The Old World species of Boehmeria (Urticaceae, tribus Boehmerieae): a taxonomic revision

Christine Melanie Wilmot-Dear, Ib Friis

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    Abstract

    This is the second part of a world-wide revision of the genus Boehmeria, the previously-published part
    having dealt with the New World species. The Old World species are widely distributed in the tropics and subtropics
    from West Africa to islands in the Pacific Ocean and from Japan and China to Southern Africa, Madagascar and
    Australia, with the highest species richness in the Himalayas and their extension into China and Indochina. No
    indigenous species is common to both the Old and New World. The species represent taxonomic units of very different
    complexity: most species exhibit little infraspecific variation; in several others formal taxonomic infraspecific
    units can be recognised; however, in two, B. virgata and B. japonica, a highly complex variation is seen, fitting
    with difficulty into the normal hierarchy of taxonomic classification. With the conclusions reached here, 33 species,
    including 31 varieties, are recognised and over one hundred previously established names are placed in synonymy.
    Four new taxa are described: B. pilosiuscula var. suffruticosa, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. minuticymosa,
    B. virgata subsp. virgata var. velutina and B. virgata subsp. virgata var. maxima. The following new combinations are
    made: B. densiflora var. boninensis, B. heterophylla var. blumei, B. japonica var. silvestrii, B. japonica var. tenera,
    B. sieboldiana var. fuzhouensis, B. ternifolia var. kamley, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla
    var. canescens, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. densiglomerata, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. longissima,
    B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. macrostachya, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. molliuscula, B. virgata subsp.
    macrophylla var. rotundifolia, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. scabrella, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. strigosa,
    B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. sumatrana, B. virgata subsp. macrophylla var. tomentosa and B. virgata subsp.
    virgata var. austroqueenslandica.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalBlumea
    Volume58
    Issue number2
    Pages (from-to)85-216
    Number of pages132
    ISSN0006-5196
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Oct 2013

    Keywords

    • Faculty of Science

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