Issue 18620

Bartlettina is a mess

18620
Reporter: rdmpage
Assignee: mdoering
Type: Feedback
Summary: Bartlettina is a mess
Priority: Major
Resolution: Fixed
Status: Closed
Created: 2016-06-30 08:23:28.899
Updated: 2016-08-02 10:46:33.329
Resolved: 2016-07-29 11:01:46.018
        
Description: The GBIF map for the plant genus _Bartlettina_  http://www.gbif.org/species/3134395 is a mess.

This genus is native to Mesoamercia and South America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartlettina  but GBIF has lots of records from Europe and Pakistan, as well as others scattered around the globe. Some of these may be introduced (_Bartlettina sordida_ is an ornamental) but some of these records look to be incorrect.

The European records are for _Phagnalon sordidum_ (L.) Rchb. which GBIF somehow thinks is a synonym of _Bartlettina sordida_ (Less.) R.M.King & H.Rob. These names don't have the same basionym, they are clearly different things.

The records from Pakistan are for _Aster molliusculus_ (Lindl. ex DC.) C.B.Clarke which GBIF says is a synonym of _Bartlettina hemisphaerica_ (DC.) R.M.King & H.Rob. As far as I can tell, _Aster molliusculus_ is a valid species found in Asia. The basionym of  _Bartlettina hemisphaerica_ is _Eupatorium hemisphaericum_ var. _molliusculum_ DC.

All in all a confusing mess. It would be nice to know how this was generated, and how we can avoid these situations. Is it the lack of detailed plant name data?]]>
    


Author: rdmpage
Created: 2016-07-01 07:31:13.616
Updated: 2016-07-01 07:31:13.616
        
Completely independently a GBIF user has commented about this same genus on iPhylo http://iphylo.blogspot.de/2013/09/the-quality-of-gbif-taxonomic.html#comment-2759357159

I suspect this genus may be a victim of the basionym matching issue (using same species names in different genre in the same family to flag possible problems), but whatever it looks like this large family of plants (Asteraceae) has been badly mangled.
    


Author: mdoering@gbif.org
Comment: The new August 2016 backbone has _Phagnalon sordidum (L.) Rchb._ and _Aster molliusculus (Lindl. ex DC.) C.B.Clarke_ as accepted or doubtful taxa sitting in the genus Phagnalon and Aster respectively. Awaiting new occurrence maps to verify Bartlettina occurrences
Created: 2016-07-27 14:32:27.044
Updated: 2016-07-27 14:32:27.044


Author: mdoering@gbif.org
Created: 2016-07-29 11:01:30.701
Updated: 2016-07-29 11:23:16.405
        
Having reprocessed all occurrences to the new august backbone there are only 11 occurrences left in Europe: http://www.gbif-uat.org/occurrence/search?&TAXON_KEY=3134395&HAS_GEOSPATIAL_ISSUE=false&HAS_COORDINATE=true&GEOMETRY=-28.125+63.860035%2C-28.125+20.632784%2C54.84375+20.632784%2C54.84375+63.860035%2C-28.125+63.860035

All of which are Eupatorium sordidum Less. Herbarium specimens. That seems about right: http://www.gbif.org/occurrence/767610204/verbatim
    


Author: rdmpage
Comment: Nice! Is this based on an ad hoc fix for this example, or the result of the new nub algorithms?
Created: 2016-07-30 14:25:03.089
Updated: 2016-07-30 14:25:03.089


Author: mdoering@gbif.org
Comment: This is the result from the less eager basionym grouping, nothing fixed specifically for this problem
Created: 2016-08-01 10:51:24.511
Updated: 2016-08-01 10:51:24.511


Author: rdmpage
Comment: +1
Created: 2016-08-01 12:39:57.343
Updated: 2016-08-01 12:39:57.343


Author: mdoering@gbif.org
Created: 2016-08-02 10:46:33.329
Updated: 2016-08-02 10:46:33.329
        
Map looks much better now:
http://www.gbif-uat.org/species/3134395

The few European records are ok (see above). Then there are just some 37 Australian/New Zealand records left that might be cultivated/introduced?
http://www.gbif-uat.org/occurrence/search?TAXON_KEY=3134395&HAS_GEOSPATIAL_ISSUE=false&GEOMETRY=99+-4%2C99+-49%2C180+-49%2C180+-4%2C99+-4

E.g.: http://www.gbif-uat.org/occurrence/1269410259/verbatim
http://www.gbif-uat.org/occurrence/993532695/verbatim