Phragmites in Crete, Cenchrus frutescens, and the Nomenclature of the Common Reed (Gramineae)

• Published in: Taxon 1996-08, Vol.45 (3), p.521-523
• Main Authors: Greuter, Werner, Scholz, Hildemar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bears; Ditches; Inflorescences; Leaves; New species; Nomenclature; Plant names; Plants; Stems; Taxa; Terminology
• ISSN: 0040-0262; 1996-8175
• DOI: 10.2307/1224146

Phragmites is represented by two taxa on the S. Aegean island of Crete (Greece), one of which corresponds to the cosmopolitan common reed, P. australis. The other deviates in several features and is here described and named as a new species, P. frutescens H. Scholz; it has been studied in the wild and was found to have a peculiar, frutescent, branched habit, to produce inflorescences only occasionally, and never fertile flowers; reproduction appears to take place only vegetatively, by stolons and by leafy propagules replacing the flowers. The Cretan reed has been taxonomically equated by some authors with a doubtful Linnean species, Cenchrus frutescens, and the latter name has been recently proposed for rejection so as to prevent displacement of P. australis by the older supposed synonym. Although one of the original elements of C. frutescens arguably belongs to P. frutescens, it is an old illustration that cannot be interpreted with ultimate certainty; furthermore it is in major conflict with the remainder of the protologue. Choice of the epithet frutescens for the new species eliminates future uncertainty and makes the proposal to reject C. frutescens unnecessary. Those who (like one of the authors) are unconvinced of the specific distinctness of the Cretan reed are free to treat it at an appropriate infraspecific level under P. australis.