Re: Solvia?
- To: M*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: Solvia?
- From: R* F* D*
- Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 22:31:22 -0400 (EDT)
At 09:23 AM 10/24/1999 GMT, you wrote:
>This is hardly a Mediterrranean query in any strict sense but maybe
>somebody can help with it - perhaps one of our Aussie members or Nick
>Turland if he's listening.
>
>I've grown a plant which came to me as Solvia pterspernum (sic). It
>came as seed, the seed came, via a UK friend, from Australia, and the
>Australian friend who grew it there said that it was originally a S.
>American and he thought a Brazilian plant.
>
>I need to check out its name and I've got two problems.
>
>One, I can't find any info. even about the genus. Anybody able to
>help? It doesn't figure on the Tropicos database.
>
>Two, the species name doesn't seem to make sense, according to
>Stearn's Botanical Latin. What could -spernum mean? At the moment I'm
>working on the assumption that what I have is a series of
>transcription errors leading back to what was originally
>pter(o)sperM... (ie, with winged seeds) being thus distorted. Given
>Solvia as the genus name, though, wouldn't the termination be -spermA
>rather than spermUM?
>
>TIA to anyone who can rescue me from this teasing little puzzle.
>
>
>Tim Longville
Tim:
>
Salvia pterocalyx was described by Ian Hedge in Flora Iranica, volume 150,
page 415 as occuring in Iran (bot. prov.), specifically NE Afghanistan,
being a remarkable relict species -- Ref: Notes R. B. G. Edinb. 23: 163
(1960)
This information is from a database on Salvia that I began construction of
early this year. It should be pretty much current except for New World
species up to 1996 and Old World species to 1970. Once my current situation
stabilizes, I hope to complete the database then add images (this latter
goal will take a lot of time).
Richard F. Dufresne
Greensboro, NC 27406
USDA Zone 7
