Re: N. rajah
Jan Schlauer (zxmsl01@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de)
Mon, 25 Oct 93 15:57:53 +0100
Michael (the finnish one),
An isotype is an element (in our case a herbarium specimen) which belongs
to the same taxon as typified by the corresponding holotype. In the strict
sense, an isotype can only be a fragment of the very individual of which
the holotype is a fragment, too. At least it should be the same clone.
But sometimes also plants growing near the holotype were selected as iso-
types. As sometimes several species of the same genus grow together, this
is somewhat dangerous.
A paratype is any element not belonging to the holotype and its isotypes,
but which is considered to belong to the same taxon by the author designating
the holotype. Paratypes need not to be collected at the locus classicus.
If no original material is available in any herbarium (because e.g. the holo-
type and all iso- and paratypes were destroyed at the Berlin herbarium in
WW2), maybe a photo of the original material does exist (e.g. at Munich). In
this case, this phototype can replace the holotype.
In any case, if anything of the original material does exist somewhere, one of
these elements has to be chosen as a lectotype (which has to be as close to
the holotype as possible).
Only if everything is lost, a new element representing the taxon may be selec-
ted as a neotype.
In former times, some authors (e.g. Danser) typified their taxa by several in-
dependent elements (so-called syntypes). Such is not in accordance with the
ICBN, and consequently one of the syntypes has to be selected as the lectotype.
There is still a lot of work to be done with _Nepenthes_ in this respect.
Prototypes do not have a significance in taxonomic typification (as far as I
know...).
Kind regards
Jan