Cannabis sativa L., 1753

Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part C), Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London: Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum, pp. 370-473 : 380

Cannabis sativa Linnaeus , Species Plantarum 2: 1027. 1753.

"Habitat in India." RCN: 7430.

Lectotype (Villiers in Aubréville & Leroy, Fl. Gabon 22: 58. 1973): Herb. Linn. No. 1177.2 ( LINN) .

Generitype of Cannabis Linnaeus.

Current name: Cannabis sativa L. ( Cannabaceae ).

Note: Qaiser (in Nasir & Ali, Fl. W Pakistan 44: 3. 1973) indicated Herb. Linn. 1177.1 ( LINN) as type but, as noted by Stearn (Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harvard Univ. 23: 335. 1974), this material is a post-1753 addition to the collection and irrelevant for typification purposes. Stearn himself provided an extensive review (l.c.: 325-336), and designated a Clifford collection as the lectotype. However, his choice was narrowly pre-dated by that of a second specimen in LINN, designated by Villiers. Stearn was evidently unaware of this but agreed that the plant was in Linnaeus’ possession in 1753. As such it is original material for the name, along with the Clifford specimens. Images of the specimens in LINN have been published by Schultes (in Joyce & Curry, Bot. Chem. Cannabis : 21, f. 1; 22, f. 2. 1970) and by Stearn (l.c.: 329, pl. 29; 331, pl. 30).