the type of Kitchingia uniflora :—In the protologue of the name Kitchingia uniflora, Stapf (1908: 259) stated about this species: “ MADAGASCAR. The specimen from which this species is described was communicated by Mr. G. Bouvet, Director of the Jardin des Plantes at Angers [in France]. He [Bouvet] writes that it was apparently introduced with other plants sent from Madagascar to Dr. Bontemps of Saumure in France.” Stapf did not indicate whether “[…] the specimen […]” was of living or preserved material. It seems possible that both (1) a pressed specimen as well as (2) living material reached Otto Stapf, to whom the material was sent at Herb. K. Regardless, the Herb. K-held specimen with barcode K000232789 was clearly (prepared) of the material described by Stapf, apparently on 10 April 1908, even though it is not entirely clear whether the specimen was introduced into cultivation on that date, or whether the herbarium specimen was prepared on that date. However, material—both cuttings and flowers according to Stapf (1909) —were presented to Kew in January 1908.

The herbarium specimen, here interpreted as Georges Bouvet s.n., is extraordinarily well-annotated, with the annotations including two letters that Bouvet sent to Herb. K. These two letters are dated “ 19 avril 1908 ” and “ 16 June 1908 ”, respectively, and were sent from Angers ( Fig. 3 ). They were obviously dispatched to Herb. K after the material had been received, pressed, and grown at Kew.

Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81) stated that the “TYPE:” of the name Kalanchoe uniflora is “t. 8286, Stapf, Bot. Mag. 1909 ”, i,e., Stapf (1909: t. 8286). However, this plate was published a year after Kitchingia uniflora , basionym of Kalanchoe uniflora , was described, and does not constitute original material in the sense of Turland et al. (2018: Articles 9.3 and 9.4) because Kitchingia uniflora was already described one year earlier sans that illustration. The Herb. K-held specimen, Georges Bouvet s.n., was clearly available to Stapf (1908) and represents original material. This specimen is here designated as lectotype, which supersedes the not effective typification of Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81). Descoings (2003: 178) repeated the not effective typification of the name Kalanchoe uniflora (essentially of its basionym Kitchingia uniflora ) of Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81) and stated: “ T: [icono]: Curtis’s Bot. Mag. 135: t. 8286, 1909”, with “ T: ” being the “(nomenclatural) type” ( Eggli 2003: X).

Nomenclatural notes on the type of Kalanchoe ambrensis :—About Kalanchoe ambrensis, Perrier de la Bâthie (1928: 24) stated: “Le K. [ Kalanchoe ] ambrensis est commun dans le massif d’Ambre, entre 1.000 et 1.400 m, d’altitude et ses belles corolles d’un pourpre brilliant ornent magnifiquement en saison sèche les grands troncs moussus des sombres forêts qui couvrent cette montagne (No 17735).” [English: “ K. [ Kalanchoe ] ambrensis is common in the Ambre Massif, between altitudes of 1000 and 1400 m, and in the dry season its beautiful, bright purple corollas beautifully decorate the large mossy trunks of the dark forests that cover this mountain [Ambre Massif] (No 17735).”]. The only material referenced by Perrier de la Bâthie was that provided with his number “(No 17735).”

Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81) stated that the “ Holo- [P]” of the name Kalanchoe ambrensis , “Perrier 17735”, is held in Herb. P, while Descoings (2003: 179) did not reflect on the types of heterotypic synonyms; he included Kalanchoe ambrensis in the synonymy of Kalanchoe uniflora , a view also followed in the present paper.

Herb. P holds at least two specimens with the number [J.M.] H. [A.] Perrier de la Bâthie 17735. These are, with their barcodes:

1. P00374201 http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00374201 [September 1926; vegetative and reproductive material]; and

2. P00374202 http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00374202 [September 1926; vegetative and reproductive material].

Images of both specimens are available for examination online and both carry a date, “9/26”, i.e., September 1926. The two preparations are not clearly labeled as being part of the same specimen and do not bear a single, original label in common, and therefore do not qualify, under Turland et al. (2018: Art. 8.3), as a specimen mounted as more than one preparation. Even though they have the same Perrier de la Bâthie number, this two-specimen material therefore do not qualify as the holotype of the name Kalanchoe ambrensis , in contrast to the statement of Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81).

