Missing type specimen discovered in Lachenal herbarium

Based on a query from the herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew we recently discovered the missing type specimen (specimen, that the author used for the species description) of Triticum lachenalii C.C. Gmel. (=Micropyrum tenellum (L.) Link) in the herbarium of Werner de Lachenal (1736-1800).

C.C. Gmelin did not collect own herbarium specimen, instead, he referred to the „Hall. stirp. helv. N. 1430“ in Albrecht v. Haller’s Historia stirpium indigenarum inchoata (1768). Haller in turn referred to the specimen of de Lachenal: „In agris nonullis versus Wyl, CL. (=colleague) La Chenal “.

Werner de Lachenal was professor of anatomy and botany in Basel since 1776 and was known then to have the best knowledge of the Flora of Switzerland. He worked on a flora of Basel that has not been published to date.

Jürg Stöcklin

Herbarium specimen

Enlarge specimen

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