Impletosphaeridium ehrenbergii

ehrenbergii (Deflandre, 1947c, fig.1, no.5) Islam, 1993, p.86.  Emendation: Masure in Fauconnier and Masure, 2004, p.337-338, as Impletosphaeridium ehrenbergii.  Holotype: Deflandre, 1939a, pl.10, fig.9, as Hystrichosphaeridium cf. hirsutum; Deflandre, 1947c, fig.1, no.5; Fauconnier and Masure, 2004, pl.48, figs.9,11.  Originally Hystrichosphaeridium, subsequently Baltisphaeridium (Appendix A), thirdly Cleistosphaeridium, fourthly Cleistosphaeridium?, fifthly (and now) Impletosphaeridium.  Nomenclatural junior synonym: Cleistosphaeridium deflandrei Courtinat, 1989, which has the same holotype.  This combination was not validly published in Davey et al. (1966, p.170), since these authors did not fully reference the basionym.  Courtinat (1989, p.166) erected the species Cleistosphaeridium deflandrei and designated as holotype the specimen illustrated in Deflandre (1939a, pl.10, fig.9) and Deflandre (1947c, fig.1, no.5).  This is the only specimen of Hystrichosphaeridium ehrenbergii illustrated by Deflandre (1947c) when he erected that species, and which thus must be considered its holotype.  Courtinat (1989, p.166) considered Hystrichosphaeridium ehrenbergii to be not validly published, since Deflandre (1947c) did not give a diagnosis or designate a holotype.  According to the I.C.B.N. (Article 37.1), designation of a holotype was not required before 1958.  Also, according to the I.C.B.N. (Article 32.4), "For the purpose of valid publication of a name, reference to a previously and effectively published description or diagnosis may be direct or indirect ..." Deflandre (1947c, caption to fig.1, no.5) referred to "H. cf. hirsutum (Ehr.) Defl. 1938", this reference including a description by Deflandre (1939a, p.191).  Hence, Hystrichosphaeridium ehrenbergii must be regarded as having been validly published by Deflandre (1947c); consequently Cleistosphaeridium deflandrei is an illegitimate name for the same taxon.  Age: Oxfordian.

Parent: Impletosphaeridium