Monteverdia laevis (Reissek) Biral (2017:689)

Biral, Leonardo, 2020, New synonyms in Celastraceae toward an update of the flora of Brazil, Phytotaxa 446 (4), pp. 237-244 : 240

Monteverdia laevis (Reissek) Biral (2017:689) .

≡ Maytenus laevis Reissek (1861: 27 , t. IV, f. 6).

Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: habitat ad flum. [‘Guainia v.’] Rio Negro, supra ostium flum. Cassiquiare , June 1854, Spruce 2284 (lectotype, BR [ BR0000005737055 ]!, designated here; isolectotypes, BM [ BM000778831 ]! image , E [ E000775445 ]! image , F [871648, barcode VF0053757F ]! image , G! , GH [ GH00049865 ]! image , K [ K000494623 & K000494624 ]! images , MO [1624264, barcode MO-2196878 ] !, NY [ NY00380604 , MO neg 5035]! , P [ P02274006 & P05585758 ]! images ).

= Monteverdia sapotiformis (Reissek) Biral (2017: 690) . ≡ Maytenus sapotiformis Reissek (1861: 27 , t. IV, f. 5). Type:— GUYANA. S.d., Lindley [Martin] s.n. (holotype BR [BR0000005798797]!). syn. nov.

Revisiting the Celastraceae names published by Reissek (1861) in Martius’ Flora Brasiliensis , no substantial differences could be found between types and protologues of Maytenus laevis and M. sapotiformis . They are indistinguishable morphologically, being characterized by carenated young twigs, coriaceous leaves with obscure venation on both sides, pruinose, usually blackening as they dry, and fasciculate inflorescences. Both names were described on the same page of the Celastraceae treatment in Flora Brasiliensis ( Reissek 1861, p. 27) , so there is not an older name that must have priority. However, the combination based on Maytenus laevis is preferable to be used as it is more common in literature and herbarium determinations (see article 11.5. of the Shenzen Code, Turland et al. 2018). I have seen herbarium specimens of Monteverdia laevis from Colombia (Vaupés, but also cited for Guainía by Kearns 1998), Venezuela (Amazonas and Bolívar) and Brazil (Amazonas).

In the protologue, Reissek (1861) cited the type of M. sapotiformis as deposited in the Herbarium Martii (“hb. Mart.”), currently housed at BR ( Förther 1994). During a visit to BR, I located a unique specimen of M. sapotiformis in its Celastraceae collection; the specimen is annotated with Reissek’s determination and his signature indicating that it is clearly the holotype (following McNeill 2014). The specimen BR0000005737055 is selected here as lectotype for M. laevis because it is the unique mentioned specimen that brings a label signed by Reissek (Recommendation 9a.3 from the Shenzen Code, Turland et al. 2018).