Triplaris caracasana Cham. (1833: 137–138) var. caracasana

Koenemann, Daniel Mark & Burke, Janelle M., 2025, A nomenclatural synopsis of the genus Triplaris (Polygonaceae), Phytotaxa 700 (2), pp. 115-146 : 121

Triplaris caracasana Cham. (1833: 137–138) var. caracasana

Type (designated here):—[ VENEZUELA. Caracas]. (fr), Bredemeyer 737 (neotype: P [ P 5009256 , digital image!] = [ F 40136 (photonegative)]; isoneotypes: B †, F [ F 4970 (photonegative), digital image!], NY [ NY 324251 , digital image!].

– Triplaris caracasana var. genuina Meisn. (1856: 172) , nom. inval. (Art. 24.3 of ICBN).

Notes:— The protologue reports “ T. americana Willd. Sp. pl. 4 p. S 12 (descriptio Bredemeriana) Herb. no. 18465 (Specimina promiscue Bredemeyeriana et Humboldtiana). HBK. 2. p. 145.”. Willdenow (1805: 812–813) reported Bredemeyer’s description, and used his own specimen, but indicated that additional material could be found in the Bredemeyer and Humboldt collections. Further, Meisner (1856) indicated that the specimen serial number 18465 in Willdenow’s herbarium at B corresponds to the collection Bredemeyer 737.

We were unable to locate any specimens of Willdenow 18465, the original material cited in the protologue. The related material from Bredemeyer’s herbarium (Bredemeyer 737) is not at B and it is possible it was destroyed during the second world war. Neither did we find Bredemeyer 737 at W, another herbarium where Bredemeyer’s collection is preserved. There is a photonegative of the type specimen of Triplaris caracasana at F ( F 4970) that is catalogued as " H. A. von Humboldt & A. J. A. Bonpland s.n." from Venezuela. The specimen contains very little identifying information such that it can be confirmed as a Humboldt collection linked with Bredemeyer 737.

We were able to locate a fragmentary collection of Bredemeyer 737 at NY ( NY 324251). This specimen consists only of fruits and bears a detailed label that reports the locality “Casiquiare Caracas”.

At P (where Bonpland’ collaction is preserved) there is a specimen ( P 5009256), bearing the original label with the locality “ Caracas ”, but without the date of collection.

All things considered, lacking original material, a neotypification is required (Art. 9.6 of ICBN) and we here designate the P specimen as neotype, being more complete than the NY specimen.

Spellings of Triplaris caracasana and its subordinate varieties vary. Sometimes the specific epithet is spelled as “caracassana”.Given that the epithet is clearly a reference to the city of Caracas (not “Caracass”), the form “caracassana” should be considered a correctable orthographical error (Art. 60.1 of ICBN). As such, we have consistently given the spelling as Triplaris caracasana .