Triplaris riedeliana C. A. Mey. 1840

Triplaris riedeliana Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex C.A.Mey. (1840: 149) Type:—Non designatus. Notes:— Brandbyge (1986) excluded Triplaris riedeliana from his treatment but stated: “If type material of T (riplaris) riedeliana Fisch. & Mey. ex C.A. Mey. exists, and it is identical with the type of T. gardneriana, T. riedeliana will be the correct name of this species, because it antedates T. gardneriana.” Meisner (1855: 52) considered T. riedeliana identical with T. gardneriana. Hence, it is important to locate the type specimen of T. riedeliana if it exists. The protologue reads in part, “Hab. in Brasilia prope Cazalvesco locis humidis, Riedel. (Vid. sp. sp. sicc.).” Riedel’s collection contains field surveys in Brazil (HUH-IB, 2022), including collections of Polygonaceae belonging to all three of the major woody genera occurring in this country, i.e. Coccoloba, Ruprechtia, and Triplaris. We were able to locate a Riedel 1374 unmounted series at LE (LE 1682–1691). This series is filed as “ Triplaris sp. nov. ”. Our examination of this material reveals that these exsiccata are clearly identifiable as a species of Ruprechtia, based on leaf shape and stem morphology. A further Riedel specimen collected in Brazil is preserved at OXF (OXF 9171) and labeled as “ Triplaris ”. Unfortunately, there is no information linking OXF 9171 to the protolgue. We were unable to locate any Riedel specimens useful for lectotypification. Unfortunately, the name Triplaris riedeliana was not commonly used and it is quite difficult to understand the current species concept.As a consequence, we prefer to avoid a neotypification at this time, leaving the type as undesignated.