NatureServe updated the taxonomy for the plant genus Fothergilla, a small genus in the southeastern US.  Some of these taxa are of conservation concern.  Haynes et al 2020 will be the new Standard taxonomy for this genus.

Taxa involved:

Old taxonomy in Biotics:

Fothergilla major

F. gardenii

New taxonomy in Haynes et al. 2020:

F. major - no change

F. gardenii - s.s.

F. milleri

F. parvifolia

 

F. major – no change

F. gardenii splits into F. parvifolia (GA, SC), F. milleri (AL, nw FL), and F. gardenii s.s. (coastal plain of NC, SC, GA)

Proposed changes:

NC:  Move F. gardenii data to the new record for F. gardeniis s.s. concept ref will be Haynes et al 2020

 

SC:  Move F. gardenii data to the new record for F. gardenii s.s. concept ref will be Haynes et al 2020; 

Add record for F. parvifolia

Currently, there is no SRANK on the record for F. gardenii.  Could you give these (F. gardenii and F. parviflora) taxa an SRANK?  

 

GA  Georgia is the only state that has all three newly circumscribed species.  All three of the new records should be added to the GA database F. gardenii s.s., F. parvifolia, F. milleri.  F. gardenii currently has an SRANK of S2, and 10 EOs.  

 

AL:  In the new treatment, AL no longer has F. gardenii and this material is moved to F. parvifolia and F. milleri.  The SRANK on F. gardenii in Biotics is S1 and there is 1 EO. 

 

FL:  In the new treatment, FL no longer has F. gardenii but has F. milleri.  The SRANK on gardenii  is S1, so F. milleri would also be S1.  The EOs would also move here.