73. Ophioglossum zeilanicum Houtt.,

Nat. Hist. II(14): Aanwyz. Plaat. [1], 43, tab. 94, fig. 1. 1783.

≡ Tectaria zeilanica (Houtt.) Sledge in Kew Bull. 27: 422. 1972.

Lectotypus (designated here by Callmander & Fumeaux): CEYLON [SRI LANKA]: Thunbe rg s.n. (G -P REL [G00818063]!; isolecto-: UPS-THUNB n° 24418 image seen) (Fig. 9).

Notes. – HOLTTUM (1991: 75) designated a type specimen at UPS: “ Type: Thunberg s.n., Sri Lanka (UPS, not seen)”. The finding of a specimen annotated by Houttuyn in his own herbarium in G-PREL (Fig. 9) supersedes this implicit lectotypification. Houttuyn’s plate was clearly drawn from the specimen in G-PREL.

On the latter sheet and in Aanwyz. Plaat., the epithet is spelled as the more usual “zeylanicum”, but on p. 43 as “ zeilanicum ”, which is the spelling that most people saw and copied and that should be retained. It was identified as Acrostichum quercifolium Retz. by H. Christ, a synonym according to HOLTTUM (1991: 75).

Ophioglossum zeilanicum is the first report by Houttuyn of a specimen from Ceylon in his own herebarium (see introduction p. 160).