Redefining the megagenus Erica L. (Ericaceae): the contributions of E. G. H. Oliver and I. M. Oliver (née Nitzsche) to taxonomy and nomenclature

By

Nelson, E. Charles
Pirie, Michael
Bellstedt, Dirk

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

244

Pages

39--55

Subjects

Ericoideae , Nomenclature , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.244.121705

 

Abstract

The megagenus Erica L. (Ericaceae), as it is recognised today, includes 851 species of evergreen shrubs or small trees, the majority of which are endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. From the first descriptions in Linnaeus’s Genera plantarum, a succession of authors ascribed the steadily accumulating numbers of known species to various of a total of 72 different genera. Until the latter half of the twentieth century, so called ‘minor genera’ such as Philippia Klotzsch and Blaeria L. were still recognised for many African species. The now uncontroversial inclusive circumscription of Erica, and a substantial proportion of its currently recognised species diversity, was conceptualised, described, and illustrated by the South African botanists E. G. H. (‘Ted’) Oliver and Inge M. Oliver in a succession of works published from 1964 to the present day. We review the historical development of generic delimitation in Ericasens. lat., focusing on the contribution of the Olivers to the current state of systematic knowledge of the genus, and presenting an overview and complete lists of literature and of taxa that they authored.