[pbs] Ploidy and Fertility
totototo at telus.net
totototo at telus.net
Wed Dec 12 18:31:52 EST 2007
On 12 Dec 07, at 15:10, Jim McKenney wrote:
> Just to cheer me up, I wish someone would re-tell the story (naming names
> and so on) of the skullduggery which occurred surrounding the
> Hippeastrum/Amaryllis controversy. Wasn't a well-known botanist accused of
> tampering with the Linnaeean type, maybe even moving it to another sheet or
> something like that?
There was long-standing uncertainty just what plant Linnaeus had
named "Amaryllis belladonna". Or more precisely, whether the plant we
call "Amaryllis belladonna" is the same plant Linnaeus called by that
name. Within living memory, the Linnean Society finally allowed the
type speciment in the Linnaean herbarium to be dissected in order to
settle the question.
It turned out that Amaryllis bellandonna L was indeed Amaryllis
belladonna of common parlance. This resolved fundamental
nomenclatural problems with Hippeastrum, Amaryllis, and I don't know
what else.
I've never heard of there being any skullduggery in connection with
this mess.
> Or should I just get back to work in the garden?
You should do that too.
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate
on beautiful Vancouver Island
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