Arisaema species list on IAS website

From: "Wilbert Hetterscheid" hetter at worldonline.nl> on 2003.02.01 at 04:41:15(9910) Dear folks of both discussion lists, In the process of upgrading the IAS website wScott and I now have the help of Thomas Mottl and Lester Kallus and things are speeding up. All pictures are processed and now the species lists per genus are being created (tuberous genera). The first hazardous encounter for me was Arisaema. Recently two major publications appeared with opinions on species nomenclature, the book by the Gusmans and the species checklist by Govaerts and Frodin and what could be expected, has become true: they don't match very well.......... The major reviewer of the Govaerts list is Jin Murata. It would seem that he has had a major change of opinion about the Japanese species and what we were getting used to since the first half of the nineties is now being changed again. For instance Arisaema japonicum is being separated from A. serratum again. Ar. limbatum has been synonymised under Ar. sikokianum. Ar. engleri as well etc., etc. The Gusmans mainly voice the opinions of earlier dates. +More I have been trying to find my way through this in making up the species list and I am sure my solution will not be satisfactory for everybody. Mostly I have taken a slightly conservative stance and followed the Gusman book but on occasion I have had some doubts about opinions in that book too. As I frequently discuss matters with Guy Gusman, things are still in a flux and changes may be made to the list. It is not the intention of this list to be leading in taxonomic terms but an attempt not to stir things up too much right now. I have commented in the list where obvious discrepancies exist between the major publications. SO DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER, O.K. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????? During the next few days, hyperlinks will be added to the names to link to image pages in the website. Again it becomes clear that we need a lot more images to make the site better, so when you have good quality scans (or slides) of species, make yourself known and let's see what we can improve in time. Cheerio, Wilbert

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