A third [J.M.] H. [A.] Perrier de la Bâthie 17735 specimen is held at Herb. K; the barcode of the specimen is K000232827.

Under Turland et al. (2018: Note 1 in Art. 40) the specimens that comprise the gathering Perrier de la Bâthie 17735 are syntypes, and it further cannot be confirmed that Perrier de la Bâthie did not additionally use any other elements when publishing the name Kalanchoe ambrensis . Use of “Holo-P” by Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81) is therefore here corrected to lectotype ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 9.10), and in a second-step lectotypification the first lectotypification of Boiteau & Allorge-Boiteau (1995: 81) is narrowed down to the Herb. P-held [J.M.] H. [A.] Perrier de la Bâthie 17735 specimen with the barcode P00374201 ( Fig. 4 ).

Nomenclatural notes on the designations not validly published:— Boiteau & Mannoni (1949: 9) did not validly publish “ Kalanchoe uniflora var. typica ”, nom inval. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 24.3), i.e., “ Kalanchoe uniflora var. uniflora ” ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 22.3) and “ Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx ” Boiteau & Mannoni (1949: 9), nom. inval. ( Turland et al. 2018: Art. 39.1). For “ Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx ”, Boiteau & Mannoni (1949: 9) cited a Jean-Henri Humbert specimen “HUMBERT 18.605, Bassin supérieur du Sambirano, entre le Haut Sambirano et le Haut Maivarano, vers 1.800 m.”, which would have been the type if “ Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx ” had been validly published ( Fig. 5 ). However, types are for names, in the sense of Turland et al. (2018: Art. 6.3), and not for designations.

The specimen is held in Herb. P and its barcode is P00444086. The image is available at http://coldb.mnhn.fr/ catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00444086.

Amplified description of Kalanchoe uniflora :—Perennial, at first small-tuft-like, soon creeping to pendulously dangling or climbing, glabrous, sparsely to much-branched, typically epiphytic shrublets, with small, untidily rounded, usually dangling canopies, low-growing, succulent. Stems numerous, thin, flimsy, green at first, later greyish brown, ± leaning to creeping to pendent. Leaves many, persistent along length of stems, at first densely to, later, sparsely arranged, semi-erect to variously slanted away from branches, thickly succulent, glabrous, ± subsessile to shortly petiolate, flattened, above depressed along midrib, usually bright light green, hardly waxy; petiole ± absent or 1–3 mm long, green; blade 18–20 × 15–20 mm, orbicular to ± cordate, obovate to somewhat spatulate to slightly oblong, succulent; base rounded to slightly cordate; apex rounded-obtuse; margins somewhat entire to slightly crenulate to BRoadly dEnTaTE in UppER ½ To ⅔, REddish pURplE-infUsEd. Inflorescence a few- and laxly- [1–3(–5)-]flowered, compound, terminal, apically branched cyme, pendent; peduncle short, ± 5–15 mm long, minutely tomentose, deep brownish red. Flowers 13–20 mm long, flimsy, pendent, urceolate to campanulate, finely pubescent, subtended by small bracts, bracts soon shed, waxy bloom absent, buds reddish purple; pedicels finely pubescent, 5–12 mm long. Calyx consisting of 4 sepals; sepals 6–9 mm long, green to sparsely or strongly reddish purple-infused, basally fused for ± 1 mm, free portion ovate to oblong, acute-tipped, somewhat cuspidate, slightly curved away from the corolla tube especially apically, very finely and sparsely pubescent. Corolla tube 11–18 mm long, reddish purple to reddish pink to red, light yellow basally at level of calyx at maturity, inside of corolla tube and lobes reddish purple strongly infused with yellow, urceolate to campanulate, flared at mouth, recurved lobes very slightly pubescent, waxy bloom absent. Corolla lobes 3.5–5.0 × 5–6 mm, reddish purple, strongly infused with yellow inside, ovate, apically somewhat obtuse-rounded to acute, with slight indentation, minutely apiculate. Stamens inserted very low down in corolla tube at ± lower end of carpels, 4 included, 4 slightly exserted; filaments 14–18 mm long, thin, light yellowish green strongly infused with purple; anthers ± 1 mm long, greyish black, hastate. Pistil consisting of 4 carpels; carpels 7–9 mm long, light shiny yellowish green; styles 12– 15 mm long; stigmas minutely capitate, whitish, included; nectar scales ± linear-rectangular, free, 1.5–2.0 × 0.5–1.0 mm, white, purplish-infused along margins, round-tipped, but tooth-like indented above. Follicles 7–9(–10) mm long, light green, eventually brittle, grass spikelet-like when dry, enveloped in dry, dull purplish brown remains of calyx and corolla, calyx and styles persistent for a long time, dull purplish brown for a long time and remaining so. Seeds small, 0.50–0.75 mm long, light brown to reddish brown, rectangular-straight or banana-shaped-curved, slightly apiculate at one end, faintly longitudinally striated. Chromosome number: x = 20 ( Friedmann 1971: 104), 2 n = 40 ( Baldwin 1938: 576, Friedmann 1971: 104) (see Smith 2022: 158, 166, 168, 174 for a discussion of the cytotaxonomy of Kalanchoe uniflora and Kalanchoe subg. Alatae , the subgenus in which it is included).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kalanchoe uniflora is a glabrous, sparsely to much-branched, typically epiphytic, shrublet with the branches soon becoming pendent. The leaf blades are orbicular to ± cordate, obovate to somewhat spatulate to slightly oblong. The margins are reddish purpleinfUsEd and vaRy fRoM EnTiRE To slighTly cREnUlaTE To BRoadly dEnTaTE in ThE UppER ½ To ⅔. PhoTogRaph: GidEon F. SMiTh.

