(2808) Proposal to reject the name Acalypha supera ( Euphorbiaceae )

(2808) Acalypha supera Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 162. 1 Oct 1775 [Angiosp.: Euphorb.], nom. utique rej. prop. Typus: non designatus. The name was established by Forsskål (Fl. 1775) means of a short description. In the protologue, he noted that his new species resembled A. indica L. (Sp. Pl.: 1003. 1753) but lacked bracts, which suggested might have fallen off. Forsskål's notes indicate saw plant in Yemen, unfortunately did not designate type, and no potential type material has been found Herbarium at C or elsewhere, one ever reported seeing any original (Christensen Dansk Bot. Ark. 4: 28. 1922; Hepper & Friis, Pl. 152. 1994). Poiret (in Lamarck, Encycl. 6: 207. 1804) discussed status supera, stating believed it to be except for absence female specimen would necessary confirm its identity. Steudel (Nomencl. 1: 4. 1821; ed. 2, 10. 1840) merely Poiret's uncertain treatment. Müller Linnaea 34: 45. 1865; Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 870. 1866) tentatively synonymized with brachystachya Hornem. (Enum. Hort. Hafn., rev. ed.: 1. 1807), writing latter work, “Hic etiam pertinere videtur Forsk.” few other botanists who mentioned over succeeding 134 years (Schweinfurth Bull. Herb. Boissier 7, App. II: 309. 1899; Christensen, l.c; Pax Hoffmann Engler, Pflanzenr. IV. 147 XVI (Heft 65): 101. 1924; Schwartz, Trop. Arab.: 138. 1939; l.c.; Govaerts, World Checkl. Seed 1(1): 42, 1(2): 47. 1995) followed Müller's lead, usually indicating equal uncertainty. Only 2000 first accepted, without explanation, as correct previously called (Govaerts al., Euphorb. 90. 2000). Since 2000, accepted this subcontinental national floras checklists, such Lebrun Stork Africa 2: 24. 2006), Sosef al. Scripta Belg. 35: 58. 2006); Figueiredo Smith Strelitzia 22: 70. 2008), Qiu Gilbert Wu China 11: 252. Pickering Darbyshire Sudan S. Sudan: 216. 2015). During same period, used taxon following checklists: Boufford Huang Taiwan, 68. 2003), Ngernsaengsaruay Chayamarit Santisuk Larsen, Thailand 8: 23. 2005), Klopper (Checkl. Sub-Saharan Africa: 274. Balakrishnan Chakrabarty (Fam. India: 2007), Sagun Blumea 55: 35. 2010), Barberá Phytotaxa 140: 3. 2013), Cardiel Montero Muñoz Syst. Evol. 304: 99. 2017); also multiple checklists smaller areas (for examples, see list Govaerts Euphorb., https://wcsp.science.kew.org). It is notable several online nomenclatural databases l.c., accessed 18 Jan 2021; Plants Online, http://powo.science.kew.org, based on these) accept brachystachya, although admittedly almost certainly reflects our note (Sagun l.c.) we proposing rejection supera. description is, opinion, diagnostic, view shared (l.c.) (l.c.), significant expertise Acalypha. focused primarily vegetative characteristics, are consistent annual species; those parts northeastern southwestern Asia where traveled indica, so makes sense these subsequent associated it. Regarding reproductive characters, wrote only “amentis axillaribus masculis, flore foemineo pedicellato, terminatis” and, above, lost bracts. Both axillary, androgynous inflorescences (bisexual proximal flowers distal male ones), neither sheds most reliable way distinguish two species. Unlike well-spaced, subentire, conspicuous bracts tightly clustered base inflorescence, deeply lobed, inconspicuous when young, possible misinterpreted them being absent. Indeed, Hornemann originally, incorrectly, described lacking Why mysterious (all herbaceous Yemen inflorescences). produce solitary, terminal, pedicellate (allomorphic sensu Radcliffe-Smith Kew 28: 525–529. 1973); however, pedicels 0.5–0.75 mm long, much less likely drawn attention than 3.5–15 long. relevant specimens known from recent exclude there (Wood Haig-Thomas, Handb. Fl.: 190. 1997; Al Khulaidi, Yemen: 99–100. reports (Schweinfurth, l.c. https://wcsp.science.kew.org, 2021) assumption synonyms. contrast, well-documented Yemen. summary, ambiguity about application cannot resolved because known; support neotypification fully agrees protologue. Accepting synonymous nomenclaturally destabilizing replaces long-accepted weedy throughout sub-Saharan subtropical tropical Asia, recently become Canary Islands (Núñez Macaronés. 167. seen occasional use last 20 years. (If treated synonym impact lacks priority, reasons explain, made interpretation since 1840s.) We therefore propose under Art. 56 (Turland Regnum Veg. 159. 2018). GAL, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1514-1570 VGS, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5348-0648 thank Barney Lipscomb, Botanical Research Institute Texas, bibliographic help libraries were closed due COVID-19 pandemic. grateful John McNeill Wiersema their editorial comments. Lynn Gillespie provided valuable comments an early version paper. This work received grant United States National Science Foundation (DEB-0128872) GAL.