Ensete holstii

Ensete holstii

Ensete holstii (K. M. Schumann, in A. Engler, Botanische Jahrbuecher. 34: 121-124 (1904)) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 103 (1947).

Accepted name Ensete ventricosum (F. M. J. Welwitsch) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 101 (1947) and R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (3): 405 (1953) with correction in Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953).

Synonyms Musa holstii K. M. Schumann, in A. Engler, Botanische Jahrbuecher. 34: 121-124 (1904).

Authorities The authority for the accepted name is Baker & Simmonds 1953 as corrected (see below).

The synonym is from Cheesman 1947a.
The World Checklist of Monocotyledons Ensete holstii (K.Schum.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 103 (1947 publ. 1948) (synonym Musa holstii K.Schum., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 121 (1904)) as a synonym of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 101 (1947 publ. 1948) which is given as the accepted name.

Distribution East Africa, West Usambara mountains (North-East Tanzania).

Description
See Ensete ventricosum for a description of this polymorphic species.

See Musa holstii for a description of the type of Ensete holstii.

References Aluka, Baker & Simmonds 1953: 413-414, Burkill 1935, Champion 1967: 40, Cheesman 1947a: 103, De Wildeman 1912, Fawcett 1913: 273-274, Lock 1993, Mobot Tropicos, Rung 1911, Uphof 1968.

Comments Cheesman created Ensete holstii as a new combination (number 16 out of 25) in a brief note in his 1947 paper reviving the genus Ensete. Cheesman revived one and created 24 new Ensete species in that paper but acknowledged that field study might reveal synonymy. Baker and Simmonds' 1953 review of the genus Ensete in Africa radically reduced the number of species either reducing or rejecting most of Cheesman's African Ensete. Baker and Simmonds' original paper reduced Ensete holstii to a synonym of Ensete edule. However, when it was noticed that, via Musa ventricosa, Ensete ventricosum took priority over Ensete edule by three years a substantial correction appeared in the following issue of Kew Bulletin that reduced Ensete holstii to a synonym of Ensete ventricosum (please refer to R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953)).
Baker & Simmonds 1953 discuss E. holstii in some detail (p. 413) but note that "while it differs from other collections [of E. ventricosum] in colour of bracts, in size and shape of fruit (slightly) and in size of seed [ ] there is no truly distinctive character or assemblage of characters to recommend the retention of the [name] Ensete holstii"

Type (holo?+ B) in A. Engler, Reise nach Sued- und Ostafrika, no. 2254, West Usambara, Tanganyika, 25-9-1902.

Isotype in Herb. Kew and Herb. Mus. Brit.
Images:

There are two external images of Musa holstii on the Aluka website http://www.aluka.org.

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last updated 24/11/2007

Accepted name	Ensete ventricosum (F. M. J. Welwitsch) E. E. Cheesman, Kew Bulletin 2 (2): 101 (1947) and R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (3): 405 (1953) with correction in Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953).
Synonyms	Musa holstii K. M. Schumann, in A. Engler, Botanische Jahrbuecher. 34: 121-124 (1904).
Authorities	The authority for the accepted name is Baker & Simmonds 1953 as corrected (see below). The synonym is from Cheesman 1947a. The World Checklist of Monocotyledons Ensete holstii (K.Schum.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 103 (1947 publ. 1948) (synonym Musa holstii K.Schum., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 121 (1904)) as a synonym of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, Kew Bull. 2: 101 (1947 publ. 1948) which is given as the accepted name.
Distribution	East Africa, West Usambara mountains (North-East Tanzania).
Description	See Ensete ventricosum for a description of this polymorphic species. See Musa holstii for a description of the type of Ensete holstii.
References	Aluka, Baker & Simmonds 1953: 413-414, Burkill 1935, Champion 1967: 40, Cheesman 1947a: 103, De Wildeman 1912, Fawcett 1913: 273-274, Lock 1993, Mobot Tropicos, Rung 1911, Uphof 1968.
Comments	Cheesman created Ensete holstii as a new combination (number 16 out of 25) in a brief note in his 1947 paper reviving the genus Ensete. Cheesman revived one and created 24 new Ensete species in that paper but acknowledged that field study might reveal synonymy. Baker and Simmonds' 1953 review of the genus Ensete in Africa radically reduced the number of species either reducing or rejecting most of Cheesman's African Ensete. Baker and Simmonds' original paper reduced Ensete holstii to a synonym of Ensete edule. However, when it was noticed that, via Musa ventricosa, Ensete ventricosum took priority over Ensete edule by three years a substantial correction appeared in the following issue of Kew Bulletin that reduced Ensete holstii to a synonym of Ensete ventricosum (please refer to R. E. D. Baker & N. W. Simmonds, Kew Bulletin 8 (4): 574 (1953)). Baker & Simmonds 1953 discuss E. holstii in some detail (p. 413) but note that "while it differs from other collections [of E. ventricosum] in colour of bracts, in size and shape of fruit (slightly) and in size of seed [ ] there is no truly distinctive character or assemblage of characters to recommend the retention of the [name] Ensete holstii" Type (holo?+ B) in A. Engler, Reise nach Sued- und Ostafrika, no. 2254, West Usambara, Tanganyika, 25-9-1902. Isotype in Herb. Kew and Herb. Mus. Brit. Images: There are two external images of Musa holstii on the Aluka website http://www.aluka.org.