87 species and varieties previously unknown to science (11 of these from Texas alone) have been named in the last seven years (2001–2007) by BRIT staff and collaborators from other institutions. 38 of these were described in 2007 by Sohmer & Davis, in the publication of their study of Philippine Psychotria (coffee family). Of the rest, many are in the sunflower family; others are in the buckwheat, rose, morning glory, figwort, nutmeg, bursera, verbena, grass, and sedge families.
Some of the new species are rare, and it’s not surprising that they were only recently discovered in nature and named. Others are relatively more common but had been confused with some other species – such ‘discoveries’ often involve study in the field and herbarium toward better species definitions.
The species name and authority are followed by the family (in parenthesis) and a phrase in explanation of how the species name was derived.
from TEXAS
Anthenantia texensis Kral (grass) ~ from Texas
Arida mattturneri B.L. Turner & Nesom (sunflower) ~ honoring Matt Turner, Texas botanist and linguistic scholar, who surely marvels at the 3 consecutive ‘t’s in the epithet
Eriogonum riograndis Nesom (buckwheat family) ~ referring to the Rio Grande region of southern Texas, where the species occurs
Ipomoea costellata var. edwardsensis O’Kennon & Nesom (morning glory) ~ from the Edwards Plateau region, where it is endemic.
Laennecia turnerorum Nesom (sunflower) ~ ‘of the Turners,’ referring to the Turner family, on whose property in Brewster County the species was first discovered
Liatris glandulosa Nesom & O’Kennon (sunflower) ~ referring to the glandular stems and leaves – none of the other species of Liatris have glands
Liatris aestivalis Nesom & O’Kennon (sunflower) ~ ‘of the summer,’ referring to the summer flowering; most Liatris species flower in the fall
Packera texensis O’Kennon & Trock (sunflower) ~ from Texas
Prenanthes carrii Singhurst, O’Kennon, & Holmes (sunflower) ~ honoring Bill Carr of Austin, who has contributed much to the knowledge of the Texas flora
Pseudognaphalium austrotexanum Nesom (sunflower) ~ referring to ‘southern Texas,’ where it grows
Senecio quaylei Barkley (sunflower) ~ honoring Jeff Quayle of Fort Worth, who first discovered the species.
from the W and SE UNITED STATES
Carex cumberlandensis Naczi, Kral, & Bryson (sedge) ~ from the Cumberland region
Chrysogonum virginianum var. brevistolon Nesom (sunflower) ~ referring to the short stolons produced by the plants
Erigeron clokeyi var. pinzliae Nesom (sunflower) ~ honoring Ann Pinzl, Nevada botanist
Erigeron maniopotamicus Nesom & Nelson (sunflower) ~ Latin, manio- (manic or mad) and potamicus (river), for the Mad River region of California where the species grows
Gamochaeta argyrinea Nesom (sunflower) ~ referring to the silvery aspect of the plants, especially when growing in colonies
Gamochaeta chionesthes Nesom (sunflower) ~ referring to the snow-white, cloak-like covering of matted hairs on the stems
Heterotheca polothrix Nesom (sunflower) ~ 'pony's mane,' referring to a strip of short hairs often occurring along the middle of the leaves of this species.
