(3033) Proposal to conserve the name Stellaria graminea (Caryophyllaceae) with a conserved type

(3033) Stellaria graminea L., Sp. Pl.: 422. 1 Mai 1753 Angiosp.: Caryophyll., nom. cons. prop. Typus: Herb. Burser XI: 111 (UPS No. V-174074), typ. cons. prop. Stellaria graminea L. (Caryophyllaceae) is a perennial and predominantly autogamous herb that often spreads clonally and occupies open, native or man-made habitats from sea level to mountainous zones in Eurasia. It also non-indigenously occurs in North America and New Zealand (e.g., Horne in New. Phytol. 8: 42–73. 1914; Chater Kurtto in Jonsell, Fl. Nordica 2: 83–84. 2001; Morton in FNA Ed. Comm., Fl. N. Amer. N. Mexico 5: 96–114. 2005). This plant represents a diploid-tetraploid species complex (2n = 2x = 26 and 2n = 4x = 52), the triploid cytotype (2n = 3x = 39) has also been reported (Gadella in Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch. C 80: 161–170. 1977; Harmaja in Ann. Bot. Fenn. 29: 325–327. 1992; Goldblatt Rice Miller Ashman Glick Fl. Suec.: no. 372 p. 135. 1745, and Hort. Cliff.: 172. 1738) and Van Royen (Fl. Leyd. Prodr.: 449. 1740); (2) "Caryophyllus arvensis glaber, flore minore" cited from Bauhin (Pinax: 210. 1623); (3) "Gramen floridum minus" cited from Tabernaemontanus (Eic. Pl. Stirp.: 232. 1590); (4) "Alsine, folio gramineo angustiore, palustris" cited from Dillenius (Cat. Pl. Circa Gissam App.: 69. 1719) and marked with the symbol "β"; and (5) "Cariophyllus holosteus alpinus angustifolius" cited from Bauhin (Prodr.: 104 n. 6. 1620; Pinax: 210. 1623) marked with the symbol "γ" and the annotation "Burs. XI: 2". The symbols "β" and "γ" indicate that the protologue includes two unnamed varieties, β and γ. Finally, the provenance is reported in the protologue as "Habitat in siccis juniperetis sepibus tectis Europae." Jonsell in Symb. Bot. Upsal. 2(1). 1936; Jonsell l.c. 1623: 210) is identifiable with an actual specimen from Joachim Burser's Hortus Siccus XI: 116, currently preserved at UPS-BURSER. Perhaps, Linnaeus's "mistake" is due to the fact that the sheet XI: 116 is annotated "II" at the top of the label. Therefore, the "lectotypification" of Jonsell l.c. 1936) identified the specimen Herb. Burser XI: 116 as belonging to Arenaria purpurascens Ramond ex DC. (Fl. Franç., ed. 3, 4: 785. 1805) from the Pyrenees. My identification of this material agrees with Juel's identification (e.g., diffuse stems, ascending, glabrous with distinct scale-leaves towards base; puberulent with deflexed hairs, branched and leafy in upper part; leaves 5–10 mm, elliptic-lanceolate or lanceolate, acute, strongly 1-veined, glabrous, ciliate at base; flowers 2–4 in rather dense clusters; pedicels equalling sepals, pubescent, erect in fruit; sepals 4.5–6.5 mm, lanceolate, acute, 3- to 5-veined, glabrous; petals 1.5–2 times as long as sepals, oblong). Therefore, to apply Art. 9.12 would be nomenclaturally disruptive, and a lectotypification of the name Stellaria graminea using the Burser specimen XI: 116 would be undesirable in terms of nomenclatural stability. Accordingly, to support the continued and well-established use of the name S. graminea, I propose to conserve the name with a conserved type under Art. 14.9. I here propose the well-preserved and complete specimen at UPS-BURSER, Herb. Burser XI: 111 (UPS No. V-174074), as the conserved type of Stellaria graminea. This specimen is made up of two plants, with leaves, flowers, and fruits, and is accompanied by a label, annotated as "Caryophyllus arvensis glaber | flore minore Bauh. | Gramen floridum minus Tab. | In Britania, Lusitania, Bohemia", two polynomials cited by Linnaeus in the protologue, from Bauhin (l.c. 1623: 210) and Tabernaemontanus (l.c. 1590: 232), respectively. The specimen shows diagnostic characters of this species (e.g., ascending stems, weak, diffuse, much-branched, quadrangular, smooth; leaves up to 5 cm, linear to elliptic-lanceolate, acute, smooth; inflorescence lax, bracts scarious, ciliate; sepals 3–7 mm, ciliate, pubescent beneath but only near base, glabrous in upper half), and clearly represents the current application of the name (e.g., Horne, l.c.; Chater Romo in Castroviejo Kurtto, l.c.; Morton, l.c.). Rejection of the present proposal would have a very undesirable consequence because the universally used name Stellaria graminea could not continue to be used for the Eurasian species described above, since with the only possible lectotypification the name would become an earlier heterotypic synonym of Arenaria purpurascens. Because the heterotypic A. graminea C.A. Mey. (Verz. Pfl. Casp. Meer.: 220. 1831) already exists in Arenaria, there is no risk of displacing the use of A. purpurascens for the species involved, as long as it is retained in that genus. On the other hand, the species currently known as Stellaria graminea would require a new name, and the earliest available name may be difficult to determine for such a wide-ranging species, although Marhold (Euro+Med Plantbase http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameCache=Stellaria graminea&PTRefFk=7200000, accessed 24 Mar 2024) lists two doubtful synonyms: S. fragilis Klokov (in Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Nizsh. Rast. 1974: 19. 1974) and S. hippoctona (Czern.) Klokov (l.c.: 15, based on S. graminea var. hippoctona Czern.) that would have to be considered. Both S. graminea and A. purpurascens have been in widespread and continuous usage since they were published in 1753 and 1805, respectively. Thanks to Mats Hjertson (UPS) for help in the study of the UPS herbarium sheets. Thanks also to John Wiersema and John McNeill for their advice, assistance, and valuable comments that improved this proposal.