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The flora of diatoms from Brazil has been studied by several authors from the beginning of the 19th up to now. Some of the old lists and descriptions are unknown or have been ignored by Brazilian researchers and the situation of the names cited was not assessed. Here we compiled a list of 101 taxa of diatoms from Brazil registered by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg during the 19th century. We checked the current nomenclatural status of those taxa and lectotypified species from Brazil described by this author. For this, we accessed the Ehrenberg collection in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany, where 11 samples from Brazil studied by Ehrenberg are housed and published in different papers. Using these samples, we found 101 taxa (specific and infraspecific) published by Ehrenberg from Brazil. Five species (Eunotia bidens Ehrenb., Eunotia depressa Ehrenb., Eunotia elephas Ehrenb., Pinnularia microstauron Ehrenb., and Terpsinoe brasiliensis Ehrenb.) were new descriptions and were lectotypified here. The other species cited for Brazil were described initially from other places. However, 23 names were invalid and one illegitimate.
Lectotypification, nomenclatural status, Ehrenberg collection, Eunotia, Pinnularia, Terpsinoe
The 19th century was very important regarding the description of the biodiversity of algae and protists. At the first haft of that century, material from different parts around the world was analyzed by researchers from Europe and is today deposited in institutions on this continent. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg was one of these early researchers (
Brazil is among the regions from South America whose diatom flora was studied by Ehrenberg. Samples from the States of Amazonas, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Santa Catharina were analyzed by Ehrenberg and the names of some species were published in five publications (
Recently, Brazil is among the countries that have employed efforts to repatriate data of plants collected by foreign researchers during 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Such efforts have resulted positively in the creation of virtual herbaria (
The aim of this study was to compile a list of taxa of diatoms from Brazil registered by Ehrenberg, to check the current nomenclatural status of those taxa, and to lectotypify specific and infraspecific taxa.
Material and methodsThe Ehrenberg Collection (i.e., preparations, drawings and publications) was accessed at BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Biodiversität- und Evolutionsforschung an der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin), where it is deposited and recorded under the following numbers of cases (Kästen) and card folders (Bücher): K. 18 B. 3-5, K. 19 B. 9, K. 52 B. 12, K. 53 B. 10;
Data about samples of diatoms from Brazil analyzed by Ehrenberg.
Original sample | Original name of the locality | Current name of the locality | Coordinates | Collector | Date of sampling | Micastrips | Extra data of the samples | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1085 | Ega | Tefé, Amazonas State | 3°20'29.87"S, 64°43'33.39"W | Eduard Friedrich Poeppig | Between 1831 and 1832 | 180313-180316 | Subaerial, moss Hypnum acuminulatum |
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|
* | Ega-See | Tefé Lake, Tefé, Amazonas State | 3°20'29.87"S, 64°43'33.39"W | Eduard Friedrich Poeppig | Between 1831 and 1832 | 180416 | Periphytic, under Oscillaria sp. |
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|
1104 | Praya de Sernambatyba | Barra Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | 23°0'35.56"S, 43°22'8.97"W | Karl Sigismund Kunth | Between 1829 and 1841 | 180501-180502 | Root of Eriocaulon mosestum |
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|
1105 | Santo Antonio do Monte | Santo Antônio do Monte, Minas Gerais State | 20°4'50.27"S, 45°17'55.27"W | Karl Sigismund Kunth | Between 1829 and 1841 | 180503-180504 | Humus attached to Gramineae |
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|
1106 | São Paulo | São Paulo, coast | 24°5'31.91"S, 46°43'6.76"W | Édouard Louis Chavannes | 1846* | 180507-180508 | Soil |
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|
1099 | Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro A | Cônego River, Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro State | 22°19'33.03"S, 42°33'5.48"W | Hermann Encke | 07th April 1850 | 180401-180406 | Sediment |
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|
1100 | Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro B | Cônego River, Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro State | 22°19'33.03"S, 42°33'5.48"W | Hermann Encke | 07th April 1850 | 180407-180408 | Sediment |
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1101 | Insel St. Catharina, Rio de Lauro | Santa Catarina | 26°28'24.01"S, 48°57'9.32"W | Carl Pabst | 1850 | 180409-180410 | Subaerial, moss Hypnum sp. |
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1102 | Insel St. Catharina, Rio Concescao | Santa Catarina | 26°28'24.01"S, 48°57'9.32"W | Carl Pabst | 1850 | 180411-180412 | Subaerial, moss Hypnum loxense |
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1103 | Insel St. Catharina, Barre des Itajahi | Santa Catharina | 26°28'24.01"S, 48°57'9.32"W | Carl Pabst | November and December 1846 | 180413 | Subaerial, moss Sphagnum pulchricoma |
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1087 | Sumpfboden, Amazonas, Coari | Coari, Amazonas State | 4°5'13.84"S, 63°8'40.87"W | Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius | 180301-180308 |
|
* The Sample Index did not provide the number of the respective sample
To verify the nomenclature of some names, beside Ehrenberg’s original publications, we consulted
The occurrence of the taxa cited for Brazil but originally described from other places than Brazil is provided in this study by the number of original samples (Table 1), except the sample from Tefé Lake (Ega-See) for which the Sample Index did not provide the number of the original sample and which will be referred to as Tefé Lake.
