Biodiversity Data Journal :
General research article
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J.G.C. Lehmann's 'Botanical Observations' of 1818 on Coldenia, Colsmannia, Cynoglossum, and Omphalodes (commented translation)
Corresponding author: Hartmut H. Hilger (hartmut.hilger@fu-berlin.de)
Academic editor: Werner Greuter
Received: 05 Feb 2014 | Accepted: 07 Apr 2014 | Published: 22 Apr 2014
© 2014 Hartmut Hilger, Theodor Cole, Federico Selvi
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Hilger HH, Cole TCH, Selvi F (2014) J.G.C. Lehmann's 'Botanical Observations' of 1818 on Coldenia, Colsmannia, Cynoglossum, and Omphalodes (commented translation). Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1064. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.2.e1064
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An annotated English translation of a German early 19th century text including Latin diagnoses is presented with a high-quality scan of the original publication and direct links to the cited pages with taxon and literature citations (including TL-2 entries).
Boraginaceae, taxonomy, legacy literature republishing, translation, markups
Lehmann JGC (1818) Botanische Beobachtungen. Coldenia, Colsmannia, Cynoglossum, Omphalodes. Der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin Magazin für die neuesten Entdeckungen in der gesammten Naturkunde, Vol. 8 (1814–1818): 91–100, with 4 Figures (Plates IV–VII) [Apparently in the printed paper the plates referred to as IV to VII in the text were misnumbered I to IV, and the numbering corrected by hand at least in the attached copy and the online version from Göttingen [
Many contributions on Boraginaceae by German botanists up to the late 20th century were published in discontinued serial publications and have rarely if ever been cited in modern scholarly literature. Unawareness of such previous studies may lead to loss of valuable information and avoidable misunderstandings. A paper by
This genus belongs to the Pentandria Monogynia among the nutlet-bearing Asperifoliae[1], its closest relative being the genus Heliotropium. Linné [
Gaertner [
The habitus of the plants clearly indicates that the genus Tiquilia belongs to Coldenia[5]. The affiliation of Coldenia to the nutlet-bearing Asperifoliae is evident from a comparison with its next of kin Heliotropium, and I would consider Coldenia procumbens as only an a b n o r m a l species, if I had not personally seen pentamerous and pentandrous flowers on several plants collected in Guinea. Only the lowest flowers mostly lacked the fifth part in calyx and corolla as well as the fifth stamen, but all were monogynous. – In no case did I find 'bilocular nuts' which had also been reported for Coldenia procumbens, but rather in every case I identified four distinct, basally connate nutlets[6], two of which were sometimes not fully developed.
[1] ^ Boraginales (or Boraginaceae s. l. sensu APG III,
[2] ^ No year indicated, but most probably
[3] ^ No year indicated, but most probably
[4] ^ Lehmann, to designate the style, used the now obsolete term “Staubweg”, literally “dust way”, i.e., pollen thoroughfare or stylar transmission canal.
[5] ^
[6] ^ Lehmann apparently used seed ("Saamen") for the dispersal unit and nut or nutlet ("Nuss", "Nüsse") for the structural/morphological unit.
Natural character.
CAL[YX]. Perianth monophyllous [synsepalous, fused], five-parted, campanulate, petaloid [showy], very large, persistent, with pentagonal base: lobes ovate-lanceolate, patent, acute at the apex, longer than corolla.
COR[OLLA]. With a single petal [sympetalous, fused], tubular-campanulate, shorter than calyx. Tube cylindrical. Limb tubular-ventricose, five-toothed. Throat bare, open.
STAM[ENS]. Filaments five, somewhat fleshy, inside corolla tube. Anthers subulate-sagittate, united in a pyramidal fascicle, free at base, erect, as long as filaments.
PIST[IL]. Ovules four. Style filiform, longer than corolla. Stigma obtuse.
PER[ICARP][7]. Absent. Calyx swollen, enclosing seeds at the bottom.
SEM[EN – SEED]. Nutlets four, two opposite ovate, triangular, bone-like, shiny, smooth, fixed to the receptacle, perforate at the base, two often aborted.
Essential character.
Calyx five-parted, petaloid, very large, pentagonal at base. Corolla cylindrical-campanulate, shorter than calyx. Throat bare. Anthers hastate, free. Nutlets four, triangular, ovate shiny bone-like, perforate.
