In order to correct an error in the recently published revision of Hoffmannseggia in North America, the correct nomenclature for H. humilis is provided.
In a recent revision of Hoffmannseggia in North America (Simpson 1999), I recognized 11 species, among them “H. gladiata” As can readily be seen from scanning the synonymy of that taxon in the revision, the name I used is incorrect because, assuming that the taxonomy is accurate, it violates the most basic rule of priority. The species Hoffmannseggia gladiata was circumscribed by Bentham in 1852. Among the entities with which I believe it to be conspecific is H. humilis. This later species was originally described as Pomaria humilis by Martens and Galiotti in 1843, nine years before Bentham described H. gladiata. In the synonymy provided in the revision, the names and dates are clearly shown with the correct name submerged under H. gladiata. I can offer no rationale for this error except that the decision to treat all the entities as one species was made late in the study and only after I was able to see a collection that represented a large population sample. Let me assure readers of Lundellia that the manuscript was read by three reviewers (two outside of Texas and both legume specialists) plus the editor but responsibility for the mistake rests with me. I hope that individuals will simply replace the nomenclature with that provided below. All specimens that were borrowed were correctly annotated.
3. Hoffmannseggia humilis (Mart. & Gal.) Hemsley, Biol, cent.-amer., Bot. 1: 326. 1880.
Pomaria humilis Mart. & Gal., Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10 (Ser. 1) Par 2: 303. 1843. Type. [MEXICO. Puebla]: calcareous mountains N of Tehuacán, 2000 m, Aug, H. G. Galeotti 3228 (holotype: W, not seen, photo 32066 at TEX!; ISOTYPE K!).
Larrea humilis (Mart. & Gal.) Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 316. 1930.
Hoffmannseggia gladiata Benth. in A. Gray, PL wright. 1: 57. 1852. Type. MEXICO. [Hidalgo]: Zimapán. T. Coulter 487 (HOLOTYPE: K!; ISOTYPE: TCD!).
Caesalpinia gladiata (Benth.) Fisher, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 18: 122. 1893.
Larrea gladiata (Benth.) Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 314. 1930.
Hoffmannseggia platycarpa Benth. in A. Gray, Pl. wright. 1: 57. 1852. Type. MEXICO. T. Coulter 486 (HOLOTYPE: Kl; ISOTYPE: TCD!).
Caesalpinia platycarpa (Benth.) Fisher, Bot. Gaz. (Crawfordsville) 18: 22. 1893.
Larrea platycarpa (Benth.) Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 314. 1930.
Larrea potosina Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 313. 1930. Type: [MEXICO]. San Luis PotosL Villar, dry, calcareous soil, 15 Aug 1890, C. G. Pringle 7367 (HOLOTYPE GH!).
Larrea pueblana Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 313. 1930. Type. MEXICO. Puebla. Cerro de Coatepec near Oaxaca, Aug 1908, C. A. Purpus 3220 (HOLOTYPE: NY!, ISOTYPES: F!, GH!, MO!).
Hoffmannseggia pueblana (Britton) Britton, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 11(5): 160. 1936.
Larrea villosa Britton, N. Amer. fl. 23(5): 313. 1930. Type. MEXICO. Hidalgo: mountain slopes, Ixmiquilpan, July 1905, C. A. Purpus 1369a (HOLOTYPE: NY!).
