Tillandsia butzii Mez
(nom. nov.)
Taxonomic Change:
- Proposal to conserve the name Tillandsia butzii Mez (1935) against Tillandsia inanis Lindl. & Paxt. (1850) —See Till 2008
Literature references:
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Comments:
- Tillandsia butzii (Bromeliaceae) was published by Carl Mez as a new name for T. variegata Schtldl. (in Linnaea 18: 429. 1845 ("1844"}), for which the holotype is a Schiede collection from Mexico sent to Schlechtendal at HAL, not a specimen at B as reported by some (e.g., Smith & Downs in Fl. Neotrop. 14(2): 992. 1977). This substitute was necessary as Schlechtendal's name is a later homonym of Tillandsia variegata Vell. (in Fl. Flumin.: 134. 1829 ("1825")). Since 1935 this Mexican and Central American plant with a pseudobulb and subulate leaf blades, very characteristically spotted with "brownish red blotches" (Lindley, l.c.), has never been identified in a different way and the name T. butzii is well established in the literature: Smith & Downs (l.c.: 990), EspejoSerna & Lopez-Ferrari (Monocotiledoneas Mexic. 1994), Utley (in Davidse & al., Fl. Mesoamer. 6: 106. 1994), Utley & al. (in Stevens & al., Fl. Nicaragua 1: 481. 2001), Morales (in Hammel & al., Man. Pl. Costa Rica 2:341.2003), EspejoSerna & al. (in Selbyana 25: 54. 2004; Fl. Veracruz 136: 154. 2005) and in numerous horticultural books. By contrast, in the earlier literature Schlechtendal's name is used exclusively, e.g., Harms (in Engler, Nat. Pflanzenfam., ed. 2, 15a: 118. 1930) and Mez (in Candolle, Monogr. Phan. 9: 719. 1896). Lindley (l.c.) described Tillandsia inanis, from the "province of Buenos Ayres" of South America, and three further species and discussed this group of species forming pseudobulbs ("folia radicalia basi dilatata bulbum simulantia"} including diagnostic features. Beer (Fam. Bromel.: 82. 1856) accepted Lindley's species but placed it under Platystachys K. Koch. However, he did not mention Tillandsia variegata Schtldl. which obviously was unknown to him. Hemsley (Biol. Cent.-Amer., Bot. 3:323.1884) listed Tillandsia variegata but not T. inanis. Lindley's species were all united under T. bulbosa Hook. by Mez (in Martius, Fl. Bras. 3(3): 588. 1894; l.c. 1896: 721) and this view was followed by all subsequent authors. Therefore the name T. inanis remained unapplied from shortly after its publication until it was later treated as a synonym of T. bulbosa.
Lindley (l.c.) mentions the very characteristic leaf coloration also found in T. butzii under his T. inanis and a comparison with the holotype specimen from his Herbarium now at the University of Cambridge Herbarium (CGE), which bears the coloured illustration that was published as a line drawing (fig. 104, albeit as a reflected image), confirms the identity of the name T. inanis with the species now known as T. butzii, the former having nomenclatural priority over the latter. Given that T. butzii is a predominately Mesoamerican species, Lindley's indicated origin for T. inanis (Argentina) was therefore erroneous.
In the preamble of the International Code of Botanical Notnenclature (McNeill & al..in Regnum Veg. 146. 2006) the following statements in Pre. 1 and Pre. 9, respectively, apply: "This Code aims at... rejecting the use of names that may ... throw science into confusion" (a point in favour of T. butzii); "The only proper reasons for changing a name are ... giving up a nomenclature that is contrary to the rules" (a point in favour of T. inanis). However, one could also convert the wording of Pre. 1: " Next in importance is the avoidance of the useless change of names". As explained above, the name Tillandsia butzii is unambiguously well established while T. inanis has practically never been used. I therefore propose the conservation of the former name in accordance with Art. 14.1, first clause. —See Smith & Downs 1977
