Acrostichum australe L. f., Suppl. Pl.: 444. 1782.

≡ Actiniopteris australis (L. f.) Link, Fil. Sp.: 80. 1841. ( Pteridaceae)

Lectotypus (designated by PICHI-SERMOLLI, 1962: 27): MASCARENES: “31. Acrostichum des Isles de France & de Bourbon ”, s.d., Commerson s.n. (LINN-HS nº 1622.51 image seen ; isolecto-: MPU [MPU1071909]!, SBT nº 1.2.1.28 image seen) (Fig. 3) .

Notes. – A single specimen of original material is extant in LINN-HS [LINN-HS nº 1622.51]. This specimen bears a label in Thouin’s handwriting including the number “31” to which Linnaeus f. added in his hand “australe ny” (“ny” indicating ‘new’). The LINN-HS specimen was cited as holotype by PICHI-SERMOLLI (1962) and this use is here treated as an error to be corrected to lectotype (TURLAND et al., 2018: Art. 9.10). Duplicates of this original material have been located in MPU [MPU1071909] and SBT [SBT nº 1.2.1.28]. The identity of the lectotype material corresponds with the current usage of the name.

The type locality is either Mauritius from the “montagne des 3 mamelles et celle du rampart” or “St. Paul” in Réunion as written by Thouin on the MPU specimen (Fig. 3).

Actiniopteris australis is endemic to Mauritius and Réunion in the Mascarenes archipelago (BADRÉ & LORENCE, 2008).