# Taxonomic list of recognized paphs



## Linus_Cello (Jan 30, 2017)

Is the Kew/MoBo list the best list of taxonomically recognized paphs?

http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Orchidaceae/Paphiopedilum/


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## JAB (Jan 30, 2017)

Nice find. Depends on what you mean by "best" though.


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 30, 2017)

JAB said:


> Nice find. Depends on what you mean by "best" though.



One that is up-to-date and accurate. For example, this list doesn't reference anitum as a possible species or variety of adductum.


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## naoki (Jan 30, 2017)

I would say that The Plant List is a good start. I generally start from it, and also check MoBot's Tropicos. I noticed a few mismatches between these 2 databases in the past. Then, I would check the primary literature if there are some difficult issues. The most up-to-date is primary literatures, so there are some time lag.

This isn't something people outside of biology worry about, but "accurate" taxonomy is a tough one. The concept of species are for human convenience. Different criteria can be used for different purposes. Ideally, each person judges the provided evidences and make a decision. Then hopefully the consensus emerges. Some people are accustomed to the "authority" determining the taxonomy, but with modern systematics, we can judge the species delineation better with objective data (morphometrics, gene flow data and genetic population structures).


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## Linus_Cello (Jan 30, 2017)

naoki said:


> I would say that The Plant List is a good start. I generally start from it, and also check MoBot's Tropicos. I noticed a few mismatches between these 2 databases in the past. Then, I would check the primary literature if there are some difficult issues. The most up-to-date is primary literatures, so there are some time lag.




Thanks; at least Tropicos mentions anitum as a variety of adductum.


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## emydura (Jan 30, 2017)

Linus_Cello said:


> Thanks; at least Tropicos mentions anitum as a variety of adductum.



I'm not sure there is much recognition of anitum by taxonomists, especially at the species level. At the end of the day it is the same thing as adductum just darker.


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## terryros (Jan 30, 2017)

I also like The Plant List (theplantlist.org) to deal with species taxonomy. I think it is as up to date as the various scientific groups reach decisions. Anitum is currently considered a synonym for adductum.


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## PaphMadMan (Jan 30, 2017)

There is also the Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, of course. I think it tends to be more current. For example, Kew recognizes Paph rungsuriyanum, 2014 publication. The Plant List and Tropicos apparently haven't heard of it yet. A complete and current list of described taxa is more important to me than who accepts what at the species level. The species concept has limitations, as naoki pointed out.


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## terryros (Jan 30, 2017)

When I look at the World Checklist, I see that everything is a name that is accepted, but there isn't any judgment about which is the current accepted species and which are only synonyms of the species?


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## terryros (Jan 30, 2017)

I also just quickly checked BlueNanta and they do show rungsurianum as a species accepted by Kew in 2014. I continue to really like BlueNanta as a site.


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## NYEric (Jan 31, 2017)

terryros said:


> I continue to really like BlueNanta as a site.



I think the owner is a member here.


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## PaphMadMan (Jan 31, 2017)

terryros said:


> When I look at the World Checklist, I see that everything is a name that is accepted, but there isn't any judgment about which is the current accepted species and which are only synonyms of the species?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



Not sure what you mean. When it says a name is accepted that means it is the accepted name for that species. If it wasn't considered a valid species it wouldn't be listed as an accepted name either.

Can you give an example where you think it is ambiguous?


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## terryros (Jan 31, 2017)

Looking again, I think they are all pulling from the data sources. The World Checklist and the Plant List seem to be identical. In the World Checklist, all of the Paphiopedilum entries identify the accepted species by being bolded. In the Plant List they are bolded and also say either Accepted, or Synonym. I think the Blue Nanta is probably pulling from the same or almost the same data. All identify that anitum is a synonym of adductum. All have the entry for rungsurianum.

For hybrids, Blue Nanta is outstanding, giving several generations of parents, the final composite of species percentages in the hybrid (at least for hybrid before the current year), many pictures, and then all registered hybrids using the particular parent you looked up (either species or hybrid). I know that when Orchids Limited registered a new hybrid that I had been lucky to bloom first (Phrag Yoko W. Fischer) Blue Nanta had the listing in less than two weeks, so it is pulling actively from RHS.


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## PaphMadMan (Feb 2, 2017)

terryros said:


> Looking again, I think they are all pulling from the data sources. The World Checklist and the Plant List seem to be identical. In the World Checklist, all of the Paphiopedilum entries identify the accepted species by being bolded. In the Plant List they are bolded and also say either Accepted, or Synonym. I think the Blue Nanta is probably pulling from the same or almost the same data. All identify that anitum is a synonym of adductum. All have the entry for rungsurianum.
> ...
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



The Plantlist and the World Checklist may be pulling from the same sources but they do not have congruent information. 

The Plantlist does *not* have an entry for Paph rungsuriyanum, at least there is no match on a search and it does not appear in the complete list of entries for Paphiopedilum, so I'm not sure where you would have seen it. 

The World Checklist accepts both Paph glanduliferum and Paph praestans as valid species on their own. The Plantlist lists Paph praestans as a synonym for the accepted species Paph glanduliferum.

So they certainly are not identical in content or interpretation. Both are valid lists of taxa as far as they go, but are not equally up to date.


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## Tio Mister (Feb 20, 2017)

The list produced by WCSPF has two dyferent types : one in bold the other is not bold. Bold links are to the species name they accept. Non bold links are to the names they consider synonyms. Within each record of accepted names there is access to a list of the species names hey reduce to synonymy and in the non bold links they will point you to the name they accept in lieu of the synonym. 

I think there are close to 530 names listed (accpeted or synonyms).


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## terryros (Feb 20, 2017)

PaphMadMan - I apologize. There is not listing for rungsuryanum in The Plant List, but it is listed in BlueNanta and obviously the World Check list. I guess Blue Nanta must somehow be pulling from the World Check list?


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## troy (Feb 21, 2017)

Thank you guys for posting this info, all references mentioned are great for different things!! Much appreciated and again thank you!!!


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