The lectotypification of Acrostichum acuminatum Willd. and the reinstatement of the name Photinopteris speciosa (Bl.) Presl

The name Acrostichum acuminatum Willdenow (1810) was designated by Morton (1967) as the basionym of Photinopteris acuminata (Willd.) Morton. As a consequence the generally accepted name Photinopteris speciosa (Bl.) Presl (bas.: Lomaria speciosa Blume, 1828) was sunk by him into synonymy. The diagnosis and the description of Acrostichum acuminatum in the original publication include details of both sterile and fertile leaves. The material that Willdenow had at hand was a specimen of Photinopteris speciosa collected by the Malaspina expedition, labeled ‘Peru’, but obviously originating from the Philippines (Herb. Willdenow no. 19539, B*). The material is sterile; see also Presl (1851:192). The description of the fertile elements was based completely on ‘Lingua cervina, scandens, Citrei foliis, major’ (Plumier, 1705), a fern from Martinique which is now attributed to Bolbitis nicotianifolia (Sw.) Alston.