Lilium jankae A. Kern.

Rešetnik, Ivana & Bogdanović, Sandro, 2013, Typification of Lilium jankae A. Kern. and Lilium martagon var. cattaniae Vis., Candollea 68 (1), pp. 151-154 : 152

Lilium jankae A. Kern. in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 27: 402. 1877.

Ξ Lilium carniolicum subsp. jankae (A. Kern.) Asch. & Graebn. , Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 3: 181. 1905.

Lectotypus (here designated): ROMANIA: “Zwiebel aus Siebenbürgen, bei Verespatak von Janka gesammelt und mir nach Innsbruck gesandt. Blühte im bot. Garten in Innsbruck”, 6.VI.1876, Kerner s.n. ( WU [ 35594 ]!) ( Fig. 1 ) .

History. – Lilium jankae was described by KERNER (1877) although Janka was the first who, several years earlier, noticed that this lily was somewhat different from species described thus far ( JANKA, 1868b). In 1868 Janka found this lily in Verespatak (Romania) while searching for L. albanicum Griseb. ( JANKA, 1868a). Although the plants were already in fruits, after comparing them with the description of L. albanicum he concluded that they did not correspond with those of L.albanicum and that the plants best fit the description of L. pyrenaicum Gouan proposed by GRENIER & GORDON (1855). Consequently he deduced that until close examination of flowering individuals would produce new evidence, the name L. pyrenaicum for the plants from Verespatak should be used. Janka also states that he brought 50 bulbs from Verespatak with him in order to plant them in his garden and see them in flower to definitely determine the correct taxonomic status of this lily.

Nine years later, KERNER (1877) described the new species, which he names L. jankae in honour of Victor Janka. In Kerner’s personal herbarium at WU, we traced three herbarium sheets with plants collected by Janka in Verespatak under the name “ L.pyrenaicum Baumg. / L.albanicum Heuff. ” and revised by Kerner as L. jankae . Two of them, Kerner s.n. (WU [35591]) and Kerner s.n. (WU [35593]), have the collection date 6 and 7 July 1868 and are in fruit stage while one sheet has the collection date 19 June 1869 and a fragment of the inflorescence is still present ( Kerner s.n., WU [35592]). In the protologue KERNER (1877) states that some bulbs collected from Verespatak were sent by Janka to Innsbruck Botanical Garden where they flowered successfully. In WU, one sheet with the plant in flower, under the name L.jankae was found and the herbarium label states: “Zwiebel aus Siebenbürgen, bei Verespatak von Janka gesammelt und mir nach Innsbruck gesandt. Blühte im bot. Garten in Innsbruck 6/6 1876. Kerner” ( Kerner s.n., WU [35594]). Comparing the description of L. jankae with the before mentioned herbarium specimens it can be assumed that KERNER (1877) based his original description on both plants first collected by Janka in 1868 at Verespatak together with the plants growing at the Innsbruck Botanical Garden from bulbs collected by Janka. Therefore all mentioned specimens can be designated here as syntypes. Kerner also describes the distribution of this taxon, but without specifying the exact type locality: “In den mit hohen Gräsern und üppigen Stauden bewachsenen Schluchten unter dem Gipfel des Bohodei im Petrosaerzuge des Bihariagebirges und an der Ostgrenze des hier behandelten Gebietes auf den “Gaur” genannten Wiesen bei Verespatak.” In Kerner’s personal herbarium we also found specimens corresponding to his citation of the distribution in Biharia (Romania) and, although they are under the name L. jankae , the collection date was not specified ( Kerner s.n., WU [35589]; Kerner s.n., WU [35590]). Therefore there is no direct evidence showing if particular specimen had been collected prior to the publication of the new species. However, there are several indications that those plants were also examined by Kerner while writing the original diagnosis and can be ascribed as syntypes. In the protologue he states that the plants growing at higher altitudes are shorter and with broader leaves, which corresponds to altitudes of Bohodei at Biharia (Romania) and to the appearance of herbarium specimens collected there by Kerner.

Taxonomic discussion. – Lilium jankae is a member of the L. carniolicum group which consists of seven European taxa belonging to sect. Lilium (Ξ sect. Liriotypus Asch. & Graebn. ) ( COMBER, 1949; IKINCI & al., 2006; REŠETNIK & al., 2007). The relationships between the taxa in this group are still insufficiently understood and various taxonomic treatments exist.

Recent molecular studies ( IKINCI & al., 2006; REŠETNIK & al., 2007) showed that L. jankae is closely related to L.carniolicum Koch and L.chalcedonicum L. Since detailed morphometric study including all members of L.carniolicum group is still lacking, the taxonomic conclusion remains uncertain and further research is required. However, most local floras, which cover the distribution range of L. jankae (Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia) treat it as an independent species ( JANEV, 1964; SÂVULESCU & NYÁRÁDY, 1966; DIKLIĆ, 1975). Nonetheless, if one agrees that the taxon L. jankae is better treated at the subspecific level, as suggested by molecular data ( REŠETNIK & al., 2007), one have to accept the combination: L. carniolicum subsp. jankae , proposed by ASCHERSON & GRAEBNER (1905-1907), which gives priority to this epithet at the subspecific rank.

Figures

Fig. 1. – Lectotype of Lilium jankae. Kern. [Kerner s.n., WU] [© Universität Wien Herbarium. Reproduced with permission]