Results A brief history about the samples from BrazilEhrenberg never went to Brazil. However, he received samples from different important persons of the history of such country. The main was Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius (1794–1868), a researcher of the Brazilian flora, who sent samples from Coari (Amazonas State) to
Twelve samples from five States from Brazil were sent to Ehrenberg (Fig. 1), but only eleven were cited by him in his studies, and one sample was not catalogued in the Sample Index (i.e., Tefé Lake, vide Table 1). The samples were stored in powder boxes (Figs 2–4) or old medicine boxes (Fig. 5) and are kept in the Museum für Naturkunde in a very good state. As well as the other Ehrenberg samples, the preparations of material from Brazil were made using mica discs, embedded with Canada Balsam (
Localities of the samples from Brazil studied by
General storage of samples from Brazil in Ehrenberg Collection, Museum für Naturkunde 2–4 Gunpowder boxes 2–3 Lateral view 4 View from the top 5 Medicine box
From these samples, we cataloged 101 taxa (specific and infraspecific) published by Ehrenberg from Brazil, of which five were new descriptions, 72 whose first descriptions were made from other places than Brazil, and 23 were invalid and one illegitimate name.
The list of all taxon names is given below, and the species described initially from Brazil are here lectotypified.
http://species-id.net/wiki/Eunotia_bidens
Figs 6–7Specimen in preparation 180404b, marked with yellow (g) ring, from sample 1099 “Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, in BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) (Fig. 6).
Rio Conigo [Cônego River], Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
New-York, Andower “Conn.” (Connecticut)
“striata, ventre plano, dorso convexo medio exciso (bidentato), apicibus dilatatis truncatis. = E. diodon apicibus truncatis.”
Diatoms from Brazil published by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg 6–7 Eunotia bidens Ehrenb 6 Lectotype, preparation 180404b, marked with yellow (g) ring, from sample 1099 “Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, in BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) 7 Another specimen of Eunotia bidens found in preparation 180405a, marked with yellow (g) ring 8–9 Eunotia depressa Ehrenb 8 Lectotype, preparation 180403a, marked with yellow (g) ring, from sample 1099, “Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, in BHUPM 9 Eunotia depressa provided by
http://species-id.net/wiki/Eunotia_depressa
Fig 8–9Specimen in preparation 180403a, marked with yellow (g) ring , from sample 1099, “Rio Conigo in Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, in BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) (Fig 8).
Rio Conigo [Cônego River], Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“New York?”
“striata, anguste linearis, ventre plano aut leviter concavo, dorso depresso plano, prope apices rotundatos subito attenuato.”
http://species-id.net/wiki/Eunotia_elephas
Figs 10–12Specimen in preparation 180502e, marked with red (r) ring, from sample 1104 “Praya Senambatyba, Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) (Fig. 11).
“Praya de Sernambatyba”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“striata, latissima, curva, apicibus late rotundatis, dorso, tridentato.”
http://species-id.net/wiki/Pinnularia_microstauron
Fig. 13Specimen in preparation 180502d, marked with red (r) ring, from sample 1104, “Praya de Sernambatyba, Rio de Janeiro”, Ehrenberg Collection, in BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) (Fig. 13).
“Praya de Sernambatyba”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Labrador.
“testula styliformis a ventre linearis, lateribus rectis, apicibus arcte constrictis late rotundatis.”
http://species-id.net/wiki/Terpsinoe_brasiliensis
Fig. 14Specimen in preparation 180411a, marked with blue (bl) ring, from sample 1102, “Rio Consescao der Insel St. Catharina”, in BHUPM (Museum für Naturkunde) (Fig. 14).
“Rio de Concescao, Insula St. Catharina, Brasilien”.
“mit sehr kleinen Notenzeichen”.
Terpsinoe brasiliensis was published the first time by Ehrenberg in his book Mikrogeologie (1854). Several taxa of diatom published by Ehrenberg in this work are considered unavailable (invalid) according the Article 12 of ICZN (
We provide a list of taxa cited by Ehrenberg as occurring in Brazil. This list is names based and has not been checked with respect to current taxonomy. Authors of combinations have been checked.
