The taxonomic status of the Mexican oak Quercus undata (Fagaceae, Quercus, section Quercus)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2011
Authors:J. R. Bacon, Dávila-Aranda, P. Dolores, Spellenberg, R., M. González-Elizondo, S.
Journal:Revisita Mexicana de Biodiversidad
Volume:82
Pagination:1123-1131
Keywords:epitype, introgressive hybridization, lectotype, Mexico, Sierra Madre Occidental
Abstract:

Quercus undata Trel. (Fagaceae, Quercus, Section Quercus) has a complex taxonomic and nomenclatural history. Intensive sampling of oaks at the type locality of Q. undata Trel. in Durango, Mexico and evaluation of herbarium specimens and plants in the field indicate that Q. undata represents variation in Quercus chihuahuensis Trel. in white oak communities where introgressive hybridization among Q. chihuahuensis, Q. grisea Liebm., and a third white oak, Q. arizonica Sarg. made species identification difficult. Endlich’s type specimen of Q. undata, as designated by Trelease, was apparently destroyed in bombing raids on Berlin during World War II, and we propose herein as lectotype the Trelease illustration of the type. An epitype is also designated in support of the lectotype, given that some features cannot be critically observed on the illustration. The long peduncles of the specimen illustrated by Trelease indicate a close relation to Q. chihuahuensis.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith