Boissiera, Volume 73: The Botanical Expedition of Hermann Wendland in Central America A Nomenclatural Study and Travel Report

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Language: English with bilingual abstract in English and Spanish

The plant collections gathered by Hermann Wendland during an expedition to Central America in 1856-1857 are significant because of the high number of new species that were described from them. Many of Wendland's specimens have been lost, misplaced or have incorrectly been assessed or overlooked in regards to their nomenclatural or typification status. Wendland's Central American specimens in the herbarium of the University of Goettingen (GOET) have recently been collated as a group and digitized, thus making them available for wider study. About 1,280 herbarium specimens associated with Wendland's expedition have been located in a number of herbaria. These represent about 540 distinct gatherings. Wendland's travel outcomes are associated with the publication of 185 names. The first part of this work deals with the nomenclature of these names. Original material is found in 30 plant families in the following groups: Bryophytes (two families), Lycophytes (one), Ferns (seven), and Angiosperms (20). Of the 185 names associated with Wendland's material, 50 names are represented by holotypes, and 67 lectotypes and five neotypes have been published by previous authors. Herein, 51 new lectotypes and five neotypes have been designated. Typification remains unresolved for seven names. The second part of this work consists of an annotated English translation of Wendland's expedition correspondence originally published in German in Hamburger Garten- and Blumenzeitung (1857). This translation provides information concerning the itinerary and the locations and dates of several of Wendland's collections.

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