Veronica grandis Fisch.ex Spreng.

Veronica grandis Fisch.ex Spreng. View in CoL

Neue Entdeckungen im ganzen Umfang der Pflanzenkunde 2: 122 ( Sprengel 1821).

TYPE CITATION. — Russia: “Habitat in Sibiria”.

POSSIBLE ORIGINAL MATERIAL. — P[ P03529395* , P03529400* , P03529406* ].

Nomenclatural note. Veronica grandis Fisch. ex Spreng. is relevant here, since no specimen of V. grandis of Fischer has been found in LE (Kosachev, pers. Comm.). Furthermore, the origin and history of V. grandis is complex. The taxonomic history of the taxon was summarized by Knapp (1877a). The name was published by Sprengel (1821) with reference to Fischer and habitat in Siberia. Roemer and Schultes (1822) provide the same information with slightly different description. The herbarium of Sprengel is widely dispersed and partly destroyed ( Stafleu & Cowan 1985). No material of V. grandis from the herbarium Sprengel has been found. Bentham (1846) claimed to have seen original specimens by Fischer and specimens of Turczaninow in Kew and Geneva, although it is not clear which refers to specimens by Fischer and which by Turczaninow. Three specimens are found in Paris signed by Fischer, two from the general herbarium without date stated to come from “Dahuria”, and the third from herbarium Richard from “Daouria” from 1821 but in a different handwriting. All clearly belong to Veronica daurica . Since there are also other specimens of Fischer known in other herbaria, which have been collected later (e.g., G00673115, BR 000035777397), none of these specimens in Paris can be considered original material and it is also not clear whether Fischer signed these herbaria personally. Nevertheless, material in Paris would serve well as neotypes if no other material becomes available.