Billbergia saundersii W.Bull

Taxonomic Change:

• Neotype: Plate 106 Floral Magazine 1874 —See Read & Philcox 1985

Literature references:

Belg. Hortic.: 28:45 Bradea: 1:284 Bromelia: 5(1-4):38 Bromtravels (Web) Die Bromelie: 2014(1): 1 FCBS (Web) Fl. Mag.: 10:106 Harms 1937: 39:89 ,202d: 39:89 ,202d J. Bromeliad Soc.: 22:67b: 66(3):182 Mez 1935: 198 Morren Icons: kew 16-60*: kew 12-343* Oliva-Esteve 2002: 43 Richter 1962, 1978: 206 Smith & Downs 1979: 1994,1995,1997: 1994: 1994* Tropiflora Cargo Rep: 14(3)

Wilson & Wilson 1963: 76 Wisnev 2018: 114,116,119 Zimmer 1986: 147b

*move your mouse pointer over the page numbers to see comment

Comments:

• BULL, YOU SAY?
  by Robert W. Read and David Philcox in Taxon 34: 294. 1985
  
  Mr. William Bull offered "New Plants for 1874" as a full page advertisement in The Gardeners' Chronicle for January 17, 1874, wherein he "Begs to announce that he is now sending out the following novelties:--" Billbergia saundersii; Boronia megastigma; Campsidium filicifolium; Dracaena formosa; D. grandis; D. illustris; D. nigrostriata; D. picta; D. princeps, Dyckia lemaireana; Erythrina parcelii; Gymnogramma decomposita; Maranta concinna; Notonia grandiflora; and Plectocomia andersoni, each with a paragraph of validating description. We must regard this as equivalent to a catalog offering in full compliance with the ICBN. We cannot simply hope it will be forgotten, or disappear.
  Article 29.1 of the ICBN (1983) allows that "Publication is effected, under this Code, only by distribution of printed matter (through sale, exchange, or gift) to the general public . . ." and Article 29.5 allows publication prior to 1 January 1953 "in tradesmen's catalogues or nonscientific newspapers, . . ." etc. Therefore, can there be any reason not to accept the publication of fourteen (14) names in an offering by Mr. William Bull of King's Road Chelsea, London? Only two names, to my knowledge, had prior publication. Six are cited in Index Kewensis as "Hort. ex" or "Hort. Bull." Since seven names were not found in Index Kewensis at all, and those that were have citations to publications subsequent to Mr. Bull's publication, it seemed advisable to bring this publication to the attention of the scientific community.
  I don't believe the acceptance of these names will upset much nomenclature. For example, Erythrina parcelii Bull is no doubt E. picta of Linnaeus, a variegated form of E. indica commonly found in cultivation today. Dyckia lemaireana Bull establishes valid publication of a name listed as a nomen nudum by L. B. Smith and R. J. Downs in their monograph of the Bromeliaceae (1977). However, Bull's publication is the earliest valid publication of the name Billbergia saundersii. Although cited in Index Kewensis as Billbergia "Saundersii, Hort. Bull, ex Floral Mag. N.S. t. 106" the correct citation should read: "Bilbergia [sic] Saundersii hort. ex K Koch (Ed.), Wochenschr. Vereines Beford. Gartenbaues Konigl. Preuss. Staaten 12: 116. 1869. Nomen nudum.
  Neotype: Plate 106 Floral Magazine n.s. 1874 (here designated). —See St. John 1965