Amphitetras antediluviana Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1839: 142, 1840. [cited by
Amphora gracilis Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 410, 1843. [cited by
Amphora libyca Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1840: 205, 1840. [cited by
Bacillaria australis Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, Atlas 8, Tafel XXXV-A, Fig II: 3, 1854. [cited by
Cocconeis lineata Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, Atlas 8, Tafel XXXIX, Fig III: 11, 1854. [cited by
Cocconeis placentula Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 194, 1838. [cited by
Cocconeis striata Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1841: 370, Tafel III, Fig I: 30, 1843. [cited by
Cocconema gracile Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 412, 1843. [cited by
Discoplea comta Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1844: 267. 1844. (nom. gen. inval.) [cited by
Eunotia amphioxys Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 413, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia camelus Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 413, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia diodon Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1837: 45, 1837. [cited by
Eunotia monodon Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia parallela Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia pileus Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia praerupta Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by Ehrenberg, (1854), Tefé Lake]
Eunotia quaternaria Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia nonaria Ehrenb. ex Rabenh., Fl. Eur. Alg., I, 71, 1864. [name already cited by
Eunotia octonaria Ehrenb. ex Rabenh., Fl. Eur. Alg., I, 71, 1864. [name already cited by
Eunotia quinaria Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia senaria Ehrenb. ex Rabenh., Fl. Eur. Alg., I, 71, 1864. [name already cited by
Eunotia sphaerula Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1870: 55, 1870. [name already cited by
Eunotia tetraodon Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 192, 1838. [cited by
Eunotia tridentula Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 414, 1843. [cited by
Eunotia turgida(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 190, 1838. [cited by
Fragilaria acuta Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1840: 210, 1840. [cited by
Fragilaria entomon Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 415, 1843. [cited by
Gallionella crenata Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1847: 273, Tafel I Figs I: 8, 9; Tafel I Figs II: 4, 5; Tafel II Fig I: 12; Tafel II Figs II: 4, 5; Tafel II Fig III: 3; Tafel III Fig I: 6; Tafel III Figs II: 9-11; Tafel IV Figs A: 8, 9; Tafel IV, Tafel Figs B: 3-5; Tafel V Figs I: 5, 6; Tafel VI Figs II: 4, 6; 1849. [cited by
Gallionella distans Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 190, 1838. [cited by
Gallionella granulata Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 415, 1843. [cited by
Gallionella procera Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1847: 270, 273, 279, 285, 287, 293, 299, 303, 317, 319, 396, 399, 442, 443, 445, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 455, 456, 458, Tafel I Figs I: 6, 7; Tafel I Figs II: 3; Tafel II Figs I: 6, 7; Tafel II Figs II: 2, 3; Tafel II Fig III: 2; Tafel III Figs I: 3, 4; Tafel III Figs II: 4, 5; Tafel IV Figs A: 4, 5; Tafel IV Fig B: 2; Tafel V Fig I: 3; Tafel V Fig II: 4; Tafel VI Fig II:1. 1849. [cited by
Gallionella sulcata Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 170, 1838. [cited by
Gallionella varians (C.Agardh)Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 167, 1838. [cited by
Gomphonema clavatum Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1831: 88, 1832. [cited by
Gomphonema gracile Ehrenb., Infusionsthierchen, 217, 1838. [cited by
Gomphonema longiceps Ehrenb. ex Ralfs, in Pritchard, Hist. Inf., ed. 4, 890, 1861. [name already cited by
Himantidium arcus(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1839: 127, 1839. [cited by
Himantidium gracile Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 417, 1843. [cited by
Himantidium monodon Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 417, 1843. [cited by
Himantidium papilio Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 417, 1843. [cited by
Navicula amphioxys Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 417, 1843. [cited by
Navicula amphisphenia Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 417, 1843. [cited by
Navicula bacillum Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1838: 130. 1839. [cited by
Navicula gracilis Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1831: 79, 1832. [cited by
Navicula sigma Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1833: 259, 1834. [cited by
Navicula silicula Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 419, 1843. [cited by
Navicula viridis (Nitzsch)Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1831: 81, 1832. [cited by
Pinnularia amphirrhina Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, Atlas 17, Tafel XV-A, Fig 20, 1854. [cited by
Pinnularia borealis Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 420, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia capitata(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1848: 18, 1848. [cited by
Pinnularia decurrens Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 420, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia dicephala(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb. Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 420, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia gastrum Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 421, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia gibba(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 315, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia lanceolata(Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 315, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia macilenta Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 421, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia nobilis (Ehrenb.) Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1845: 61, 1845. [cited by
