Syzygium zeylanicum (Linnaeus) Candolle (1828: 260)

Singh, Rajeev Kumar & Arigela, Ravi Kiran, 2020, Lectotypifications and new synonyms in Indian Syzygium (Myrtaceae), Phytotaxa 429 (3), pp. 200-216 : 213-214

15. Syzygium zeylanicum (Linnaeus) Candolle (1828: 260) . = Myrtus zeylanica Linnaeus (1753: 472) . Lectotype (first-step designated by Kostermans 1981: 156):— SRI LANKA. Paul Hermann (BM, four specimens); second-step designated here:— SRI LANKA. Without locality, s.d., Paul Hermann 4: 21, No. 182 (BM000628092!). Remaining syntypes:— SRI LANKA. Without locality, s.d., Paul Hermann 1: 47, No. 182 (BM000621394!, BM000621395!, BM000621396!).

= Eugenia glandulifera Roxburgh (1832: 496) . Lectotype (designated here): Icones Roxburgh Number 2258 (K!).

= Eugenia linearis Duthie (1878: 486) , nom. illeg., non Richard ex Berg (1859: 673). = Syzygium lineare Wallich ex Gamble (1919: 479) .

Lectotype (designated here): INDIA. 7 Aug. 1818, [Wallich cat. n. 3596] Heyne s.n. (upper specimen of K001119786 !; isolectotypes

A00872045!, E00288031!, K000821336!, lower specimens of K001119786!).

Distribution:—Southeast China, South Asia and Southeast Asia. In India found in Western Ghats (Goa, Karnataka, Kerala Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu).

Notes:—Linnaeus’ protologue of Myrtus zeylanica ( Figure 10 ) consists of a short diagnosis, citation to his earlier works Flora Zeylanica ( Linnaeus 1747) , Hortus cliffortianus ( Linnaeus 1738) and two synonyms cited from Hermann (1687) and Royen (1740). The provenance was also given as “Habitat in Zeylona”. The illustration of Hermann (1687: tab. 435) is original material for the name M. zeylanica . In the Hermann’s herbarium at BM there are four specimens [Paul Hermann 1: 47, No. 182 (BM000621394, BM000621395, BM000621396) and Paul Hermann 4: 21, No. 182 (BM000628092)], that were studied by Linnaeus for his Flora Zeylanica, number 182 (1747) and can serves as types for Linnaean name M. zeylanica . One vegetative specimen of George Clifford at BM (BM000647667) in the name M. zeylanica is not of Syzygium zeylanicum , but it looks like Eugenia species [ Eugenia singampattiana Beddome (1874: 65) ]. Kostermans (1981) cited type information for the Myrtus zeylanica as “Typus: Herbarium Hermann (BM)”. There are four specimens of Paul Hermann at BM and Kostermans’ type citation must be accepted as the first-step lectotypification because it cannot be ascertained which of the specimens at BM was selected by him as lectotype. Therefore, from the four specimens of Paul Hermann at BM, the best preserved specimen BM000628092, is designated here as the second-step lectotype of the name M. zeylanica . This specimen contain a small branchlet with well develop leaves and inflorescences as compared to other three specimens.

In the protologue of Eugenia glandulifera, Roxburgh (1832) mentioned type information as ‘A native of Sumatra’. No herbarium sheets of E. glandulifera belonging to Roxburgh’s herbarium (at B, BM, BR, CAL, E, G, K, LIV, LINN and P) have been traced. Therefore, Roxburgh’s coloured illustration of E. glandulifera (Icones Roxburgh Number 2258) in K is designated as the lectotype for this name.

Eugenia linearis was described by Duthie (1878) based on the specimens of Wallich catalogue number 3596, but no specific herbarium specimen was cited as holotype. Four herbarium sheets of Wallich catalogue number 3596 were traced (A00872045, E00288031, K000821336 and K001119786). Of these, the best preserve upper specimen of K001119786, is designated here as the lectotype as it agrees well with the protologue.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Protologue of Myrtus zeylanica Linnaeus.