Introduction

para1In ravines and gullies in the rain forest of Jamaica, at altitudes from 300 to 850 m, there grows an endemic species of the genus Renealmia L.f. (Zingiberaceae) which is characterised by its extremely narrow labellum, the lateral lobes of which are not developed. This species was treated in Flora Neotropica as Renealmia sylvestris (Stokes) Horan. (Maas, Reference Maas1977). The earliest name published for this taxon is Amomum sylvestre Sw. (1788) but this is a later homonym of Amomum sylvestre Lam. (1783). Stokes (Reference Stokes1812) made the combination Zingiber sylvestre Stokes, which would have been legitimate under Art. 58.1 of the ICBN (McNeill et al., Reference McNeill, Barrie, Buck, Demoulin, Greuter and Hawksworth2012), except that it is a later homonym of Zingiber sylvestre Gaertn. (1788). The earliest legitimate name for this taxon is Amomum striatum Stokes (Reference Stokes1830). Renealmia sylvestris Horan. (1862) is superfluous and a new combination is required in Renealmia.

This observation has also been made by R. Govaerts, the compiler of the World Checklist of Zingiberaceae (WCSP, 2013), where Renealmia sylvestris Horan. is given as a superfluous name in synonymy under Renealmia striata (Stokes) ined.

As the WCSP correctly notes, the earliest legitimate epithet which can be used for this species is Amomum striatum Stokes (Reference Stokes1830). The necessary new combination is formally published here.