Muscari heldreichii Boissier 1859
Creators: name: Böhnert, Tim
name: Lobin, Wolfram
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Asparagales
Asparagaceae
Muscari
Muscari heldreichii

description: Muscari heldreichii Boissier (1859: 109) (Fig. 1)
≡ Botryanthus heldreichii (Boissier) Jordan & Fourreau (1870: 24).
[Muscari hymenophorum Heldreich ex Boissier (1859: 109), nom. inval. pro syn.].
Lectotype (designated here): —[GREECE]. In m. Parnassi reg. infer. Inter lapides mobiles nuper nive obductos supra Rachova alt. 3000’, 22 April 1857, J. Guicciardi s.n., De Heldreich Herbarium Graecum Normale 662 (G00753524 photo! Fig. 1; isolectotypes: B 10 1158044!, MPU014552 photo!, MPU014553 photo!, JE00020018 photo!, S-G-7334 photo!, WU0079234 photo!).
Protologue citation: —“Hab. in regione inferiori montis Parnassi inter lapides mobiles nive nuper obductos suprà Rachova alt. 3000’ fine Aprilis 1857. cl. Guicciardi.—Descr. e specim. vivis e bulbis Parnassicis vere 1858 enatis”.
Additional specimens examined: — GREECE. Arcadia [Achaia], [Kalavryta], in regio superiori mt. Chelmos (Aroania vet.) supra pagum Sudena, alt 2000–2200 m, 20 July 1893, de Halácsy s.n (B 10 1201991!); [Kreta], [Rethymnon], M. Ida: im Felsgerölle der Gipfelregion, 29 May 1904, Dörfler 951 (B 10 9008653!); Prov. Peloponnisos, Nom. Achaia: Chelmos (Aroania), Nordhänge in der Nähe des Kataphygion des Alpin-Klubs Kalavrita. Felsschutt Schrofen, Kalk, 2100–2200 m, 18 June 1986, M. Erben s.n. (B 10 1016481!); m. Chelmos: in regione alpine, nives, 7000’, 29 July 1848, n.a. (G00753534 photo!).
Notes: — This small alpine species is probably among the least known members of the genus Muscari. It shares some morphological similarities with Muscari botryoides in which it was synonymized by some authors, but is smaller with generally fewer flowers and those are of a brighter colour with faint white stripes. Additionally, the species is found only in alpine habitats above 2000 m of elevation in the mountains of central Greece, the Peloponnese mountains as well as on Crete. Muscari botryoides is usually absent in elevation above 2000 m and is further barely documented from Peloponnese and missing on Crete. The original description was made by E. Boissier (1859) in his Flora Orientalis based on a gathering made by J. Guicciardi near mount Parnassus in present Kentriki Ellada province. The respective gathering was distributed under exsiccate nr. 662 of the Herbarium Graecum Normale of T. Heldreich. Seven specimens of this gathering are located in different herbaria, namely Berlin (B), the Boissier herbarium held in Geneva (G-BOIS), Jena (JE), Montpellier (MPU), Stockholm (S) and Vienna (WU). Among those seven specimens, the one in Stockholm is by far the most complete one incl. multiple well-preserved plants, however, the specimen held in Geneva (G-BOIS) must be regarded as the lectotype since it is presumably the one that was used to make the description, hence it is here selected as lectotype and the others as isolectotypes. Some confusion may arise from the fact that the specimens referring either to the name M. heldreichii or to M. hymenophorum. Obviously, T. Heldreich regarded his gathering 662 as a new species and designated on his herbarium labels a new name, but Boissier did not follow and named the new taxon in honour of T. Heldreich.
description: Published as part of Böhnert, Tim & Lobin, Wolfram, 2023, Lectotypification of Muscari heldreichii (Asparagaceae) from Greece, pp. 130-132 in Phytotaxa 584 (2) on page 130, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.584.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/7639390