Veronica violifolia (“ violaefolia ”) Hochst.ex Benth.

Albach, Dirk C., 2025, From just a few to the most type-rich herbarium for Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) - The effect of digitization of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle herbarium in Paris, Adansonia (3) 47 (7), pp. 47-130 : 81

Veronica violifolia (“ violaefolia ”) Hochst.ex Benth.

Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis 10: 488 ( Bentham 1846).

TYPE CITATION. — Ethiopia, Amhara: “ in fissuris rupium montis Bachit [= Bwahit] Abyssiniae (Schimper! N. 984)”.

LECTOTYPE (designated here). — “Schimperi Iter Abyssinicum. Sectio secunda. 984. Veronica violifolia Hochst. In regione superiori montis Bachit fissuras rupium glarea. U. i. 1842 repletas incolens d. 25. Jun. 1838 ”, G[ G00673730* ].

ISOLECTOTYPES (designated here). — BR[ BR0000006287535!* , BR0000008249517 !*], HAL[ HAL0101777 !], K[ K000405239!* , K000405240!* , K000405241!* ], L[ L.2809146* , L.2809147* ], M[ M0106089!* ], MPU[ MPU007080 !*], P[ P00208347* , P03558622* ], TUB!, W[ W0209275!* , W0209276!* ].

Nomenclatural note. Only a few days earlier near the same place, Schimper collected the type specimen of V. violifolia , a little-known annual species, which may be related to Veronica subsect. Agrestes based on its prostrate habit, leaf-like, ovate bracts with crenate margin. This was again distributed by Hochstetter with the new name but without description. Bentham (1846) mentions again specimens in herbaria Hooker (K) and DC. (G). The specimen in the herbarium of Bentham is crumbled, one other specimen is from herbarium J. Gay and may not have been seen by Bentham. The specimen in the herbarium Hooker is not well spread and leaves difficult to see. Therefore, the specimen in G is chosen as lectotype. There is also a specimen in KW (herbarium Turczaninow) with the label of Schimper, but this shows only an inflorescence belonging to a different species.