Pinnularia tabellaria Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 422, 1843. [cited by
Pinnularia vespa Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, pl. XXXIII, Fig V: 9, 1854. [name already cited by
Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch) Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 315, 1843. [cited by
Stauroneis gracilis Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1841: 423, 1843. [cited by
Stauroneis phoenicenteron (Nitzsch) Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1841: 311, 1843. [cited by
Stauroneis semen Ehrenb. ex Ralfs in Pritchard, His. Inf., ed. 4, 912, 1854. [cited by
Stauroptera isostauron Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1841: 423, 1843. [cited by
Surirella bifrons Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1833: 259, 1834. [cited by
Surirella constricta Ehrenb. ex Ralfs in Pritchard, Hist. Inf., ed. 4, 794, 1854. [cited by
Surirella euglypta Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1841: 424, 1843. [cited by
Surirella oblonga Ehrenb. ex Ralfs in Pritchard, His. Inf., ed. 4, 795, 1854. [cited by
Synedra acuta Ehrenb. ex Ralfs in Pritchard, His. Inf., ed. 4, 788, 1854. [cited by
Synedra lunaris Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1831: 87, 1832. [cited by
Synedra ulna (Nitzsch) Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, 1831: 87, 1832. [cited by
Terpsinoe musica Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1843: 425, 1843. [cited by
As introduced before, Ehrenberg considered diatoms as “animal poligastrica” in all his publications. According to Article 45.4 of the ICBN, the validity of names of organisms originally not treated as plants, algae or fungi must be governed by the respective code (
Article 12.1 of ICZN states that “to be available [valid], every new name published before 1931 must satisfy the provisions of Article 11 and must be accompanied by a description or a definition of the taxon that it denotes, or by an indication” (
The names of diatoms listed below are those cited specifically by
Achnanthes brasiliensis Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 310, 311 1854. (nom. inval.)
Achnanthes incrassata Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 310, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Achnanthes ventricosa Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1848: 479, 1848. (nom. inval.)
Cocconeis glans Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Cocconeis lineata var. brasiliensis Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 309, 310, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Cocconeis lirata Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Eunotia amphioxys var. rostrata Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1851: 228, 1851. (nom. inval.)
Eunotia carinata Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1851: 477, 1851. (nom. inval.)
Eunotia denaria Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1851: 477, 1851 (nom. inval.)
Eunotia edulis Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 315-650, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Eunotia paradoxa Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1843: 139, 1843. (nom. inval.) non Eunotia paradoxa Berg., Bot. Not. 1939: 433, 1939.
Eunotia triglyphis Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1851: 228, 1851. (nom. inval.)
Fragilaria australis Ehrenb., Mikrog eologie, 308, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Gallionella tenerrima Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1842: 272, 1842. (nom. inval.)
Navicula catharinae Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 310, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Navicula microstauron Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1841: 203, 1841. (nom. inval.)
Navicula obtusa Ehrenb., Abh. Königl. Akad. Berlin, , 1841: 419, 1843. (nom. illeg.) non Navicula obtusa Bory, Encycl. Méth., Hist. Nat. Zooph., 563, 1827. nec Navicula obtusa (Lagerst.) Hust., Süssw.-Diat. Deutschl., 36. 1909 (nom. illeg.)
Pinnularia catharinae Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Pinnularia decora Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Pinnularia digitus Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1845: 61, 1845. (nom. inval.)
Pinnularia formica Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.) non Pinnularia formica (Ehrenb.) R.M.Patrick, Monogr. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad., 13, 627, 1966.
Raphoneis laevigata Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 310, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Stauroptera brasiliensis Ehrenb., Mikrogeologie, 311, 1854. (nom. inval.)
Surirella ovata Ehrenb., Ber. Bekanntm. Verh. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1844: 341, 1844. (nom. inval.)
DiscussionBiological collections represent a set of organism that lived in some locality during some time. Thus, historical collections are a portrait of the biodiversity of some place that can never be faithfully restudied. This is due to natural or anthropogenic factors responsible for changes of biological diversity of an environment in short, medium or long terms, (
Besides their scientific importance, such collections also perform a fundamental cultural role regarding the region in which the material was collected and for the development of science along the centuries. Through Ehrenberg’s studies, for instance, it can be inferred which pathway some botanists such as Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, Karl Sigismund Kunth, Eduard Friedrich Poeppig, Édouard Louis Chavannes, and other personalities such as the Carl Pabst or Hermann Encke, took when traveling Brazil in the 19th century.
