Taxonomy and nomenclature of Abutilonalbidum (Malvaceae, Malvoideae), a cryptic Saharo-Canarian species recently rediscovered in Tenerife

Filip Verloove; Alexander N Sennikov; J Alfredo Reyes-Betancort

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.221.95907

Taxonomy and nomenclature of Abutilonalbidum (Malvaceae, Malvoideae), a cryptic Saharo-Canarian species recently rediscovered in Tenerife

PhytoKeys. 2023 Mar 7:221:41-60. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.221.95907. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Filip Verloove¹, Alexander N Sennikov², J Alfredo Reyes-Betancort³

Affiliations

¹ Meise Botanic Garden, Nieuwelaan 38, B-1860, Meise, Belgium Meise Botanic Garden Meise Belgium.
² Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 7, 00014, Helsinki, Finland University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland.
³ Jardín de Aclimatación de La Orotava, Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias (ICIA), C/ Retama 2, 38400, Puerto de la Cruz. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias Tenerife Spain.

Abstract

Abutilonalbidum, a cryptic Saharo-Canarian species, was thought to have been last collected in 1945 in Tenerife by E.R. Sventenius. In 2019, it was rediscovered in the same area. The characteristic features of the Canarian plants are discussed, especially in relation to the morphologically similar-looking and probably closely-related species Abutilonindicum and A.bidentatum. It is concluded that the plants from Tenerife and north-western Africa indeed represent a distinct species. The species is illustrated and a key for the identification of this and related species is presented.

Keywords: Abutilon; Canary Islands; Malvaceae; Saharo-Canarian; Tenerife; nomenclature; taxonomy.

Filip Verloove, Alexander N. Sennikov, J. Alfredo Reyes-Betancort.