Research Article | Published: 25 December 2018

Cyathea brunoniana - Two confused Indian tree-fern species and proposing the conservation of Wallich’s and Hooker’s application of the name

Christopher Roy Fraser-Jenkins and Bhupendra Singh Kholia

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 41 | Issue: 4 | Page No. 329-335 | 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2018-057346 | Cite this article

Abstract

The specific epithet brunoniana has been applied since long to two very distinct species of Cyathea (tree-ferns) in India, belonging to different subgenera, or as preferred by some recent authors, microgenera, Alsophila and Sphaeropteris. Serious nomenclatural confusion has been caused by failure to take into account the two different applications of the name and by hasty misapplication, combined with lack of knowledge of the morpho-taxonomy of the two species and of their ecology and local distribution in India. It is shown here that Alsophila brunoniana Wall. and Cyathea brunoniana (C.B.Clarke) C.B.Clarke & Baker are independent names for two quite different species, which in the genus Cyathea should be known as C. sollyana Griff. and C. brunoniana if following the ICN. However due to the confusion concerning the application of the epithet brunoniana and its unavailability for use in the genus Cyathea for the species now more widely so named, it is intended to propose to conserve the name Cyathea brunoniana (Wall.) Fraser-Jenk. against Cyathea brunoniana (C.B.Clarke) C.B. Clarke & Baker. Doing so will allow use of the name Cyathea brunoniana (Wall.) Fraser-Jenk. & Kholia instead of the little known name C. sollyana; and C. chinensis Copel. instead of Clarke & Baker’s C. brunoniana.  This eventual intended nomenclature was used by Holttum (1965), but with different authorities for the former name and without looking into the nomenclatural problems re preoccupation of Cyathea brunoniana in sufficient detail.

Keywords

Cyathea brunoniana, Cyathea sollyana, Cyathea chinensis, India, Tree Ferns

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How to cite

Fraser-Jenkins, C.R. and Kholia, B.S., 2018. Cyathea brunoniana - Two confused Indian tree-fern species and proposing the conservation of Wallich’s and Hooker’s application of the name. Indian Journal of Forestry, 41(4), pp.329-335. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2018-057346

Publication History

Manuscript Published on 25 December 2018

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