Cytology of Anchusa and its Relation to the Taxonomy of the Genus

Abstract

Anchusa myosotidiflora was placed in the genus Anchusa by Lehmann ¹ in 1818 after being originally described as Myosotis macrophylla by Marschall ² in 1808. In 1851, C. Stevens ³ assigned it to the newly described genus Brunnera, calling it Brunnera myosotidiflora. This splitting of the genus, however, was not accepted until the almost simultaneous publications of Ivan M. Johnston ⁴ and O. Stapf ⁵ appeared, the species being regarded as members of Anchusa by M. Gürke ⁶ and others. Johnston concluded that A. myosotidiflora with its variety grandiflora and A. neglecta, because of their “peculiar nutlets, leafy and ranker habit, and different inflorescence” fully deserved the position given them by Stevens. He accordingly retained them in the genus Brunnera and by following the law of priority as B. macrophylla, B. sibirica, and B. orientalis.