Obs. 1) Similar to Onosma especially as to corolla, but differing in: 1) calyx with pentagonal base, petaloid, longer than corolla, with lobes ovate-lanceolate, patent. 2) Anthers with a free base, in no way connected. 3) Nutlets with a perforate base.
Obs. 2) The species that shows these generic characters was collected in the Orient by Tournefort, if I’m not mistaken.
[7] ^ Apparently Lehmann did not recognize that “nutlets” are parts of the fruit.
Root brown, white inside, woody in the upper part, apparently perennial. Stems several, erect, simple, half-foot and more [>15 cm], like the whole plant very densely covered with yellow, appressed, soft hairs, thus the species name “flava”. Leaves perfectly entire, sericeous, obovate-lanceolate, somewhat obtuse, attenuate at base; the lower ones petiolate, the upper ones sessile, alternate. Inflorescence: terminal raceme. Flowers with pedicels, pendulous before anthesis, eventually erect; the lower ones with lanceolate bracts longer than pedicels. Dry calyx [v.s. = vidi siccum, i.e. = on herbarium material] colored, pale-yellow, sericeous, sometimes four-parted; fourth lobe two times larger than the remaining ones, with bifid apex. Corolla yellow, with subpubescent external face. Style purplish. Seeds are nutlets. Dry material seen.
Fig.
Fig. a. shows a dissected flower from inside.
Fig. b. two mature nutlets in natural size and position.
Fig. c. a single nutlet.
Fig. d. a cross section through a nutlet.
Fig. e. the lower part of (d) from below.
This genus is distinct in the first place from all other members of the family Boraginaceae or Asperifoliae by its petaloid calyx. As I have already mentioned, it most closely resembles the genus Onosma [
I have named this genus after my revered friend, Professor Colsmann from Copenhagen; already well known to all botanists by his exemplary description of the plants belonging to Gratiola collected by Dr. König; and even more so by his vast knowledge of all domains of natural sciences and by the rare largesse by which he grants access to his excellent botanical, entomological, and mineralogical collections to anyone desiring to educate himself; a forthcoming that earned him wide-ranging reverence and affection.
[8] ^ Colsmannia is now treated as synonym of Onosma. Colsmannia flava is actually Onosma flava (Lehm.) Vatke ex Boiss., Fl. Orient.: 186. 1875 (urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:119655-1), but apparently no DNA phylogeny is available for confirmation.
[9] ^ Onosma sericea Willd., Sp. Pl. 1: 774. 1798 (urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:119807-1).
[10] ^ Triplaris Loefl. (Polygonaceae).
These two genera markedly differ in habit and especially by the strikingly different aspects of their seed, which in the case of Omphalodes one would hardly call nutlets, were it not in order to include them among the nutlet-bearing Asperifoliae. Initially separated, they later were reunited by most botanists. At first, I would like to make some general remarks concerning various species of the genus Cynoglossum, to then present a monographic review of the Omphalodes species.
Cynoglossum lateriflorum[11]. Lamarck [
Cynoglossum angustifolium. Willd. [
Cynoglossum cristatum. Schreber [
Cynoglossum echinatum. Thunberg [
Cynoglossum hirsutum. Thunb. [
Cynoglossum cheirifolium. Linn. [
Cynoglossum fulvum. Rudolphi [
Cynoglossum Dioscorides. Villars [
Cynoglossum laevigatum. Linné [
The famous Pallas [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Linn. [
This name has been applied to no less than five, perhaps even more completely different plants. Linnaeus's Cynoglossum lusitanicum, as we learn through Link [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Vahl [
This plant, which I will describe further down as Omphalodes amplexicaulis does not grow wild in Portugal either (compare Brot. [
C[ynoglossum]. with leaves clasping the stem, cordate and smooth at the margins. Vahl l. c. [
could have been put together with the Linnaean [
C[ynoglossum]. with linear-lanceolate, rough leaves.
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Brot. [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Lamarck [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Miller [
Finally, the Abbée [sic] Fortis [
OMPHALODES Tournefort. [
Essential character.
Calyx deeply divided in five parts. Corolla rotate, closed at throat by arch-like scales. Nutlets four, depressed (concave), obliquely overtopping style, with membranous margin, calathiform [cup-shaped].
1) Omphalodes nitida. Hoffm. et Link [
O[mphalodes]. with oblong-lanceolate leaves, veined, glabrous and shiny above, pubescent below, the lower ones long-petiolate, the upper ones sessile.
