Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand flora: lectotypification of fern and lycophyte type specimens previously identified as holotypes

ABSTRACT

The electronic Flora of New Zealand – Ferns and Lycophytes includes 466 basionyms relevant to the New Zealand flora. These names are typified by 281 lectotypes, 4 neotypes, 1 conserved type, 4 names for which a designation has not been made, and 25 for which a type could not be located. The remaining 151 basionyms have been considered in initial editions of the Flora as having holotypes. However, 37 of these require lectotypification in order to comply with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, as well as suggestions for “best practice”. This is either because the full extent of original material was not considered, or had not been located, or because specimens that had been cited by other authors as holotypes and isotypes are, in reality, often syntypes from which a lectotype must be chosen. 21 of these 37 lectotypes have been inadvertently designated by earlier authors, and a further 16 are designated here for the first time. Lectotypes are being chosen where possible for all names at specific and subspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Ngā Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand.

KEYWORDS:

• Holotypes
• isotypes
• lectotypes
• neotypes
• typification
• New Zealand ferns
• New Zealand lycophytes

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to staff at AK, CHR, K, P and WELT for access to collections in their care.

Disclosure statement

One of the authors, Leon Perrie, is an Associate Editor of the New Zealand Journal of Botany, but played no part in the editing or refereeing of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Core funding for Crown Research Institutes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Science and Innovation Group.