Cactaceae Type Specimens at BA. Argentinian Natural Sciences Museum Herbarium, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Rev. Mus. Argentino Cienc. Nat., n.s. 16(2): 000-000, 2014 ISSN 1514-5158 (impresa) ISSN 1853-0400 (en línea) Cactaceae type specimens at BA. Argentinian Natural Sciences Museum Herbarium, Buenos Aires, Argentina Valentin D. FADEL, Eugenia C. ALVARENGA & Mirta O. ARRIAGA BA Herbarium, Vascular Plants’ National Colletion, Argentinian Natural Sciences Museum “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The Herbarium from Argentinian Natural Sciences Museum “Bernardino Rivadavia” (BA Herbarium) was the first official herbarium in this country. It was initiated in 1853 and holds about 150.000 herbarium specimens at present, most of them collected all over Argentina, but also obtained by exchange with other na- tional and international botanical institutions. About 100.000 correspond to vascular plants, and 800 represent nomenclatural type specimens. Cactaceae type material deposited at BA is presented. This article includes a list of the 60 type specimens alphabetically arranged; scientific names with taxon authors, original publication data and type category are transcribed from the original labels. Current accepted scientific names are also included. Under observations, ecological information or additional comments written by the author of the description are given. Under notes some consideration of our own, most regarding to the current synonymy, are given. These type specimens are kept in special metal cabinets, separated from the rest of the herbarium material and docu- mented with a copy of the original diagnosis or publication. As part of the Digitalization of Biological Collections Project carried out by the museum, the complete information of each specimen was digitalized and is available online through the web site of the Sistema Nacional de Datos Biológicos (SNDB) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Key words: Type specimens, Cactaceae, Herbarium BA, Argentina. Resumen: Ejemplares tipo de Cactaceae depositado en BA. Herbario del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires, Argentina. El Herbario del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” (Herbario BA) fue el primer herbario oficial de este país. Iniciado en el año 1853, alberga actualmente unos 150.000 especímenes de herbario, la mayoría de ellos colectados a lo largo y ancho de Argentina pero también obtenidos por intercambio con otras instituciones botánicas tanto na- cionales como internacionales. De todos ellos, aproximadamente 100.000 corresponden a especímenes de plantas vasculares y 800 representan especímenes tipo. Continuando con la publicación de los datos de los ejemplares tipo depositados en BA, se presenta un catálogo del material tipo de Cactaceae. El presente artículo incluye un listado de los 60 especímenes tipo alfabéticamente ordenados; se transcribe para cada uno de ellos el nombre científico y autor del taxón, así como la información original de etiqueta. En las observaciones se incluye la información ecológica o comentarios adicionales redactadas por el autor de la descripción. En cuanto a las notas provistas por los autores de este trabajo, se incluyen algunas consideraciones acerca de la sinonimia actual. Los ejemplares tipo son guardados en gabinetes metálicos especiales, separados de resto de material del herbario y documentados con una copia de la diagnosis original o su publicación. Como parte del Proyecto de Digitalización de las Colecciones Biológicas llevado a cabo por el museo, la información completa de cada especimen fue digitalizada y se encuen- tra disponible a través del portal del Sistema Nacional de Datos Biológicos (SNDB) y la Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Palabras clave: Especímenes tipo, Cactaceae, Herbario BA, Argentina. _____________ INTRODUCTION Sciences Museum “Bernardino Rivadavia”, BA Herbarium (Holmgren et al., 1990), was initially The relief of natural history collections established in 1853 as the Botanical National (NHCs) has been largely recognized for its re- Collection of the former Museo Nacional de search and social importance (Lister et al., 2011; Historia Natural, representing the first official Mares, 2009; Suarez & Tsutsui, 2004, Patterson, herbarium of Argentina. Nowadays it preserves 2002). The Herbarium of the Argentinian Natural more than 150.000 herbarium specimens, mostly 2 Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, n. s. 16(2), 2014 representing the main flora of the Argentinian province, Argentina, on December 11th, 1896. Son phytogeographical provinces and covering all the of the military Tte. Coronel Julián Castellanos vegetated areas of the country, but also collected and Isolina