On the Type of Pseudosporochnus (Fossil Cladoxylopsida)

• Published in: Novon (Saint Louis, Mo.) Mo.), 2012-11, Vol.22 (2), p.240-243
• Main Authors: Qi, Wang, Jin-Zhuang, Xue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Berries; Chondrites; Cladoxylopsida; Epithets; Evolution; Fossils; Lectotypes; Middle Devonian; National museums; Plant names; Plants; Pseudosporochnus; RESEARCH ARTICLE; Trees
• ISSN: 1055-3177; 1945-6174
• DOI: 10.3417/2011006

Pseudosporochnus Potonié & Bernard (1904; fossil Cladoxylopsida) has been viewed as one of the iconic vascular plants in the Middle Devonian, but the type of the generic name remains problematic. Although P. verticillatus (Krejčí) Obrhel has been previously regarded as the type of the generic name, its so-called basionym Chondrites verticillatus Krejčí was not validly published and thereby has no nomenclatural status. Thus, the specific epithet verticillatus has no priority over krejcii, which Potonié and Bernard first used (1904) for the species of Pseudosporochnus, and the combination P. verticillatus was not validly published. The name P. verticillatus that Obrhel intended to combine in 1961 is rather a new species name and should be cited as P. verticillatus Krejčí ex Obrhel. However, P. verticillatus, when published (Obrhel, 1961), was an illegitimate superfluous name for P. krejcii (Stur) Potonié & Bernard. Both names attach to a lectotype designated by Obrhel (i.e., D-364, National Museum at Prague) and were originally used under the name Sporochnus krejcii Stur. Pseudosporochnus krejcii (Stur) Potonié & Bernard should be the type of Pseudosporochnus Potonié & Bernard.