Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The long lost Mimulus whippleyi may not be all that lost


Mimulus whippleyi A.L. Grant (1924) is a California endemic that has been considered potentially extinct since the inception of the rare plant program.  Now (Phytoneuron 2012-40: p. 44) we find that M. whippleyi is supplanted by an earlier name, M. marmoratus Greene (Erythea 3:73. 1895).  More importantly, Nesom’s treatment adds considerably  to the number of known specimens (well, two more).

Erythranthe marmorata (Greene) Nesom is now the correct name.

Stations:
1. California, Stanislaus County, Knight’s Ferry, moist rocks, 9 Apr 1895, F.W. Bancroft s.n. (lectotype ND-Greene 046328; isolectotypes: ND-Greene 046329, UC27030) – approx 37.82044/-120.65836 200 feet

2.  California, Calaveras County, Murphy’s [Camp], rocky hillsides, J.14 May 1854, J.M. Bigelow s.n.
(holotype: GH , isotype US42132) – approx. 38.12494/-120.41578 2600 feet

3.  California, Amador[?] County, George Hansen, 13 May 1896, 1200 ft (NDG46544) or April 1892 (UC103735), 1800 ft; or April 1892, 2000 ft (UC193097) – vicinity 38.37/-120.61

I have been unable as yet find the exact location of Hansen’s placenames “Fisher’s Cabin” or “Fisher’s Point” – the name does not appear on the 1897 edition of the Jackson or Big Trees USGS 30’ quadrangle, nor in the USGS Gazetteer, nor in the Jepson Herbarium placenames database, nor in Durham’s Place Names of California.  Neither of the Hansen place names appear in the 1881 “History of Amador County”.  Based on the format of Hansen’s specimen labels, which generally form an elevation progression.  The station is threfore arbitrarily mapped at the confluence of the Mokelumne River and Middle Fork Mokelumne River.

The ND-G specimen of Hansen 473 is cited as Erythranthe marmorata (Greene) Nesom, Phytoneuron 2012-40: 44. 2012[=Mimulus whippleyi A.L. Grant, CNPS List 1A – presumed extinct].  The digital image of ND-G 46544 gives the location as “Fisher’s Cabin....1200 ft”

The image shows the general format of one version of Hansen’s specimen label

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