Chrysopogon hackelii (Hook. f.) C. E. C. Fischer (1934: 1739)

Landge, Shahid Nawaz & Shinde, Rajendra D., 2022, Lectotypification of Andropogon hackelii (Poaceae: Andropogoneae) and its correct identification in India, Phytotaxa 564 (2), pp. 273-276 : 273-274

Chrysopogon hackelii (Hook. f.) C. E. C. Fischer (1934: 1739) ( Fig. 1 ).

Basionym:— Andropogon hackelii Hook. f. (1896: 194) .

Lectotype (hic designatus):— INDIA. Tamil Nadu state, hills on the Gondaloor Ghat, 1372 m, 3 November 1889, M.A. Lawson [26] (K barcode K000245642 [digital image!], available at http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000245642 ; isolectotypes: Ibid (MH barcodes MH00061802 [digital image!] and MH00061804 [digital image!]) . Paralectotypes: INDIA. Tamil Nadu state, Courtalum [Courtallum], s.d., R. Wight 1030 (K barcode K001050510 [digital image!], available at http:// specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K001050510 . s. loc., s.d., R. Wight 8783 [Wallich Cat. No. 8783] (K barcode K000245641 [digital image!], available at http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/K000245641 . Between Gondaloor [Gundalur, Tamil Nadu] & Hadajana [ Hadjana village , Karnataka], 16 November 1888, M.A. Lawson (MH barcode MH00061805 ).

Typification Note: Hooker (1896), for his new species Andropogon hackelii , indicated four type citations in the protologue all of which are by different collectors. From which, the two he cited at the end of the first paragraph “ Chrysopogon, Wall. Cat. n. 8783. Wight herb. n. 1030 (in Herb. Kew)” and in the next indented paragraph he further cited two more specimens “Travancore, Wight. Nilghiri Hills; Gondaloo Ghat, alt. 4500 ft., Lawson”. However, none was indicated to be a holotype; thus, in conformity with Art. 9.6, Schenzhen Code ( Turland et al. 2018) all of the specimens in these gatherings are We located these syntypes at two different herbaria i.e. K and MH, comprising in total six specimens. Looking closely to each type citation we understand that Hooker’s annotation “Gondaloo Ghat [Gondaloor or Gundalur], alt. 4500 ft., Lawson” corresponds well with the two herbarium specimens each is present at K (Barcode: K000245642) and MH (Barcode: MH00061805). Although, the two more specimens that we located at MH (Barcodes: MH00061802 & MH00061804) do not bear any direct reference to the locality “Gondaloo”; since, they were collected by Lawson on “ 3 November 1889 ” with a supportive annotation “ 4500 ft ”, suggesting them to be the type specimens and very possible duplicates of the specimen at K (Barcode: K000245642). However, ( Barcode : MH00061805) was collected on “ 16 November 1888 ”, clearly antedating all the other specimens mentioned above by one year, and it seemed to have been collected between Gondaloor [in Tamil Nadu] and Hadajana [Hadjana village, Karnataka] with no duplicates so far located in any herbaria consulted, including CAL. Apparently , absence of the date for Lawson’s collection in the protologue implies that Hooker (1896) loosely referred to the entire collection of A. hacklii, which comprises two different gatherings, as type. Moreover , both the specimens of Wight [n. 1030 (K001050510) & 8783 (K000245641)], for which no locality was mentioned by Hooker , exist at K. We were unable to locate any of their duplicates neither at CAL nor at MH.

Now, it is necessary to choose a specimen among the syntypes as lectotype satisfying the requirement of Art. 9.3 of ICN. Lawson’s specimen from Gondaloo Ghat [Gondaloor or Gundalur ghat] (Barcode: K000245642) ( Fig. 1 ), which is the best material bearing the supplementary pencil-drawn sketches of the parts of the spikelets clearly showing the distinguishing features of the species and conforming well to the protologue. This specimen can be chosen as lectotype of the name Andropogon hackelii . The possible duplicates of which at MH (Barcodes: MH00061802 & MH00061804) are isolectotypes. The specimens by Wight and Lawson at K and MH are paralectotypes or residual syntypes. However, the specimen “Travancore, Wight. Nilghiri Hills”, one of the four original citations for the type specimens given by Hooker (1896), could not be traced in the consulted herbaria i.e. K, CAL, MH, BSI, DD & ASSM. If it is discovered later, should be treated as one of the lectoparatypes.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lectotype of Chrysopogon hackelii, “M.A. Lawson 26” (K000245642). ©The Board of Trustees of Kew Herbarium (K).