New combination in Crataegus rhipidophylla Gand. (Rosaceae)

Abstract

Bosnian-Herzegovinian botanist Karl Maly has on his field researches, beginning with 1901, encountered hawthorn-specimens which have belonged taxonomicaly to the species known nowadays as Crataegus rhipidophylla Gandoger (1872). During the following decades he has collected about ten original specimens and much more those of hybrid origin. The original specimens are belonged, according to current knowledge, to different varieties as well as the hybrid-ones to various hybrid groups. All that material was deposited among collections of the Herbarium of Land's Museum B&H (Herbar Zemaljskog muzeja BiH (SARA).

Maly has considered taxonomicaly those specimens in context of the species C. monogyna Jacq., just as it was doing by the other european authors of that time. After one unsuccessful attempt he described in the other occasion (Maly, 1940) some of them as new variety: C. monogyna Jacq. var. ronnigeri K. Maly. The present analysis of the holotype has been confirmed that it was morphologicaly almost identical to the current atypical variety C. rhipidophylla Gand. var. lindmanii (Hrabetova-Uhrova) K. I. Christensen. There have been only some unessential differences between them, e. g. regular presence of small protuberances at the basis of the fruits in our specimen, normal and not bright-green colour of its leaves, different colour of their upper and under side etc. The colour of ripe fruits has left unknown because such fruits have not been collected. It was confirmed also that none of the other Maly's specimens, without consideration to his protologue, has belonged to this variety (as well as those of any later collectors).

Maly's variety was published validly and much earlier than C. lindmanii Hrabetova- Uhrova, which serv ed also at one time for making of a new combination. So, in the absence of other obstacles which would disable that, it could be made new combination and introduce it into taxonomy of C. rhipidophylla Gand., according to the principle of priority of the Codex. The actual variety, C. r. var. lindmanii, would be displaced to the status of a form of the new variety. However, if it would be found by further examinations that the differences between them were of greater significance, both of them could be left as two separate atypical varieties of the species.

The holotype was deposited in special Collection of the nomenclatural types and registered in the Book of nomenclatural types of the Herbarium of Land's Museum B&H, under nr. 260.