Cunningham’s Florae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursor and the correct author of the fern genus Loxsoma nom. cons

Allan Cunningham’s Florae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursor, published serially from 1837 to 1839, is an important source of taxonomic names in New Zealand botany. It is pointed out that the printed text contains a large number of errors, which can be corrected using an autograph manuscript that is still extant. In particular, the spelling of the name of the fern genus Loxsoma nom. et orth. cons. as Loxoma is discussed. It is shown that this is an orthographic error, soon corrected by its author, who is not Cunningham, as generally supposed, but W.J. Hooker, as actually stated in the published text. The manuscript confirms the attributions Loxsoma R.Br. ex Hook. and L. cunninghamii R.Br. ex Hook. A number of typographic errors are also discussed, the only significant one having resulted in the mistaken attribution of the family Griseliniaceae to Cunningham.