Ogastemma, a New Name for Megastoma (Boraginaceae)

Abstract

The generic name Megastoma was first published on a printed exsiccata label which read 'B. BALANSA, PL. D'ALGERIE, 1853/1035. MEGASTOMA PUSILLUM, Coss. et DR! mss./Biskra, sur less collines incultes./10 Mai.' The name was without description and so not validly published. Megastoma was taken up by Bentham & Hooker f., Gen. P1. 2: 851 (1876), but clearly not as a generic name but for a section of Eritrichium Schrad. The descriptive matter was just sufficient to allow validation of the sectional name, but no species was mentioned. It was recorded from Egypt as well as Algeria. In 1894 Index Kewensis listed Megastoma Coss. & Dur. ex Benth. & Hook.f. as a generic name, but gave it as a synonym of Eritrichium, and this cannot now be regarded as validation of the name at generic rank. In 1895 Bonnet & Barratte validated both the generic and specific names by publishing an illustration with analysis (Art. 42.1), and a year later they gave generic and specific descriptions and the distribution as Algeria and Tunisia. However, in the meantime Megastoma had been quite independently published by Grassi in 1881 for a genus of algae (see Index Nominum Genericorum, 1979) and Megastoma (Benth. & Hook.f.) Bonnet & Barratte is an illegitimate later homonym. No other name is hitherto available.