ARS | Publication request: VALIDATION OF TWO INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID EPITHETS IN ILEX (AQUIFOLIACEAE)

Submitted to: Novon
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 16, 2003
Publication Date: May 15, 2004
Citation: Whittemore, A.T. 2005. Validation of Two Name Ilex xaquipernyi J.B. Gable (Aquifoliacceae. Novon. 15:493-494.

Interpretive Summary: This contribution provides scientific validation for two widely-used names of hybrid hollies. These names have been used informally for many years, but without the publication of full descriptions in recognized journals and the designation of type specimens, there is no guarantee that they will be used consistently by botanists and horticulturalists in the future. Full scientific descriptions are given for the two hybrids. The history of their development and usage is briefly summarized, and references given to the main works that discuss them. Type specimens, required under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, are designated here, and they will be preserved in the National Arboretum herbarium, and duplicated at other major herbaria. A stable, accurate nomenclature, based on names that are clearly described and documented with adequate specimens, is essential for communication among botanists and horticulturalists. Naming these taxa in accordance with the technical standards of the field, as set forth in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, will ensure that the names will be applied consistently by future workers, minimizing errors and miscommunication among plant scientists, growers, and users.

Technical Abstract: Two names that are in widespread and common use in horticultural literature and the nursery trade are validated here. Ilex X aquipernyi J. B. Gable ex Whittem. (Ilex aquifolium X I. pernyi) is known only from artificial crosses that have been grown under this name for some 60 years. Ilex X wandoensis C. F. Miller ex Whittem. (Ilex cornuta X I. integra) is known from a complex natural hybrid swarm on Wando Island, South Korea. Many genotypes from this site have been brought into cultivation in the past 25 years.