Cámara, he was soon encouraged abroad and obtained by exchange with many na- by his mother to study at the Cordoba National tional and international botanical institutions. University, where he met a still young botanist Of all specimen, about 101.500 belong to Vascular Federico Kurtz. The latter would have been Plants, 50.000 to Cellular Plants and 800 repre- responsible for initiating Castellanos into the sent nomenclatural published type specimens. study of plants and introducing him into the Lucien Leon Hauman-Merck (1880-1965) experience of collection campaigns (Descole, and Carlos Luis Spegazzini (1858-1926) were 1969). Kurtz also encouraged Castellanos to con- two of its first botanists researchers, devoted tinue his studies on Natural Sciences in Buenos to Argentinian Flora, describing and naming a Aires, by contacting him with Dr. C. Hicken, at great number of genera and species. Hauman is that time professor at the Exacts and Natural author of one of the first and most extensive local Sciences Faculty from Buenos Aires University. catalogues (Hauman, 1917), and collected a num- Castellanos finally obtained his postgradu- ber of antique specimen deposited at BA not only ate degree in 1923 after prolific researches in from Argentina but also from France. Spegazzini Cactaceae and Bromeliaceae botanical families. was undoubtedly an enthusiastic plant devoted, His doctoral thesis appeared two years later, considering the large number of publications, constituting his first publication on Cactaceae extensive works on regional floras and several (Castellanos, 1925). He worked with almost ev- opuscules, many of them dedicated exclusively ery vascular plant family, but left and invalu- to cacti species distributed in Argentina. He had able legacy on regard to an understanding and such a predilection for flowering plants in gen- knowledge of the cacti and bromeliace, being eral and the Cactaceae family particularly that considered a worldwide authority. In 1925, he he established a great personal herbarium of vas- started working at this Museum as an assistant cular plants (LPS; Holmgren et al., 1990) consti- of Ing. Lucien L. Hauman-Merck, at that time in tuted by an unknown number of specimens and charge of the Herbarium. The museum was an- ca. 700 type specimens, transferred to Museo nexed to Natural Sciences Faculty from Buenos de La Plata Herbarium (LP) in 1966 (Katinas Aires University by then. This fact allowed him et al., 2004). Many Spegazzini’s specimens are to serve as both botanist researcher and enthu- currently found in BA, BAF, BAB, and CORD in siastic university teacher. As a teacher he con- Argentina and in Europe and the United States tributed to the education of botanists in several herbarium. His type collection is rather incom- fields beyond phanerogames study: first cryptog- plete since most of the Spegazzini’s type sheets amists, geobotanists and paleobotanists in our are missing (Torres at al. 2006; Katinas et al., country were his disciples (Guarrera, 1972). 2000). His first collection campaigns took place all Castellanos and Lelong (1940) refer that the over Argentina in company of Hauman (Singer, types of the majority of Spegazzini’s cacti spe- 1969), and were aimed to document the na- cies were not preserved because they were repre- tional flora. Subsequently, between 1947 and sented by living specimens, cultivated at home, 1976, in collaboration with Roberto Capurro without labels on the plant itself and he gener- and/or Ofelia Castagnino, it was published in ally made his notes on the spot from the plant. several volumes the first Catálogo de Plantas The living specimens cultivated in Spegazzini’s Vasculares de la Argentina. Thus, his collection residence represent approximately 125 differ- specimens started to constitute the main core of ent species (Spegazzini, 1900). Shortly before the Herbarium. Castellanos prompted the adop- his death in 1926, Spegazzini donated his col- tion of a systematically organized herbarium lection of live cacti to the Zoological of La Plata. (Castellanos, 1936) following the classification Later, the director of the Zoo at that time, Carlos system proposed by Engler regarding to botanic Marelli, donated some “types” and other of these Orders and Families and unchanged in following living specimens to the Argentinian Natural editions (Engler, 1964), and arranging genera Sciences Museum of Buenos Aires (herbarium within families following De Dalla Torre crite- BA) (Katinas et al., 2004; Castellanos y Lelong, ria (Dalla Torre & Harms, 1907), criterium also 1940). It is also well documented in some photo- adopted by most herbaria in the world. While in graphs and on the collection entrance books. charge of the Herbarium, as Head of the Botany Alberto C. Castellanos