| Flagger | Content Author | Content | Reason | Flag Created | Resolved by | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lmtaylor | American Burnweed (Variety Erechtites hieraciifolius hieraciifolia) |
should be var. hieraciifolius & ssp. hieraciifolius should be merged with it |
Jan. 31, 2023 21:49:33 +0000 | sbrobeson |
swapped |
Comments
I have no personal opinion as to whether var. megalocarpus should be separately recognized. I will note, though, that the states of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts think this coastal marsh variety sufficiently distinct to give it its own conservation status -- it's somewhat unusual for states to pay attention to taxa below the species level.
The only reference POWO gives for dropping the separate variety status of var. megalocarpus is "Pruski, J.F. (ed.) (2018). Flora Mesoamericana 5(2): 1-608. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F. [Cited as Erechtites hieraciifolius.]" This source only lists E. hieraciifolius var. megalocarpus in its list of synonyms for E. hieraciifolius without further comment, and no references.
POWO says that "Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life Naturalis" did recognize var. megalocarpus (so do all older sources such as FNA, Flora Novae Angliae, etc.) So I don't have the faintest idea why POWO decided to drop this variety. I can't find any recent relevant primary literature.
in pure nomenclatural terms, this variety is an error/variant just as originally noted. please take up the question about following or deviating from POWO in a different flag.
According to POWO no subspecies or varieties are accepted. If you want any subspecies/varieties to be continued, please provide sources to bi@kew.org and to us to support a deviations from POWO.