Vascular Plants
Australian Plant Name Index (APNI)
The Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) is a tool for the botanical community that deals with plant names and their usage in the scientific literature, whether as a current name or synonym. APNI does not recommend any particular taxonomy or nomenclature. For a listing of currently accepted scientific names for the Australian vascular flora, please use the Australian Plant Census (APC) link above.
Lectotype:"[icon]: J. Sowerby, 'Limodorum Tankervilliae' (engraving by MacKenzie from Sowerby's original drawing dated 1787 and now at BM [see R. J. Cleevely in J. Soc. Bibliogr. Nat. Hist. 6: 487 (1974)], later published in W. Aiton, Hort. Kewensis 3: t. 12 [Aug.-Oct. 1789], lectotype selected here)."
Text:"Surviving herbarium material at BM (BM000514795) has on verso of sheet '[1 Hort Pitcairne [i.e. William Pitcairn's Botanic Garden in Islington, London] 1783' and] '2 Hort. Comitis de Tankerville [i.e. Mount Felix, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey] 1786' [i.e. March 1786, cf. Solander MSS XVIII. f. 459 at BM] - merely fragments (though there is an unsigned drawing on vellum made for Lady Tankerville and now preserved in the Tankerville Collection [Box H] at Kew with later annotations, 'now Bletia Tankervilliae [(Banks) R. Br.]' 'April 1790', all mounted on a sheet with details taken from Aiton's text) and BM000514796, a fine gathering made in 1787, the same year as Sowerby's drawing, from Banks's collection at Spring Grove, Hounslow, Middlesex Middlesex, so it seems very likely that the latter is connected with the plant illustrated by Sowerby and may possibly even be a 'typotype'. However, M. A. Clements in Austr. Orchid Research 1: 104 (1989) has selected as lectotype 'Cult. Kew 1791 herb. J. E. Smith (LINN-Sm lecto 1403.1)', but, being collected after the publication, that specimen would have been a neotype - at best."
APC Comment:Listed in synonymy of Phaius tancarvilleae (Banks ex L’Her.) Blume by various authors (e.g. E.M.Ross & T.D.Stanley, Fl. South-eastern Queensland 3: 370 (1989), A.W.Dockrill, Austral. Indig. Orchids 2nd edn 1: 290 (1993)). Phaius tancarvilleae is now considered to have been misapplied to Phaius australis F.Muell. and P. bernaysii Rowland ex Rchb.f. in Australia.