FIGURE 2. In terms of growth form, Kalanchoe uniflora fits in Group 6, Creeping to trailing plants with weak stems, recognised by Smith et al. (2023: 229, 236). The finely pubescent, urceolate to campanulate corolla tubes vary from reddish purple to reddish pink to red and are flared at the mouth. Photograph: Gideon F. Smith.

FIGURE 3. Lectotype, Georges Bouvet s.n., Herb. K barcode K000232789 [image available at https://data.kew.org/records/occurrences/ search?q=lsid:urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:274508-1#tab_recordImages], designated in this paper, of the name Kitchingia uniflora, basionym of the name Kalanchoe uniflora. The following metadata are associated with this specimen: “MADAGASCAR. Ex hort., cultivated in the Living Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, material originally received from Georges Bouvet (1850–1929), Angers, France, herbarium specimen (and cuttings) dispatched from France to Herb. K as early as January 1908, with the (living) material grown at Kew and a (preserved) specimen deposited on 10 April 1908” (see the main text for a discussion). Reproduced with the kind permission of the Director and the Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

FIGURE 4. Photograph of [J.M.]H.[A.] Perrier de la Bâthie 17735, the second-step lectotype of the name Kalanchoe ambrensis, designated in this paper. Associated information includes: “[MADAGASCAR. Central-north Madagascar] Ambre massif [Montagne D’Ambre, Amber Mountains], between altitudes of 1000 and 1400 m, flowers bright purple, September 1926”. Kalanchoe ambrensis is a heteroptyic synonym of Kalanchoe uniflora. The specimen is held in Herb. P and its barcode is P00374201; [image accessible online at http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00374201]. Copyright of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN—Paris, France), and reproduced with their permission, which is gratefully acknowledged.

FIGURE 5. For the designation “Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx”, Boiteau & Mannoni (1949: 9) cited a Jean-Henri Humbert specimen, as“HUMBERT 18.605,Bassin supérieur du Sambirano,entre le Haut Sambiranoet le HautMaivarano,vers 1.800 m.”, whichwould have been the type if “Kalanchoe uniflora var. brachycalyx” had been validly published. The specimen is held in Herb. P and its barcode is P00444086. An image of the image is available at http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p00444086. Copyright of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN—Paris, France), and reproduced with their permission, which is gratefully acknowledged.