O[mphalodes]. nitida. Hoffm. et Link [
Cynoglossum nitidum. Willd. [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Broter. [
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. Lamarck [
Omphalodes lusitanica cynoglossi folio. Tournef. [
Descript[ion]. Hoffm. et Link [
Lamarck [
Icon. Hoffm. et Link l. c. [
Grows in Portugal in moist, shady, naturally forested areas. [symbol:] perennial (seen alive) [v. v. = vidi viva].
In our greenhouses this nice plant flowers at the beginning of May.
2) Omphalodes cornifolia. (to me)
O[mphalodes]. with long-petiolate radical, ovate-cordate, acuminate, veined leaves, the cauline ones subsessile, lowest ones lanceolate, the highest ones ovate, racemes solitary with many flowers.
Cynoglossum cappadocicum Willd. [
Cynoglossum omphalodes. β Lamarck [
Omphalodes orientalis corni folio. Tournefort [
Descript[ion].
Plant of about seven and a half inches [19 cm]. Stems erect, filiform, pubescent-hairy. Leaves with entire margins, subglabrous above, hispidulous under the lens [when magnified], glabrous below, sparsely pilose, with alternate, prominent veins, farinaceous; the radical ones very long-petiolate, ovate-cordate, acuminate, 2–4 inches [5–10 cm] long, 1–2 inches [2.5–5 cm] wide; lower cauline ones sessile, oblong-lanceolate, acute on both sides, short-petiolate, less than one inch [< 2.5 cm]; upper or floral ones of 1 inch [2.5 cm], sessile, ovate, acute. Flowers alternate set apart, pendulous before anthesis, erect after flowering, in terminal, solitary, elongated, loose racemes. Pedicels capillary [very thin], one inch and more [>2.5 cm], sparsely hairy. Calyces hairy especially towards base, five-parted; lobes ovate, acuminate.
Icon. Plate V. [Fig. 2]
Growing in Cappadocia [Turkey]. [symbol:] perennial herb (dry material seen)
Fig.
3) Omphalodes verna. Moench.
O[mphalodes]. with cordate, stem-clasping leaves, the lower ones strongly obtuse, the upper ones slightly acute, glabrous, smooth at the margins, racemes erect with several flowers.
O[mphalodes]. verna Moench [
Cynoglossum Omphalodes. Linn. [
Descript[ion]. Scopol. [
Icon. Curt. [
Bull. [
Scopol. [
Growing in shady places along foothills in southern Europe. [symbol:] perennial herb (seen alive).
This plant has long been generally known as an ornament of gardens due to its early, pretty flowers, and has been described several times.
4) Omphalodes amplexicaulis. (to me)
O[mphalodes]. with cordate, stem-clasping leaves, the lower ones strongly obtuse, the upper ones slightly acute, glabrous, smooth at the margins, racemes erect with several flowers.
Cynoglossum lusitanicum. [
Descript[ion]. Vahl [
Icon. Plate VI. [Fig. 3].
Habitat [unknown] [symbol:] biennial herb? (dry material seen).
Fig.
5) Omphalodes littoralis. (to me)
O[mphalodes]. with basal leaves spathulate, the cauline ones sessile, oblong, upper ones ovate, widened at base, papillose, strigose at margin, racemes with bracts.
Descript[ion].
Root perpendicular, absolutely simple. Stem erect, one finger long, glabrous. Leaves papillose, green-glaucous, under the lens [when magnified] with strigose margin; the basal ones spathulate; the cauline ones sessile, oblong, widened at base, one half inch [1.25 cm] long. Racemes axillary and terminal, bracteate. Bracts of the same shape as stem-borne leaves but smaller and more ovate. Pedicels well-spaced, filiform, almost one inch [2.5 cm] long, erecto-patent, finally patent, slightly strigose. Calyces five-parted, with strigose base, and ovate-lanceolate lobes. Corolla as in O. linifolia. Nutlets four, urceolate, smooth, subglabrous under the lens [when magnified] with hairy base, membrane inflexed, ciliate at margin: cilia white hyaline.
Habitat: occurring on the maritime coasts of western France. [symbol:] biennial herb (dry material seen).
Obs. I. Differs from O. linifolia: in its lower stature, the shape and width of the leaves; the presence and shape of bracts; and the border of the nutlet membrane that is ciliate but not dentate.
I have seen this plant in several herbaria of French botanists under the name Cynoglossum linifolium and have also received it under that name.
