(2916) Proposal to conserve the name Discosphaera Haeckel (Rhabdosphaeraceae, Prymnesiophyta, Algae) against Discosphaera Dumort. (Hypoxylaceae, Xylariales, Ascomycota, Fungi)

Abstract

(2916) Discosphaera Haeckel, Syst. Phylog. Protist. Pfl. 1: 111. 23 Nov 1894, nom. cons. prop. Typus: D. thomsonii Ostenf. (in Zool. Anz. 22: 436. 13 Nov 1899) [= D. tubifera (G. Murray & V.H. Blackman) Ostenf. (Rhabdosphaera tubifera G. Murray & V.H. Blackman)]. (H) Discosphaera Dumort., Comment. Bot.: 91. Nov (sero)–Dec (prim.) 1822, nom. rej. prop. Typus (vide Donk in Regnum Veg. 34: 18. Jun 1964): D. radians (Tode) Dumort. (Sphaeria radians Tode). The extant genus Discosphaera Haeckel (Syst. Phylog. Protist. Pfl. 1: 111. 1894) was originally created for the distinctive coccolith-bearing microorganisms, treated in the distinct class Paulotomeae (= Palmellarieae) of the Algae (Haeckel, l.c. 105). The generic name was originally validated by a description in German (in discussion), but was without included species. Ostenfeld (in Zool. Anz. 22: 436. 1899) was the first to propose a specific epithet, D. thomsonii Ostenfeld (‘thomsoni’). Since that time, Discosphaera Haeckel has been accepted as an algal name, the existence of the homonymic extant fungal name, Discosphaera Dumort. (Comment. Bot.: 91. 1822), was never even mentioned. The extant fungal genus Discosphaera Dumort. was proposed for ascomycetous hypoxylonoid fungi, but soon fell into oblivion as a synonym of the widely used Sphaeria Haller (Hist. Stirp. Helv. 3: 120. 1768) (Hoffmann, Index Fung.: 50. 1863) or later Hypoxylon Bull. (Hist. Champ. France: 168. 1791), nom. cons. (cf. Laessøe in Syst. Ascomycetum 13: 43. 1994). In contrast, Discosphaera Dumort. remains in current classifications (Kleijne, Extant Rhabdosphaerac.: 36. 1992; Young & al. in J. Nannopl. Res., Spec. Iss. 1: 56. 2003; Winter & Siesser, Coccolithophores: 130. 2006; Mandal & al. in Environm. Monit. Assessm. 187: 597. 2015; Sardet, Plankton: 50. 2015; Banfield & Nealson, Geomicrobiology: 270. 2018, etc.). It is quite evident that the disused fungal generic name Discosphaera Dumort. should be rejected in favour of the algal name Discosphaera Haeckel in current use. In order to conform to TL-2 bibliographical standard of precise nomenclatural citations, dates of publication of old works containing the conserved and rejected names discussed above were verified in a special historical-bibliographical study. The precise date of publication of Haeckel's book has been obtained from the daily bibliographical record of all newly published books and journals of the German Empire based on the receipt of an obligatory copy in Leipzig from the publisher (Nachrichten aus dem Buchhandel und den verwandten Geschäftszweigen für Buchhändler und Bücherfreunde, 23 Nov 1894 (No. 45, p. 379)), which is an earlier date than that provided in TL-2. ABD, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0089-5919 Special thanks go to John McNeill for suggestions on the initial draft. It is a pleasure to thank Valentina Bublik (Fundamental Botanical Library of the National Institute of Carpology, Moscow) for bibliographic assistance.