Premium
NOMENCLATURAL AND HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE GENUS GALAX
Author(s) -
Brummitt R. K.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.2307/1218202
Subject(s) - correct name , genus , nomenclature , type (biology) , biology , botany , type species , taxonomy (biology) , ecology
Summary The original Galax aphylla of Linnaeus included two quite distinct plants, one of which is usually referred to Diapensiaceae and the other to Hydrophyllaceae, and the latter must be taken as the type of the name. The generic name is now conserved in the former sense, but it is proposed that it should be cited as Galax Sims and not as Galax Rafinesque, or else that Solenandria Ventenat should be added to the list of rejected names. The correct name for the species commonly known as G. aphylla L. is shown to be G. urceolata (Poir.) Brummitt, comb. nov., and notes are given on the early discovery of the species and its introduction into cultivation in Europe. The family name Galacaceae D. Don, which has been considered illegitimate, is found to be legitimate and available for use if Galax is separated from Diapensiaceae. The original Galax aphylla L. is transferred to Nemophila (Hydrophyllaceae) as N. aphylla (L.) Brummitt, comb. nov., the correct name for the plant long known as N. microcalyx (Nutt.) Fisch. & Mey.