Triplaris scandens (Vell.) Cocucci (1957: 361)

Koenemann, Daniel Mark & Burke, Janelle M., 2025, A nomenclatural synopsis of the genus Triplaris (Polygonaceae), Phytotaxa 700 (2), pp. 115-146 : 134-135

Triplaris scandens (Vell.) Cocucci (1957: 361) ≡ Magonia scandens Vell. (1825: 165)

Type (of Magonia scandens , designated here):—Biblioteca Nacional do Brazil (lectotype: MSS 1198656).

= Ruprechtia laurifolia (Cham. & Schltdl.) C.A.Mey. (1840: 150)

Notes:— Pendry (2004) designated as lectotype the plate associated with the basionym, Magonia scandens , provided in Florae Fluminensis (1825) and Florae Fluminensis Icones (1827, vol. 4, pl. 60). The drawing in Florae Fluminensis Icons is not original material, so Pendry’s (2004) designation is incorrect. These Vellozo (1825, 1827) publications are posthumous and there is no evidence that Vellozo had any role in preparing the plates in the Icones. The original drawings that were used to make the plates, and which are considered original material (Art. 9.4 of ICBN), are in the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil [ MSS 1198656]. We here designate these drawing of M. scandens as the lectotype.

Triplaris scandens is part of a currently unresolved species complex (See discussion in T. laurifolia above). Resolution of this complex would be greatly aided by plant material. Unfortunately, Vellozo’s personal collections have been lost ( Stafleu et al. 1986). Interestingly, Vellozo’s description indicates that the material he possessed had perfect flowers, contrary to what has been reported for either Triplaris ( Brandbyge 1986) or Ruprechtia ( Pendry 2004) .

Florae Fluminensis (1825) only treats Brazilian plants, mostly in the region of Rio de Janeiro. Vellozo gives the type locality as “Habitat silvis Reg. Praedii S. Crucis” (lives in the woods around Holy Cross Estate/Farm). Cocucci (1957) listed a number of Brazilian specimens in his protologue describing T. scandens (F: Schott 4562, Ducke 8539, Ginzberger 915 and 916, Krukoff 5791; NY: Krukoff 5791, Ducke 738, Wedell 479, Riedel s.n.; US: Ducke 738, Ducke 19542, Baldwin 2751) but ultimately defaulted to the Vellozo plate as the best example of these plants.

There is an additional nomenclatural problem here in that the genus Magonia Vell. (1825) appears to be duplicated. There is also a genus Magonia A. Saint-Hilaire (1824) in the Sapindaceae and there are specimens of M. scandens in Brazilian herbaria (ex. HUEFS059273) that are obviously members of the Sapindaceae . In short, Magonia Vell. is a later homonym of Magonia A.Saint-Hilaire