[Tetraphylloides]
Important notes
Tetraphylloides Doweld is a replacement name for Tetraphyllum Griff. ex C.B.Clarke (1883). The reason for replacement is that Doweld (Phytotaxa 329(3): 293. 2017) discovered that the latter name is antedated by the name of a fossil, Tetraphyllum Hosius & von der Marck (Palaeontographica 26: 137. 1880). Hosius & von der Marck believed the fossil to be a plant fossil ("Plantae incertae sedis"), but Bertling (Phytotaxa 425: 63–66. 2019) provided evidence that the fossil represents a trace fossil of a fish and qualified Doweld’s names as illegitimate. However, as the fossil was considered as a plant at the time of its publication, Tetraphyllum Griff. ex C.B.Clarke must be treated as a later homonym and Doweld’s replacement by Tetraphylloides was formally correct.
In the meantime, Middleton et al. (Taxon 70(2): 437–438. 2021) submitted a proposal to conserve the name Tetraphyllum Griff. ex C.B.Clarke against Tetraphyllum Hosius & von der Marck.
However, Middleton et al. (2021) submitted a proposal to conserve the name Tetraphyllum over Tetraphylloides. The proposal successfully passed the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants (Applequist 2024) and the General Committee (Wilson 2024) and thus fulfills the requirements for ratification at the next International Botanical Congress (2029, Cape Town, South Africa). As this will be only a final formality, we already use the traditional name Tetraphyllum already now.
Tetraphylloides (in the sense of Doweld 2017)
Tetraphyllum bengalense C.B.Clarke, type species, original illustration
Clarke, Commelyn. Cyrtandr. Bengal. t. 87 (1874), without generic and specific name; later (Clarke 1883: 137) referred to as Tetraphyllum bengalense
Tetraphyllum roseum Stapf, note tetramerous leaf whorl at stem top
Photo: H.Kurzweil (1985), Thailand, Chiang Mai prov.
Tetraphyllum roseum Stapf, note lower aerial shoot (with fruits) sinking down and starting to decay
Photo: H.Kurzweil (1985), Thailand, Chiang Mai prov.
Tetraphyllum roseum, young aerial shoots
Photo: Pascal Heni, Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
Tetraphyllum roseum Stapf, section of upper photo: fruiting shoot sinking down and starting to decay
Photo: Pascal Heni, Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
Patrick Blanc observing a flowering shoot of Tetraphyllum roseum Stapf
Photo: Pascal Heni, Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
Tetraphyllum roseum, flower cluster on top of stem (a group of four pair-flowered cymes)
Photo: Pascal Heni, Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com
Tetraphylloides (in the sense of Doweld 2017)
Full name and orig. publication: Tetraphylloides Doweld, Phytotaxa 329(3): 293 (2017).
Etymology: From the Greek τετρα, tetra = four, and φυλλον, phyllon = leaf, and the suffix -οειδής, -oīdēs,-ειδής, -eidḗs = like, resembling, similar to, alluding to the conspicuous tetramerous leaf whorl at the top of the plant and the similar name Tetraphyllum.
Synonyms: Tetraphyllum Griff. ex C.B.Clarke, in A. & C. DC, Monogr. Phan. 5(1): 136 (July 1883; Gesneriaceae); based on Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 4: 148 (1854), nom. nud. [in IPNI the "nom. nudum" is lacking and should be added].
Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoideae-Trichosporeae-Tetraphylloidinae (Doweld 2017).
Description: See under Tetraphyllum.
Chromosome number: Unknown.
Species number: 3.
Type species: Tetraphylloides bengalensis (C.B.Clarke) Doweld (Basionym: Tetraphyllum bengalense C.B.Clarke); now Tetraphyllum bengalensis C.B.Clarke).
Species names (only given in case of few species): (1) Tetraphylloides bengalensis (C.B.Clarke) Doweld, (2) T. confertiflora (Drake) Doweld, (3) T. roseum (Stapf) Doweld.
Distribution: NE India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand.
Ecology: Damp rocks in forest.
Notes:
Originally, the name Tetraphyllum was used by (Griffith 1854: 148) as a "temporary name referring to undescribed genera in the collection of the author". As neither a description was given nor species name(s) nor specimen(s) were cited, the name must be considered as a nomen nudum [not apparent in IPNI!]. Validation of the name was almost 30 years later by C.B.Clarke (1883). However, for the reasons given in the "Important notes" above, Clarke's names must be now considered as illegitimate.
Selected references: Burtt, Thai Forest Bull. (Botany) 29: 81-109 (2001), annot. checklist (Thailand); see also citations in the "Important notes" above.
Tax. details, cytology, and bibliography: Gesneriaceae Resource Centre (GRC). Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Page content and update responsibility/contact: David J. Middleton.
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