Early taxonomic history of the moss genus Anacamptodon and a lectotype for A. splachnoides (Amblystegiaceae)

Abstract

Early taxonomic history of the pleurocarpous moss genus Anacamptodon Brid. is reviewed and its familial placement is discussed. A specimen from the Bridel Herbarium (B-Bridel) is designated as the lectotype of Orthotrichum splachnoides Froel. ex Brid., the basionym of its generitype A. splachnoides (Froel. ex Brid.) Brid. It was collected in June or July 1811 by Josef Aloys von Frölich in Ellwangen (Jagst) in the historic, linguistic and cultural region of Swabia in the east of the state Baden-Württemberg in south-western Germany. He recognised it as a new species on the herbarium label and sent the material to S. E. Bridel in Gotha, Germany, then the great authority on moss taxonomy, who described it as a new species in his Muscologiae recentiorum supplementum seu Species muscorum Pars 2 in 1812. Duplicates of the original specimens of this species have been located in the Herbarium Tubingense (TUB) and in the Hedwig/Schwagrichen Herbarium (G) which are isolectotypes. Moreover, Frölich consulted the identity of this moss with Olof Swartz in Stockholm, Sweden, and four original specimens of A. splachnoides are present in his personal herbarium at S.