William Lobb in Ecuador and the enigma of <i>Solanum lobbianum</i>

Resumen

Summary Hawkes, J. G.: William Lobb in Ecuador and the enigma of Solanum lobbianum. — Taxon 41: 471–475. 1992. — ISSN 0040‐0262. A study of the William and Joseph Hooker archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, has provided a clear picture of the 1843 itinerary in Ecuador and southern Colombia of the British plant collector, William Lobb. Solanum lobbianum (sect. Petota ) was described by Georg Bitter based on a single type specimen at Kew, but because it had not been re‐collected since 1843 it was presumed to be extinct. “Lobb Columbia” was the only label information. It has now been re‐collected twice in Ecuador by a recent American expedition, and from the archival and other information detailed here it seems likely that the type specimen was gathered in Ecuador also.