Alaria marginata Postels & Ruprecht 1840

Publication Details
Alaria marginata Postels & Ruprecht 1840: 11

Published in: Postels, A. & Ruprecht, F. (1840). Illustrationes algarum in itinere circum orbem jussu imperatoris Nicolai I. Atque auspiciis navarchi Friderici Lütke annis 1826, 1827, 1828 et 1829 celoce Seniavin exsecuto in Oceano pacifico, inprimis septemtrionale ad littora rossica asiatico-americana collectarum. pp. [i-vi ], [i]- iv, 1-28 [1-2, index], [Latin:] [-iv], [1]-22, [1-2, index], 40 pls. Petropoli [St. Petersburg]: Typis Eduardi Pratz.

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Publication date: Nov-Dec 1840 [TL-2]

Type Species
The type species (lectotype) of the genus Alaria is Alaria esculenta (Linnaeus) Greville.

Status of Name
This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Type Information
Neotype locality: Fort Ross, California, USA; (Widdowson 1971: 36) Neotype: S; (Widdowson 1971: 36) Notes: Postels & Ruprecht (1840: 11) state "In oceano pacifico septemtrionale v.g. ad Unalascha" [Unalaska Island, Alaska] and Silva (1979: 337) lists Unalaska Island, Alaska as the type locality. However, Widdowson (1971: 36) concludes "The locality was stated to be in the northern Pacific 'v.g. ad Unalascha', but Ruprecht (1855, p. 355) only mentions having plants from Fort Ross, California. The absence of mention of material from Unalaska in Ruprecht's detailed list, and of an illustration in Postels and Ruprecht (1840), raises some doubt that specimens were ever collected by Postels and Ruprecht. There is one specimen in Areschoug's collection (S) which has a printed label reading 'Herb. Acad. Petrop. California boreal Ross leg. Wosnessensky', and is annotated in Ruprecht's hand 'Alaria marginata PR (sp. meliore exhiberi non potest)'. This annotation indicates that no better authentic specimen exists at Leningrad (LE). It appears impossible to prove that the Stockholm specimen is a possible lectotype, but it appears to be the most suitable extant for designation. It is clearly connected with Ruprecht, if not with Postels and Ruprecht. It is designated here as a neotype, and is illustrated in Figure 15h." Paul Silva writes (e-mail, 21 June 2006): 'In the protologue of Alaria marginata, the material from Unalaska was undoubtedly collected by the young Mertens on board the "Seniavin" in the period 1826-1829. When Setchell visited Leningrad in November 1903, looking for types, he found "1 good specimen - 'Unalaska - Wosnessensky' rather, I think, from Fort Ross, Calif. = our California broader midribbed 'A. praelonga' " (Setchell notebook). The label is incorrect, as there is no record or Vosnesenskij having collected at Unalaska. In the absence of original material, Art. 9.6 applies here and Widdowson had the right to designate the Stockholm specimen as neotype. However, if future studies comparing populations from Unalaska with those from Fort Ross should prove that two species are involved, Widdowson's neotypification would be superseded and either a new name would have to be found for the Fort Ross alga or Alaria marginata could be proposed for conservation with a conserved type. I think that selecting a neotype from some locality other than the type locality, while not the best practice, would not in itself be "in serious conflict with the protologue". As it stands, the (neo)type locality is Fort Ross despite the protologue.'

Origin of Species Name
Adjective (Latin), margined (Stearn 1983).

General Environment
This is a marine species.

Created: 05 March 1998 by M.D. Guiry.

Last updated: 22 March 2020

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Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/species/detail/?species_id=3649

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 22 March 2020. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 21 November 2024

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