Calendula microphylla, Lange ex Willkomm, 1884

Figueiredo, Estrela, Smith, Gideon F. & Silveira, Paulo, 2018, The nomenclature of two names proposed for Portuguese taxa of Calendula (Asteraceae) by Lange in 1883, Phytotaxa 360 (1), pp. 85-88 : 86-87

2. Calendula microphylla

The other new name in Calendula published in the note authored by Henriques (1883) is C. microphylla . As for C. microcephala (see above), the description was authored by Lange. However, Lange used the name provisionally, as he unambiguously referred it as “C. MICROPHYLA Lange ad int.—” [ad interim = for the time being] and for that reason the name was not validly published ( Turland et al. 2018: Article. 36.1). Shortly afterwards, Willkomm (1884) validated Lange’s name. In March of 1884, Willkomm wrote a letter to Henriques ( Fernandes 1978: 53) stating that he (Willkomm) had an illustration of C. microphylla Lange for publication in his book Illustrationes florae Hispaniae insularumque Balearium, but that he did not have a description to accompany it. Lange told Willkomm that he had sent Henriques a description of the species, so Willkomm asked Henriques to send him a copy. However, Willkomm did not use Lange’s description but rather produced a new, amplified one ( Fernandes 1978: 54). This description appeared when the name C. microphylla was validly published ( Willkomm 1884: 130), which therefore must be cited as C. microphylla Lange ex Willk.

In IPNI the name C. microphylla Lange ex Nyman is recorded; but as it dates from 1889, Willkomm’s validation (1884) has priority. The type of C. microphylla Lange ex Willk. is one of the Moller specimens cited by Willkomm as: “inter Fonte das Pombas et Cabo Mondego atque apud Figueira da Foz prope pagam Viso, MOLLER!” [between Fonte das Pombas and Cabo Mondego and at Figueira da Foz near village Viso, Moller]. The type is not the material of the plant grown by Lange from which he produced the description that he had sent to Henriques, and that Ohle (1974: 278) cited as type [“cult. exsem. spont., in Hort. Bot. Haun., leg. Lange (1880)”] when he published the combination C. incana subsp. microphylla (Lange) Ohle. From the several specimens collected by Moller at Figueira da Foz that are deposited at COI, the one matching the specific locality Viso is here designated as lectotype.

In 1947 Sampaio (1947: 579) published a “raç. microphylla Samp. in Herb.” under C. suffruticosa . If all the conditions for valid publication were met, this would be considered as an unranked infraspecific taxon. Sampaio made no reference to a basionym, and the mention of “in Herb.” appears to indicate that he was creating a new name. Since it lacks a Latin description it is a nomen nudum, and therefore this designation was not validly published. On the same page and also under C. suffruticosa he published “raç. algarbiensis Samp. ” Likewise, this cannot be considered a valid new combination as the possible basionym ( C. algarbiensis Boissier ) is not cited or otherwise indicated.

The two names proposed in Calendula by Lange, C. lusitanica Boiss. var. microcephala Mariz , and C. microphylla Lange ex Willk. , which appeared in Henriques (1883), are presently considered to be synonyms of two subspecies of C. suffruticosa ( Gonçalves et al. 2018) . Both taxa are endemic to Portugal. The nomenclature of these subspecies of C. suffruticosa resolves as follows: