Microlicia avicularis Mart. ex Naudin (1845: 176)

Romero, Rosana, Versiane, Ana Flávia Alves & Woodgyer, Elizabeth M., 2022, Miscellaneous taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Microlicia D. Don (Melastomataceae), Phytotaxa 559 (2), pp. 99-131 : 102

Microlicia avicularis Mart. ex Naudin (1845: 176) .

In montibus vulgo Serra d’Ouro Branco, legit clar. St.-Hil. et in Monte Serra do Frio, Martius et Claussen, in herb. A. St. - Hil. et Deless. [in the protologue].

Lectotype (designated here):—Brésil [ BRAZIL]. Minas Gerais: Curvelo, 1838, P. Claussen [578] [sheet] ( P05316468 !).

Remaining syntypes: [ BRAZIL]. Province de Minas Gerais, s.d., A.St. Hilaire ( P02428305 !) ; [Minas Gerais] in montibus Serra d’Ouro Branco , s.d., A.St. Hilaire ( P02428306 !) ; Brésil [ BRAZIL]. Minas Gerais, Clausen N °. Catal. 1039 ( P05316466 !) ; in Monte Serra do Frio , Martius (not found) .

= Microlicia myrtifolia Naudin (1849: 245) . In montibus Serra do Frio Brasiliae australis, Vauthier [in the protologue]. Type :—[ BRAZIL]. Minas Gerais, Serra do Frio , 1833, Vauthier 33 [sheet] (holotype P02297669 !, isotype G00318524!, on the left side), syn. nov.

= Microlicia avicularis var. β subspathulata Cogniaux (1888: 593). In prov. Rio de Janeiro, Glaziou n. 14728 [in the protologue], see Glaziou (1908). Lectotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Rio das Pedras, dans le campo, Minas, see Glaziou (1908: 248), April/ May, A.F.M. Glaziou 14728 [sheet] (BR0000005217656!, isolectotypes BM000832639!, G00343768!, K000530618!, P02428307!, P02428308!, P02428309!, R000009173!), syn. nov.

Notes:—When describing M. avicularis, Naudin (1845) allocated part of M. variolosa De Candolle (1828: 119) under this species and reported that the “true” M. variolosa was stored (possibly) at De Candolle herbarium (see page 181 “ planta in nostro herbario a cl. Candollio nominata, ideoque pro vera M. variolosa habenda est ”). The information in the protologue of M. variolosa (“ in Brasiliae et Peruviae montanis ” - p. 119) does not match the original material used by Naudin (1845) to establish M. avicularis . In the same work, he recognized the specimen A. Saint Hilaire (P02297685, P02297686) as the “true M. variolosa ” (see page 181). Later, Naudin (1849) described this collection (A. Saint Hilaire) as Microlicia oligantha Naudin (1849: 241) , mentioning that it corresponded to a part of M. variolosa . Currently, M. oligantha is a synonym of M. confertiflora (see Romero 2013b).

Naudin (1845) described M. avicularis based on five syntypes. We have seen Claussen 578 at P with a handwritten short description by Naudin ( Fig. 1 ), and we concluded that it is one of the syntypes. Therefore, it was chosen as lectotype of M. avicularis . There is a collection Claussen s.n. at P (P05316466!), which has a handwritten identification by Naudin, and two labels with Claussen 1039, and indeed, this is another syntype. Despite our searches at M and P herbaria, we did not find the Martius specimen.

Naudin (1849) described M. myrtifolia indicating a collection made by Antoine-Charles Vauthier (1790–1879) in Serra do Frio. By listing this species, Triana (1872) added the number 33 to the Vauthier collection (Vauthier 33). The single sheet Vauthier 33 deposited at P has a short description handwritten by Naudin ( Fig. 2 ) and should be considered a holotype (see Martin & Cremers 2007). The type collection of M. myrtifolia has the same morphological features as M. avicularis , therefore it is included as its synonymy.

Cogniaux (1883) described M. avicularis var. subspathulata to include specimens with obovate-oblong leaf blades 10–14 × 2–3.5 mm, rounded at the apex, and crenulate margins. The leaf blade features alone are not sufficient to distinguish this variety from M. avicularis . Cogniaux (1883) cited Glaziou 14727 and Glaziou 14728 from Rio de Janeiro as M. avicularis and M. avicularis var. subspathulata , respectively. According to Glaziou (1908), the collection Glaziou 14727 is from “Morro do Inficionado, prés Caraça, Minas” and Glaziou 14728 is from “Rio das Pedras, dans les campos, Minas”, both localities in Minas Gerais state. The specimen Glaziou 14727 at P has the following annotation “Caraça ou Inficcionado” handwritten by Glaziou, whereas Glaziou 14728 does not bear information as to where it was collected. Microlicia avicularis is endemic to the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais and, up to now, there is no record in Rio de Janeiro state ( Romero et al. 2020). Certainly, this represents more erroneous data from Glaziou collections (see Wurdack 1970).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sheet with the lectotype of Microlicia avicularis Naudin at P. Note the drawings and handwritten description by Naudin (red retangle). Source: ©Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, P05316468.Available in: http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/ p05316468.

FIGURE 2. Sheet with the holotype of Microlicia myrtifolia Naudin at P, considered as a synonym of M. avicularis Naudin. Note the drawings and handwritten description by Naudin (red retangle) and Cogniaux’s handwriting (red arrow). Source: ©Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, P02297669. Available in: http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/p/p02297669.