6) Omphalodes linifolia. Moench.
O[mphalodes]. with cuneiform basal leaves, stem-borne ones linear-lanceolate, glabrous, with scabrid-denticulate margins, racemes without bracts.
O[mphalodes]. linifolia. Hoffm. et Link [
O[mphalodes]. linifolia. Moench. [
Cynoglossum linifolium Linn. [
Omphalodes lusitanica folio lini. Tournef. [
Icon. Barrel. [
Moris. [
Growing in France and Portugal [symbol:] biennial herb (seen alive).
This plant is also generally known, and is grown as an ornamental in most gardens. By cultivation the leaves become two to three times longer and much broader.
7) Omphalodes myosotoides. (to me)
O[mphalodes]. with basal leaves spathulate-lanceolate, the cauline ones sessile, tuberculate-pilose, rough, flowers loosely racemose.
Cynoglossum myosotoides. La Billard. [
Cynoglossum lithospermifolium. Lamarck [
Descript[ion]. La Billard. [
Lamarck [
Icon. La Billard. [
Growing on the summits of Mount Lebanon [symbol:] perennial herb (dry material seen).
8) Omphalodes scorpioides. (to me)
O[mphalodes]. with prostrate stem, dichotomous, leaves rough, the basal ones spathulate, the cauline ones lanceolate, sessile, the lower ones opposite, the others alternate, pedicels axillary.
Cynoglossum scorpioides. Haenke [
Descript[ion] Haenke l. c.
Schmidt. [
Icon. Plate VII. [Fig. 4]
Habitats are shady wooded areas of Bohemia and apparently also the region of Würzburg, Bavaria. ♂ (seen alive).
Fig.
Also most likely belonging to this genus is Cynoglossum lusitanicum Linn. [
Berlin, in the spring of 1816
[11] ^ ≡ Pectocarya lateriflora (Lam.) DC. – Prodr. 10: 120. 1846.
[12] ^ = Pectocarya gracilis (Ruiz & Pav.) I.M.Johnst. – in Contr. Gray Herb. 70: 36. 1924.
[13] ^ Cynoglossum angustifolium Willd. – Sp. Pl. 1: 763. 1798.
[14] ^ Cynoglossum emarginatum Lam. – Tabl. Encycl. 1. 400. 1792.
[15] ^ Cynoglossum racemosum Schreb. – in Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 3: 475. 1767 – no online source found.
[16] ^ Cynoglossum cristatum Schreb. – in Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 3: 476. 1767 – no online source found.
[17] ^ Cynoglossum echinatum Thunb. – Prodr. Pl. Cap. 34. 1794.
[18] ^ ≡ Lappula cynoglossoides (Lam.) Gürke – in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(3a): 106. 1894.
[19] ^ Cynoglossum lanceolatum Forssk. – Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 41. 1775.
[20] ^ Cynoglossum cheirifolium L. – Sp. Pl. 1: 134. 1753.
[21] ^ Anchusa lanata. L. – Syst. Nat., ed. 10: 914. 1759].
[22] ^ Cynoglossum fulvum Rudolphi – in J. Bot. (Schrader) 1799(2): 279. 1800.
[23] ^ Buglossum Adans. - Fam. Pl. 2: 178. 1763; not Buglossoides Moench - Methodus 418. 1794.
[24] ^ Desfontaines refers to Anchusa officinalis L. – Sp. Pl. 1: 133. 1753.
[25] ^ Either Cynoglossum montanum L. – Demonstr. Pl. 5. 1753; or Cynoglossum montanum Lam. – Fl. Franç. 2: 277. 1779, nom. illeg.
[26] ^ [Syst. Veg., ed. 13. 157. 1774].
[27] ^ Cynoglossum rindera L. f. – Suppl. Pl. 130. 1782.
[28] ^ Mattia Schult. – Observ. Bot.: 30, 32. 1809 – no online source found.
[29] ^ p. 139 “Cynoglossum lusitanicum ist nicht das Linnéische; dieses letztere ist, wie ich von Smith weiß, eine sibirische Pflanze” [Cynoglossum lusitanicum is not that of Linnaeus; the latter, as I learn from Smith, is a Siberian plant].
[30] ^ According to
[31] ^ No online source found.
The scans were kindly provided by the Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg Frankfurt am Main. The authors express their gratitude for assistance by the PENSOFT editorial staff.