Iris caucasica Marschall von Bieberstein (1808: 33)

Boltenkov, Eugeny V. & Govaerts, Rafaël, 2017, Typification of names and nomenclatural notes on juno irises (Iridaceae) from Western Asia, Western Europe, and North Africa, Phytotaxa 303 (2), pp. 125-140 : 128

5. Iris caucasica Marschall von Bieberstein (1808: 33)

≡ Thelysia caucasica (M.Bieb.) Parlatore (1860: 317) ≡ Neubeckia caucasica (M.Bieb.) Alefeld (1863: 297) ≡ Juno caucasica (M.Bieb.) Kotschy in Ascherson (1864: 114) ≡ Coresantha caucasica (M.Bieb.) Klatt (1866: 575) ≡ Xiphion caucasicum (M.Bieb.) Baker (1871: 109) — Iris caucasica var. typica Regel (1884: 677) , nom. inval. (Art. 24.3 of the ICN, McNeill et al. 2012).

Protologue citation:—“Habitat frequens in collibus apricis circa Tiflin”.

Type (lectotype, designated by Kuthatheladze, 1971: 16 as “type”):— GEORGIA. [Tbilisi], Iris caucasica Stev. Tiflis, s.d. [April 1805], [fl.], [Steven] s.n. Herb. Hoffmann № 398 ( MW 00021794!).

Epitype (designated here):— GEORGIA. [Tbilisi], Iris caucasica m., in apricis circa Tiflin, [fl.], [April 1805], [Steven] s.n. Herb. Steven ( H 01051975).

Other original material examined:— GEORGIA. [Tbilisi], Iris caucasica , Tiflis, [fl.], s.d., Steven s.n. Herb. Chamisso ( LE01009796 !) ; Iris caucasica , Tiflis, [fl.], s.d., [ Steven ] s.n. Herb. Bongard ( LECB00004257 !) .

Notes:— Iris caucasica was described by Marschall von Bieberstein (1808) based on plants collected by C. Steven around Tbilisi, South Caucasus. The protologue of I. caucasica consisted of Marschall von Bieberstein’s diagnosis, followed by Steven’s description from the unpublished manuscript “dec. pl. iber. [Decades plantae Ibericae]”.According to Nordmann (1865: 108), Steven collected the plants in Georgia in 1805 and sent his specimens to Marschall von Bieberstein. In the winter of 1805, Steven arrived in St. Petersburg and processed his collections. Steven’s gatherings were included in most duplicates, which he readily exchanged with other botanists. G. F. Hoffmann, who received from Steven the plant specimens indicated in the manuscript as “Decades plantae Ibericae” ( Hoffmann 1808: 40), was one of Steven’s correspondents. Hoffmann believed that the new plant, including I. caucasica , cited in this Steven’s manuscript, remained unpublished. In 1808, I. caucasica was published twice, in two issues ( Marschall von Bieberstein 1808, Hoffmann 1808), but establishing the exact dates of their publication proved to be impossible. As determined by Art. 31.1 of the ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012), in the absence of proof establishing some other date, the one appearing in the printed matter must be accepted as correct. Some of the earlier authors attributed the name I. caucasica to Marschall von Bieberstein. However, Hoffmann is considered by many as the author of the citation of the name I. caucasica . Hoffmann’s work (1808) was published in a collection of articles, the preface to which was signed up by F. F. Reufs, the Secretary of the Scientific Society, in June 1808 (“Iunii 1808”). The introduction to the first volume, Flora taurico-caucasica, was dated by Marschall von Bieberstein as January 1808 (“mense Januario a. MDCCCVIII”), and, thus, this work should be recognized as published earlier than Hoffmann’s article. Consequently, Marschall von Bieberstein is the author of the citation of the name I. caucasica . The I. caucasica specimens, collected by Steven in 1805, are absent from Marschall von Bieberstein’s herbarium ( LE!). Kuthatheladze (1971: 16) indicated that the specimen from Hoffmann’s herbarium, deposited at MW, is the type for I. caucasica . This specimen was obtained by Hoffmann along with specimens of other plants from Steven ( Hoffmann 1808: 40) in 1806. For this reason, the specimen from Hoffmann’s herbarium ( MW 00021794!) refers to the original material of I. caucasica and should be accepted as lectotype. The lectotype specimen is represented by one plant and contains labels with the handwritings made by Hoffmann (“ Iris caucasica Stev. Tiflis ”) and Kuthatheladze (“ Iris caucasica Hoffm. Typus! 1967”). This plant is not very detailed to guarantee a precise application of the name of the taxon, as it is without the underground part, and thus an epitype is designated here to support it. As the epitype, a specimen from Steven’s herbarium ( H 01051975) with the label handwritten by him was selected. This specimen was designated as “typus” by Wendelbo & Mathew (1975: 51). The specimens from personal herbaria of H. G. Bongard ( LECB 00004257!) and L. A. von Chamisso ( LE 01009796!) can also be referred to the original material of I. caucasica . These botanists participated in exchanges of plant specimens with Steven. As it follows from the contents of the labels attached to the original material of I. caucasica , this name was also proposed by Steven.