Re: ISO

Paul Temple (temple_p@bst.dec.com)
Tue, 09 Aug 94 16:45:41 +0100

+---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple
| | | | | | | | Dept: Digital
| d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms
| | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582
+---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p
Internet: temple_p@bst.dec.com
Loc/MS: UCG

Jan

>One does not need to be specifically clever nor to anticipate anything to
>do this! It was done as long ago as 1966, when CASPER clarified the "enfant
>terrible" _Pinguicula_sect.Orcheosanthus_. He was the one who grouped all
>"forms" into a single species _P.moranensis_.

As usual your input is invaluable.

I've got Casper's monograph but my German is too poor to understand it all.

However, a question arises.

>Since then (1966), some people have again split the species _P.moranensis_
>into several rather ill-defined microspecies of unknown (as I fear very
>limited) taxonomic value. As far as I can judge, _P.moranensis_ is probably
>the most widespread species in Mexico, and it has a very wide range of
>variation. This complex species is in need of a thorough revision; it can
>not and will never be "resolved" if only a bunch of +/- new names (without
>discussion of chorology, variability, ecology, and affinity) are proposed,
>some of which only describing clones or cultivated plants of insufficiently
>known origin (resulting in "individual" nomenclature, not increased
>knowledge).

As you may recall, I'm part of a UK (now World Wide) scheme to build
National Collections of specific genera; I hold the Pinguicula
Collection. I'm happy to name all P. moranensis "forms/sub-species"
under the moranensis name but it seems that data is then lost. The
plants arrive with an associated "form/sub-species" name. So what is
the recommended or scientific (or best non-scientific) way to retain
the "form" when labelling the plant - or does one just drop the
form/sub-species and not care?

Regards

Paul