Liatris patens Nesom & Kral (sunflower) ~ ‘spreading,’ referring to the spreading branches the bear the heads
Liatris savannensis Kral & Nesom (sunflower) ~ ‘from the savanna,’ referring to the habitat of the species, which only grows in a few counties of west-central Florida, around Tampa
Ptilimnium ahlesii Weakley & Nesom (carrot) ~ honoring Harry Ahles, botanist for a while at the University of North Carolina, who first discovered the species
Solidago arenicola Keener & Kral (sunflower) ~ ‘sand-dweller,’ referring to the habitat of the species
Symphyotrichum rhiannon Weakley & Govus (sunflower) ~ named for Rhiannon Weakley, the daughter of Alan Weakley, who with Tom Govus named the species; Nesom was coauthor of the paper
from CANADA and ALASKA
Crataegus aquacervensis Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus atrovirens Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ ‘dark green,’ referring to the adfasdadfadf
Crataegus castlegarensis Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ from the town of Castlegar, British Columbia, source of specimens that first alerted the authors to the distinctiveness of the species
Crataegus chrysocarpa var. vernonensis Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ from the Vernon region of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada
Crataegus cupressocollina Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus enderbyensis Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ from the Enderby-Armstrong area of British Columbia, where it is narrowly endemic
Crataegus okanagensis Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ from the Okanagan Valley region in British Columbia, Canada
Crataegus orbicularis Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ referring to the broadly elliptic to nearly orbicular shape of the leaves
Crataegus rivuloadamensis Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus rivulopugnensis Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus rubribracteolata Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus sheila-phippsiae Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ honoring the wife of Jim Phipps, one of the authorities
Crataegus sheila-phippsiae var. saskatchewanensis Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Crataegus shuswapensis var. wellsii Phipps & O’Kennon (rose) ~ honoring T.C. Wells of British Columbia, who first collected the species
Crataegus ursopedensis Phipps & O'Kennon (rose) ~
Erigeron porsildii Nesom & Murray (sunflower) ~ honoring A.E. Porsild (1901–1977), whose studies and publications over a 60-year period greatly advanced knowledge of the flora of arctic and boreal America
from MEXICO
Castilleja albobarbata Iltis & Nesom (figwort) ~ Latin, albo (white) and barbata (beard), referring to the bright white, beard-like mass of hairs on the upper part of the flower
Chaptalia hidalgoensis Cabrera & Nesom (sunflower) ~ from Hidalgo, a state in central Mexico
Erigeron barbarensis Nesom & Van Devender (sunflower) ~ from the region of the huge Arroyo Santa Bárbara, in the state of Sonora
Erigeron heleniae Nesom (sunflower) ~ honoring Helen Hinton, mother of George Hinton (the collector)
Lantana x strigocamara R.W. Sanders (verbena) ~ alluding to its similarity and previous confusion with L. camara, 'strigo' a reference to its greater hairiness.
from SOUTH AMERICA
Chiliotrichiopsis peruviana H. Robinson, Nesom, & Granda (sunflower) ~ referring to Peru, where it grows
Compsoneura diazii J. Janovec (nutmeg) ~ honoring Peruvian botanist Camilo Diaz, who has made all known collections of this species
Compsoneura anoriensis J. Janovec and A.K. Neill (nutmeg) ~ from the valley of the Río Anorí, in Antióquia, Colombia
Compsoneura claroensis J. Janovec and A.K. Neill (nutmeg) ~ from the Río Claro region in Colombia
from NEW GUINEA
Canarium acutifolium var. pioriverensis Takeuchi (bursera) ~ from the Pio River region
from the PHILIPPINES (all of these are in the genus Psychotria, of the coffee/madder family)
Psychotria alabatensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria alzapaniensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria banahaensis var. montalbanensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria bayombongensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria boholensis Merr. ex Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria casiguraensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria castroi Merr. & Quisumb. ex Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria catanduaniensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria christarusselliae Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria conglomeratiflora Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria crassifolia var. culionensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria dingalanensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria foxworthyi Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria frakei Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria galintanensis Quisumb. ex Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria hilonghilongensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria iridensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria madulidii Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria mendozii Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria merrittioides Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria olsenii Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria palimlimensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria paloensis Elmer var. wenzeliana Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria paloensis var. bukidnonensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria paloensis var. ovatifolia Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria paloensis var. subelliptifolia Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria paracalensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria patulinervia Merr. & Quisumb. ex Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria pilosella subsp. pilosella var. samarensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria quisumbingiana Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria reynosoi Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria rubiginosa Elmer var. jacobsii Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria sohotonensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria sulitii Merr. & Quisumb. ex Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria surigaoensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria tayabensis var. pinagteponanensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria yagawensis Sohmer & A.P. Davis
Psychotria yenii Sohmer & A.P. Davis
