Detail from W Weber in J. Brom. Soc. 32(5): 216-9. 1982
Vriesea lancifolia was first described by Baker in his Handbook of Bromeliaceae, 1889, as Tillandsia lancifolia relying on the specimen deposited in the British Museum; it was collected by Blanchet in Igreja Velha, Bahia, Brazil, under the number 3458. The exact date is not known, since his descriptions are not dated. Jacques Samuel Blanchet collected from 1828 to 1856 in Bahia (Ilheus, Cavavellas, Muritiba, Serra Jacobina, Nage, Igreja Velha, Olhos d'Aqua, Utinque, Itabira, Tamandua, St. Thome, and Poco d'Areia). In Flora Neotropica, L.B. Smith cities in addition to the British Museum holotype, isotypes with the same collection number deposited in the U. S. National Herbarium and in the herbarium of the Missouri Botanical Garden, as well as a specimen in Geneva from Bahia without a location as Blanchet Nr. 238. Isotypes of Blanchet Nr. 3458 have also been discovered deposited in Halle and in Kiel. The accompanying drawing of this interesting vanished species was prepared from the Halle specimen. A thorough description can be found in Flora Neotropica. The handwritten notes by Blanchet in addition to the Nr. 3458 also state: "fl. leui rupestris" (Halle) and "fl. lutei ad rupes" (Kiel). That means that Vriesea lancifolia grows on cliffs and has a yellow flower. For the other vanished species, V. recurvata Gaudichaud 1843, we find cited as holotype Gaudichaud s.n., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Paris), and as further material Blanchet s.n., Bahia, Brazil, (British Museum) and Blanchet Nr. 2084 (Geneva). Among the uncertain bromeliads from the Kiel herbarium, there was a portfolio with Vriesea recurvata with the sole notation of the Nr. 2084. A comparison of the handwritten numbers proved that this notation was also made by Blanchet himself and that the plant thus was also collected in Bahia. The accompanying drawing was prepared from the specimen in Kiel.
We are compelled to ask whether a species never again found could have such a broad distribution area: Bahia and the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro. In my opinion that improbable. I presume that the location citing of the Gaudichaud holotype was a misunderstanding. Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupre from Angouleme, France, (1789-1854) was in Brazil three times: 1817-1820, 1831-1833, and 1836-1837. He collected around Rio de Janiero, in the Organ Mountains, Sao Paulo, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso, and in Bahia. It is thus quite possible and rather probable that a note with the location "Rio de Janiero" mistakenly got into the portfolio with Vriesea recurvata and that the plant was actually collected in Bahia.
From Bromelia Sept 1996 by J R Grant
ABSTRACT
Due to taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion, original material of two morphologically-similar species, Vriesea platzmannii E. Morren and Vriesea lancifolia (Baker) L. B. Smith has been confused. In order to clarify the matter, authentic material of each species was verified.
INTRODUCTION
When Morren (1875) described Vriesea platzmannii, he unknowingly based the name on discordant elements that represented two morphologically similar species. The plate published with the text represents one element from southern Brazil, while the cited herbarium material was of a second from northeastern Brazil. Baker (1889) described the latter element as Tillandsia lancifolia, typifying the name on a duplicate (Blanchet 3458) of one of the numbers cited by Morren in his protologue of Vriesea platzmannii. Baker (1889) recognized Vriesea platzmannii as a distinct species, citing the original plate, but none of its originally-cited herbarium specimens. Mez (1894) reduced Tillandsia lancifolia into synonymy under Vriesea platzmannii apparently following Morren's assertion that the material represented a single species. Initially Mez ( 1896) followed this line of reasoning but later (Mez 1935) considered the name to be represented only by Vriesea platzmannii, regarding Vriesea platzmannii as being based on the herbarium material alone, specifically excluding the original plate. Smith (1941) rejected Mez's treatment of the taxa, and returned to the taxonomy of Baker ( 1889), whereby the original plate of Vriesea platzmannii was recognized as its type, and Blanchet 3458 as the type of Vriesea lancifolia. Smith & Downs ( 1977) followed both Baker ( 1889) and Smith (1941 ), and recognized both Vriesea platzmannii and Vriesea lancifolia as distinct taxa. Each taxon is also recognized as distinct in this treatment.
