Vieira 2006 (Article) Quesnelia

Quesnelia Gaudichaud (Bromelioideae: Bromeliaceae) do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Author(s):—C.M. Vieira

Publication:—Pesquisas (Botânica) 57: 7-102. (2006)

Abstract:—The genus Quesnelia (Bromelioideae: Bromeliaceae) contains some 16 species found in southeastern and southern Brazil. Most of the species of this genus occur in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Eleven specific/infraspecific taxa are recognized: Quesnelia arvensis (Veil.) Mez, Q. quesneliana (Brongn.) L.B.Sm., Q. edmundoi L.B.Sm. (var. edmundoi, rubrobracteata E.Pereira and intermedia E.Pereira & Leme), Q. marmorata (Lem.) Read, Q. augusto-coburgii Wawra, Q. liboniana (De Jonghe) Mez, Q. lateralis Wawra, Q. strobilispica Wawra and Q. seideliana L.B.Sm. & Reitz. The name Q. blanda (Schott ex Beer) Mez is considered to be illegitimate and is substituted by Q. strobilispica Wawra, for which a neotype is chosen. Several flower traits, poorly known up to now, are examined on the basis of both fresh material and flowers preserved in liquid. The significance of these traits for the systematic of the group is examined. Genus heterogeneity is confirmed by morphological diversity of sepal, petal, petal appendage, stamen and pollen grain features, plus inflorescence characteristics and the vegetative aspect of the plants. Groups of related species are recognized based on a comprehensive study of vegetative and reproductive characteristics. The precarious conceptual limit of Quesnelia is discussed, revealing the need to redefine the genus at the systematic/nomenclatural level.

Keywords:—Bromeliaceae, Quesnelia, Rio de Janeiro.

Taxonomy:—Bromelia blanda Beer (1857) when describing Anoplophytum strobilanthum, he wrote brief notes about the possible identity of a herbarium material collected by Schott, under the name Bromelia blanda. Expressing his doubts regarding this material to be a synonym of Anoplophytum strobilanthum, this author refrained from taking a position for the plant collected by Schott. As no description or print was supplied for Bromelia blanda, this is therefore a name published invalidly, according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. (p.55).—Quesnelia blanda Beer (1857) when describing Anoplophytum strobilanthum, he wrote brief notes about the possible identity of a herbarium material collected by Schott, under the name Bromelia blanda. Expressing his doubts regarding this material to be a synonym of Anoplophytum strobilanthum, this author refrained from taking a position for the plant collected by Schott. As no description or print was supplied for Bromelia blanda, this is therefore a name published invalidly, according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The taxon described by Mez (1892) should therefore have been correctly cited as Quesnelia blanda Schott ex Mez. However, still according to the established rules for International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 1994) this name is illegitimate, because in his original work, Mez included the holotype (Wawra II-273) under the name previously validly published as Quesnelia strobilispica Wawra. (p.55).