Avena sterilis L., 1762

Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part A), Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London: Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum, pp. 252-342 : 341

Avena sterilis Linnaeus , Species Plantarum, ed. 2, 1: 118. 1762.

"Habitat in Hispania. Alströmer.” RCN: 672.

Lectotype (Hubbard in Milne-Redhead & Polhill, Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Gramineae 1: 84. 1970): Alströmer 7, Herb. Linn. No. 95.12 ( LINN) .

Current name: Avena sterilis L. ( Poaceae ).

Note: Hubbard (in Milne-Redhead & Polhill, Fl. Trop. E. Africa, Gramineae 1: 84. 1970) treats the Alströmer specimen at LINN (i.e. 95.12) as the type ["Type: … Alstroemer (LINN-holo!)"]. Unfortunately, it appears to be identifiable as the species long called Stipa gigantea Link (see Vázquez & al. in Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 52: 185-6. 1995). Another specimen in LINN (95.11), illustrated by Baum (Oats Wild & Cult.: 344, f. 309. 1977), was designated by him (in Taxon 23: 582. 1974) as the lectotype (and followed by Romero Zarco in Lagascalia 17: 292. 1994). This collection belongs to the taxon understood as A. sterilis but it was received by Linnaeus from David van Royen after 1762, probably with a letter dated 7 June 1763 (the specimen is annotated "R. 93" by Linnaeus and corresponds with a list at LINN prepared by D. van Royen, in which specimen no. 93 is determined by Linnaeus as A. sterilis ). It therefore cannot, in any case, be original material for this name. There seem to be no grounds for rejecting Hubbard’s choice of type, so if this name is to continue to be used in its traditional sense, it appears that a conservation proposal will be needed.