Sonerila squarrosa Wall.

Sonerila squarrosa Wall. View in CoL in Roxb., Fl. Ind. 1: 182. 1820. Lectotype (designated here): INDIA, Assam, s.loc., s.d., Wallich s.n. ( K000867680 A, digital image!) Fig. 4 View Fig

Nomenclatural notes: In the protologue of S. squarrosa (in Roxburgh 1820: 182) a note says “Growing among ferns on the Khassee mountains…….”. It was further mentioned “I received this pretty little plant from my indefatigable and zealous assistant, Mr. Smith at Silhet in 1817”. The materials of Smith are, however, not available in any herbaria. In Wallich catalogue (1828–1849) it is cited “4093 Sonerila squarrosa Wall., Mount Sillet FD ”[Mount Sylhet, F. De Silva]. The main set of Wallich’s collections (including types) is known to be at K and K-W ( Stafleu & Cowan, 1988). We have traced three relevant Wallichian collections at K. The sheet K001038119 carries six specimens and three labels, two are matching with the Wallich handwriting (“4093 Sonerila squarrosa Wall., Mount Sillet FD ” and “ Sonerila squarrosa Wall, E montibus Pundua”?) and the other one is uncertain (“Cherapunjee, September 1829 ”). Eleven plants from two locations were mounted on the other sheet and assigned two barcodes K000867680 and K000867740. The specimens are numbered A to K for the purpose of lectotypification. ‘A’ belongs to K000867740 bearing the label “ Sonerila squarrosa Wall. , Assam ” and B to K belong to K000867680 bearing the annotation “EIC [East India Company]”, and the Wallich’s label “4093 Sonerila squarrosa Wall, Mount Sillet FD ”. The sheet K000867680 (A) is chosen here as the lectotype as it agrees with the protologue.