Spanish help for Drosera Taxonomy: D.communis

Jan Schlauer (Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de)
Thu, 31 Aug 1995 14:55:57 +0100

Dear Fernando,

>In Jan's CP
>nomenclatural synopsis, he lists the following as synonyms for this
>taxon:
>
> D.communis var.alba
> D.communis var.breviscapa
> D.communis var.cubensis
> D.communis var.pauciflora

>(...) The 2nd Jan puts as a synonym of D.capillaris and the
>3rd simply as D.communis (meaning then that this species actually reaches
>Cuba Jan?).

A good point. I think I should check this a little more. I do not know of
any recent reliable record of _D.communis_ from as far N as Cuba
(_D.capillaris_ does occur there!). The first species does reach Colombia,
however. As things look like from here, the original literature is not
available in Germany, so I could need some help:

Does anyone (perhaps one of our colleagues in ESPANA) have access to:

GOMEZ, Anales de historia natural, Madrid, vol. 19 (1890), p.: 223 (and
accompanying text, perhaps separate illustrations!) and pp.:263/264
(_Utricularia_, Lentibulariaceae).

I would very much appreciate (and of course reimburse any expenses) copies
of this. Thank you very much in advance.

>For D.communis St.Hil. it reads:
>
> "...foliis rosulatis saepius erecto-patulis lineari-v.
>oblongo-spathularis obtusis, basi in petiolum longiusculum attenuatis,
>supra margineque glanduloso-ciliatis, subtus petioloque glabris v. sparse
>puberulis..."

"...with rosulate leaves (more) frequently erect-patent, which are linear-
or (v.=vel) oblong-spathulate, obtuse, attenuated into a longish petiole at
the base, glandular-ciliate (he means the tentacles!) above (=on the
adaxial surface) and at the margin, glabrous or sparsely puberulent beneath
(=on the abaxial surface) and on the petiole..."

> While for D.communis St.Hil. var.pauciflora Eichl. it reads:
>
> "...humilior; foliis brevius petiolatis obovato-spathulatis,
>subtus petioloque glabriusculis; scapo saepius 1- nunc 2-3 floro."

"...lower (than foregoing); with more shortly petiolate, obovate-spathulate
leaves, (rather) glabrous beneath and on the petiole; with (more)
frequently 1- (nunc=here: now and then) sometimes 2-3 -flowered scapes..."

> Both descriptions could be applied to both of my forms, except for
>the part about the petiole hairyness, which would indicate that the 1st
>represents the "common form" and the 2nd represents my D.communis "g.g.".

Obviously, the 2nd was thought to represent a smaller form, which would not
fit well to your "giant" designation. I can not really find a striking
difference between "glabris v. sparse puberulis" and "glabriusculis".

> As to leaf shape (...)

"Lineari-spathularis" is in this species (at most) like _D.intermedia_
while "oblongo-spathularis" approaches _D.rotundifolia_.

>D.communis St.Hil. is at Paris while I believe D.communis St.Hil.
>var.pauciflora Eichl. is at Munich (right Jan?).

Yes, I do believe so. But the authorities at M have not yet (since
December, 1994) managed to dig out their _Drosera_ collections, so I fear
it is rather difficult to check these.

Kind regards
Jan

PS: TNX 4 all the congratulations.