Brandisia discolor J.D. Hooker & Thomson (1864: 11)

Zhou, Zhuo, Chen, Zhe, Guo, Ze-Min, Do, Truong Van, Niu, Yang & Sun, Hang, 2024, Taxonomic notes on Brandisia (Orobanchaceae), Phytotaxa 633 (1), pp. 41-50 : 46

Brandisia discolor J.D. Hooker & Thomson (1864: 11) . Type— MYANMAR. Martaban: Taepo, on the hills southeast of Taungoo, 1219 – 1524 m, D.Brandis 504 ( lectotype designated by Yamazaki (1985), K000961209), Fig. 3 .

= B. chevalieri Bonati (1924: 1092) . Holotype:— VIETNAM. Lam Dong: Lang Biang, Ankroet waterfall, near Dankia , 1400 m, 14 February 1914, A.J.B.Chevalier 30797 ( P00585498 ).

= B. scandens Bonati (1924: 1091) . Syntypes:— VIETNAM. Lam Dong: from Da Lat to Klong, 1200 m, clay slope at the edge of pine forest, climbing shrub or vine: carmine flowers, 18 February 1914, A.J.B.Chevalier 30929 ( P00582176 ; P00585500 ).

Distribution:— China (S. Yunnan), India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam

Note:— Hooker & Thomson (1864) initially described Brandisia and B. discolor based on specimens attributed to Dr. Dietrich Brandis. However, no collection or specimen was cited in the protologue, providing only an illustration ( Fig. 4 ). Hooker & Thomson (1864) titled their publication “Description of a new genus of Scrophularineae from Martaban” and mentioned that Dr. Brandis was the leader of the forest department in Pegu. Therefore, the specimens used by Hooker & Thomson (1864) were likely collected in Martaban, Pegu, Myanmar. According to ICN Art. 9.1 (Note 1, Ex.2) and Art. 9.12, both the cited illustration and the uncited specimens used by Hooker & Thomson (1864) can both be chosen as the lectotype of B. discolor . The author who first designated a lectotype must be followed (ICN Art. 9.19). Li (1947) wrote “The type of the species is a collection made by Brandis in Martaban, Burma, although no collection is definitely cited with the original description”, which made him the first author to designate Brandis’ specimen as the lectotype. However, Li (1947) did not specify the herbarium, and since Brandis’ collections were deposited in more than one herbarium (K, CAL, etc.), which made a subsequent lectotypification necessary (ICN Art. 9.17). Yamazaki (1985) wrote “Type: Brandis s.n., Birmanie, Martaban, K” when he described B. discolor in the Flora of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam ( Yamazaki 1985), which enabled him to complete subsequent lectotypification for this species. A specimen without a collection number, collected by Brandis and preserved in K, was chosen as the lectotype by Yamazaki (1985). When we checked specimens of B. discolor in K, we found only one specimen collected by Brandis in Martaban, Myanmar, i.e., D.Brandis 504 (K000961209; Fig. 3 ). The label “Hookerianum Herbarium 1867” sealed on the herbarium sheet indicated that Hooker & Thomson (1864) might have referred to this specimen when they published the species (the year 1867 on the label does not mean that the specimen was not available to the authors until that year; rather, it indicates a potential arrangement or management date by the herbarium staff in 1867). The lectotype designated by Yamazaki (1985) should also be this specimen. The reason why he wrote “ s.n. ” may be that he did not realize that the number “504” on the sticker on the specimen sheet was the collection number ( Fig. 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Lectotype specimen of Brandisia discolor J.D.Hooker & Thomson (Myanmar, Martaban, Taepo, D.Brandis 504, K000961209).

FIGURE 4. Illustration of Brandisia discolor J.D.Hooker & Thomson in protologue.