Dioscorea baracoensis (R.Knuth) Raz, 2016

Raz, Lauren, 2016, Untangling the West Indian Dioscoreaceae: New combinations, lectotypification and synonymy, Phytotaxa 258 (1), pp. 26-48 : 30

3. Dioscorea baracoensis (R.Knuth) Raz , comb. nov. Rajania baracoensis Knuth (1924: 333) . Type:— CUBA. Oriente (Guantanamo): Baracoa, 1915. E. L. Ekman 4131 ♂ (holotype S!)

Rajania tenuiflora Knuth (1917: 219) . Type:—Cuba. Oriente (Holguin): Sierra de Nipe, near Woodfred, 11 December, 1909, J. A. Shafer 3149 ♂ (holotype B!, isotypes K! (K000099316), NY!). Knuth (1917) cites two syntypes, but a holotype is clearly specified in the 1924 publication. Remaining former syntypes: CUBA. Oriente (Holguin): Sierra de Nipe, near Woodfred, 5 December, 1909, J. A. Shafer 3016 ♂ (K! (K000099315), MO!, NY!, F!). The K sheet is mounted together with Shafer 3049.

Notes: The earlier name, R. tenuiflora is not available as an epithet in Dioscorea . Staminate plants traditionally called R. tenuiflora have scorpioid cymules and less robust inflorescence axes compared to those of R. baracoensis s.s., which Knuth described from a single specimen. Wider consultation of material across the species’ range in Cuba and Hispaniola shows continuous variation in cymule architecture and robustness of the staminate inflorescence. Knuth never described pistillate flowers or fruits from either species. The pistillate inflorescence is far less variable than the staminate.