Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum, Pignatti, 1953

Ferrer-Gallego, P. Pablo, Laguna, Emilio & Crespo, Manuel B., 2021, Remarks on the types of three accepted names in Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) described from the eastern Iberian Peninsula, Phytotaxa 487 (3), pp. 283-292 : 284

Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum

The protologue of Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum includes a diagnosis, a description, and a comment which refers to the provenance of the material “… nella zona delle foci dell’Ebro” (“in the area of the Ebro river mouth [eastern Iberian Peninsula]”; Pignatti, 1953: 379−380). No specimens or illustrations were cited in the protologue.

Erben (1978: 483) mentioned “ Typus: “La Cava, foci d. Ebro, 25. Aug. 1952 ”, PIGNATTI, (herb. Pignatti)!”, and Crespo & Lledó (1998) also indicated “ Typus: Herb. Pignatti (TSB, Inst. Hort. Bot. Univ. Trieste)”.

In the personal herbarium of Sandro Pignatti kept at RO, there is only an original specimen of Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum . The specimen RO, numbered 358 (ex TSB number 6351), bears two complete and well-developed plants, with leaves and flowers, and two labels: “ERBARIO PIGNATTI / 358 / Piante raccolte in / Litorale catalano / Limonium confusum (God.) Ktze ssp. densissimum nob. / TYPUS / 25 AGO. 1952 / la Cava – foci d. Ebro”, and “revis S. Pignatti n.º 3035 / L. densissimum / Typus ” .

We have not found any other original specimen in any of the consulted herbaria, and possibly the specimen at RO is the only original material used by Pignatti to describe this subspecies. However, as we cannot exclude that there were more than one specimen of this taxon, we accept the RO specimen as the holotype of the name Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum , admitting that the specimen might well be a lectotype (see McNeill 2014). The type matches the current concept and usage of the name (see Erben 1993, Crespo & Lledó 1998).

Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum Pignatti (1953: 379) ≡ Limonium densissimum (Pignatti) Pignatti (1971: 367) .

Ind. loc.: “zona delle foci dell’Ebro”

Holotype [or perhaps lectotype (indicated by Erben 1978: 483)]:―[ SPAIN. Tarragona province ], “la Cava – foci d. Ebro”, 26 Ago. 1952, S. Pignatti 3035, RO (number 358 [ex TSB number 6351]) ( Fig. 1 )

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype (or perhaps lectotype) of Limonium confusum subsp. densissimum (RO number 358 [ex TSB number 6351]). Image by courtesy of the herbarium RO, reproduced with permission.