Vriesea platzmannii
Edouard Morren ( 1875) proposed Vriesea platzmannii based on material from Brazil. But since it was not customary at the time to designate a specific herbarium specimen or illustration to represent the species, a lectotype later needed to be chosen from the original material to typify the name. Baker (1888) presented a conservative classification of the subfamily Tillandsioideae and transferred Vriesea platzmannii to Tillandsia. It may be inferred that Baker (1888) or Baker (1889) selected the Platzmann plate as lectotype, but since the "type concept" was not yet in place, and Baker didn't use the word "type" in either place, that assertion can not be made. Mez (1894, 1896 & 1935) recognized Vriesea platzmannii, but did not designate type specimens. Smith ( 1941: 409-410) however, selected the original Platzmann plate as the lectotype of Vriesea platzmannii, insuring that Blanchet 3458 would remain the type of Vriesea lancifolia.
Although herbarium specimens were also cited in the original protologue of Vriesea platzmannii, all belong to Vriesea lancifolia. The only element of the original material that can be definitively attributed to Vriesea platzmannii as circumscribed by modern authors is the illustration. While Vriesea platzmannii occurs in southern Brazil (Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul), Vriesea lancifolia is restricted to a few localities in northeastern Brazil (Bahia).
The original material of Vriesea platzmannii consisted of a watercolor illustration that was published with the original description, and several herbarium specimens. Julius Platzmann of Leipzig illustrated numerous plants between 1858-1864 on the Ilha das Pecas, Baia de Paranagua, state of Parana, Brazil. One was of a new species described by Morren and named to honor Platzmann. This illustration was published as plate 23 in the original publication. Of the cited herbarium material, there was Blanchet 3458 [Herb. Candoll. (G-DC)], Blanchet 345(8) [Herb. Martii (BR)], and Claussen? (LE). Mez (1894) stated that the known material of Vriesea platzmannii included the Platzmann plate and duplicates of Blanchet 3458 at Berol. (B), Boiss.-Barbey (G), Brux. (BR), Candoll. (G-DC), Petrop. (LE), and Vindob. (W), to which Mez (1896) added Mus. Brit. (BM), and Hal. (HAL).
Smith & Downs ( 1977) stated that the type of Vriesea platzmannii was "Platzmann Icon [holotype LZ, n v (not verified)] Ilha das Pecas, Parana, Brazil, 1859". While at some point there was an original Platzmann illustration, it has become misplaced, lost or destroyed. Its reproduction in the original publication of Vriesea platzmannii is the lectotype selected by Smith ( 1941 ). The original is not at the Leipzig herbarium as suggested by Smith ( 1977), which was largely destroyed during World War II. Dr. Peter Otto has verified (pers. comm. ) that no specimens or plates of Julius Platzmann are in either the Leipzig Herbarium or the scientific libraries of Leipzig.
VRIESEA LANCIFOLIA
Baker (1889) proposed Tillandsia lancifolia based on a single herbarium collection at the
British Museum, Blanchet 3458. Since it is a single element, it is automatically recognized as the holotype ( Art. 9.1, Greuter et al. 1994). Mez (1894) reduced this taxon to synonymy under Vriesea platzmannii without comment.
Weber (1982) described Vriesea lancifolia as one of the "lost bromeliads" since it had not been collected since its original material was found in 1841. Weber presented a brief history of the taxon, and listed the herbarium at Kiel, Germany, as an additional depository for a duplicate of Blanchet 3458. Weber challenged collectors to search for the species in hope that it would be rediscovered. Martinelli & Leme ( 1983) answered the call and reported its rediscovery from several different localities in Bahia, Brazil. They provided exact locality data, a color photo, and an expanded description. —SeeSmith & Downs 1977