The cultural and scientific importance of the Brazilian samples studied by Ehrenberg can be found in its historical context. At the beginning of the 19th century, many regions in Brazil were occupied by natives whose social organization was different of other native people from South America. In 1818, Prince Regent D. Joao VI of Portugal started an immigration policy that resulted in the arrival of 1, 458 Swiss immigrants between 1819 and 1820. These immigrants established themselves on the Cantagalo Farm and this settlement was known as Nova Friburgo. In 1824, Nova Friburgo received about 450 new people, this time German immigrants. Thus, it can be estimated that approximately 1, 900 people lived in this region. In 1907, the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística already estimated about 19, 185 inhabitants and in 2011 there were estimates of 182, 748 inhabitants (
Although we have no accurate estimates of the population from Nova Friburgo in 1850, it is clear that the impact on biodiversity generated by less than 19, 185 inhabitants (in 1907) is lower than the impact of the current 182, 748 inhabitants. This example can be translated to the other samples collected in Brazil until the first half of the 19th century. Even if it refers to only few places, these materials may be the most accurate examples of the biodiversity of Brazilian diatoms. Moreover, historical samples like those can help to understand anthropogenic effects on the biodiversity of diatoms in tropical and subtropical regions.
The list of Brazilian diatoms published in Ehrenberg’s studies allowed also to discuss the taxonomy and nomenclature of some diatoms described in the 19th century. Although the taxonomy of the diatoms published by Ehrenberg are ruled by the ICZN, the conditions required for a taxon to be considered available (valid) are practically the same as those of the ICBN, that is, a description, a definition (differential diagnosis) or an indication (which can be a published illustration) are needed. This last issue justifies, for instance, to ensure the availability of species such as Bacillaria australis, Gallionella crenata, Gallionella procera, Pinnularia amphirrhina and Pinnularia vespa which have no diagnosis, but indications to an illustration was provided.
Some unavailable names cited by Ehrenberg continued to be ruled by the ICZN which were available by him in later studies. This happened to Eunotia sphaerula and Pinnularia vespa which were cited by
Similarly, Navicula obtusa Ehrenb.(non Navicula obtusa Bory), the only illegitimate name among the 101 names published by Ehrenberg from Brazilian samples, was legitimated by Rabenhorst (1864, p. 197) with the new name Navicula appendiculata f. obtusa. This taxon was associated to “Ehrenb. (Verb. p. 131)”. The term “Verb.” mentioned by Rabenhorst (1864) referred to the paper Verbreitung und Einfluss des mikroskopischen Lebens in Süd- und Nord-Amerika, published by
According to the ICBN, an epithet of a latter homonym can be used in a different combination and on a different rank, if the epithet is available at this rank (Article 58.1,
Another nomenclatural issue is about valid descriptions or definitions, which we have considered to define valid publication of some diatoms published by Ehrenberg. Some taxa published in the 19th century showed very short descriptions or diagnoses. This led us to consider the expression “…und Terpsinoë brasiliensis, mit sehr kleinen Notenzeichen…” provided by
On the other hand, species such as Navicula gracilis, cited by
Despite similarities among the ICZN and ICBN of a valid name, one difference must be highlighted: the independence of the validity of the name of the genus and the name of the species. In the ICZN, a species name is available even if the genus name is not available (Article 11.9.3.1,
Even considering these limitations, it is noteworthy that only about 43% of the valid names recorded by
We catalogued 101 taxa recorded by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in a set of five studies, among which 77 are available (valid) names, 24 names are unavailable (invalid) and one is illegitimate. The reason why these 24 names are considered as invalid is the absence of a description or a definition (differential diagnosis) or the indication of an illustration. Among the 77 valid names, five were originally described for Brazil and are here lectotypified. Only 34 taxa of this list had been recorded until now by other studies than Ehrenberg’s. The other 57% of the valid taxa can be treated as first citation of the name for the Brazilian diatom flora.
In the future, studies should be conducted to characterize all specimens of Brazilian diatoms described by Ehrenberg. This could be carried out through the sampling and analysis of recent material from the original locality of the lectotype.
With this compilation, we can go back to the Ehrenberg collection to compare Ehrenberg’s identification as well as the current and the original concept of the species of diatoms from Brazil recorded by him. For this, studies with new preparations from his original samples will be necessary. Finally, it will be possible to carry out new studies comparing the old and recent diatom flora and associate the likely changes with the historical variables. This could provide tools to understand changing mechanisms of the biodiversity of diatoms in tropical and subtropical habitats.
We thank Dr. David Lazarus for his assistance to access the Ehrenberg Collection. The first author thanks DAAD/CAPES/CNPq for funding a Sandwich Doctorate Grant to Berlin, Germany.