Phytoneuron 2010-27: 1-2. VALIDATION OF SERIES NAMES IN VERBENA (VERBENACEAE) GuyL. Nesom 2925 Hartwood Drive Fort Worth, Texas 76109 www.guynesom.com ABSTRACT Ser. Pacificae Nesom and ser. Austrobrasilienses Nesom of Verbena sect. Amphepeiros Nesom, a primarily South American group, are validated by including morphological components in the Latin diagnoses. Verbena sect. Verbena ser. Haleanae is validated as the name of the series including V. halei. In an infrageneric classification of Verbena (Nesom 20 10), two names at the rank of series were published with Latin diagnoses including only a geographic component. As pointed out to me by Katherine Challis (IPNI Editor, Kew), these names were invalidly published since the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (McNeil et al. 2006; Article 32.3) notes that requirements for the diagnosis or description of a protologue are not met by statements describing properties of geographic origin. The names are properly validated here. Verbena series Pacificae Nesom, ser. nov. TYPE: Verbena glabrata Kunth Distributione geographica plerumque secus Oceanum Pacificum distinctus. A ser. Austrobrasilienses charaeteribus variabilis caulium foliorum, inflorescentiae, florum, ac fructuum differt; proprietatibus nondum studens differepraedicans. Verbena series Austrobrasilienses Nesom, ser. nov. TYPE: Verbena hirta Sprengel Distibutione geographica plerumque in Brasilia australi distinctus. A ser. Pacificae charaeteribus variabilis caulium foliorum inflorescentiae florum ac fructuum differt; proprietatibus nondum studens differe praedicantibus. The two diagnoses in the earlier paper were based on geography because of a wide and prominent disjunction between the two species groups — ser. Pacificae from Pacific Ocean regions of South America to Mexico and ser. Austrobrasilienses from a center in the southernmost states of Brazil. As observed in the original publication (Nesom 2010, p. 11), "The separation of ser. Austrobrasilienses and ser. Pacificae. based on geography, hypothesizes that other distinctions remain to be discovered; a clear morphological difference is not apparent, but the geographically- based names provide reference to the groups. It also is acknowledged that the separation may be arbitrary." The Verbena classification, like any other, is a h\pothc-'s thai imolws element 1 of description and predictivity. Geography is perhaps the strongest predictor in systematics and, in this case suggests that rui ther study may bring to light morphological or molecular differences correlated with the geographical separation. Exclusion of geographical difference as a valid basis for formal recognition of taxa above species rank may have moved the ICBN further than justified into subjectivities of biological and evolutionary theory. Dr. Challis also has noted that publication of Verbena ser. Haieae Nesom (Nesom 2010, p. 8) was invalid, "because the epithet appears to be a feminine noun in the genitive singular which is not allowed under [ICBN] Art. 21.2. I assume this was an attempt to form a plural adjective from the epithet of the type species, but that (halei) is a masculine genitive noun which would become haleorum in the plural. The feminine adjectival form of the epithet would be haleana (pi. haleanae)." The correction is made here. Verbena series Haleanae Nesom, ser. nov. TYPE: Verbena halei Small Foliis crassibus venis adaxialiter impressis marginibus revolutis caulium lobatis et spicis numerosibus fructibus late remotis ad maturitatem distinctus. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I'm grateful to Katharine Challis and Kanchi Gandhi for comments. LITERATURE CITED Nesom, G.L. 2010. Infrageneric classification of Verbena (Verbenaceae). Phytoneuron 2010-11: 1- 15. McNeil, J. et al. (eds). 2006. International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Vienna Code). Regnum Vegetabile 146. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag, KG.