Allonymphaea Doweld, nom. nov.

≡ Thiebaudia M. Chandler, Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Geol. 2(4): 180. 1954, nom. illeg. non Thiebautia Colla, Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 3: 161. 10 Jul 1824 & Hortus Ripul. 139. Jun-Aug 1824 ( Orchidaceae) nec Thibaudia Ruiz et Pavon ex Jaume St. -Hilaire, Expos. Fam. 1: 362. 1805 ( Ericaceae).

IFPNI registration LSID: 7CADF862-1DF6-73D1-7F21-2B840471F94B

Type— Allonymphaea rayaniensis (M. Chandler) Doweld, comb. nov.

≡ Thiebaudia rayaniensis M. Chandler, Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Geol. 2(4): 180. 1954

Holotype — Egypt, western desert, Wadi Rayan (V.31120, Natural History Museum, London, U.K.) – figured: pl. 16, fig. 58-63.

IFPNI registration LSID: D03FBF36-F539-3D53-F3D7-A532ABF93C75.

Stratigraphy: Eocene (Lutetian).

Etymology: by superficial likeness to the fruits of extant Nymphaea L. (1753: 510).

The genus Thiebaudia M. Chandler (1954: 180) was proposed for the fossil distinctive fruits from the Eocene (Lutetian) sediments of Wadi Rayan, western desert of Egypt (Northern Africa). These fossil remains were initially related with fruits of Flacourtiaceae, but later re-interpreted by Chester and Chandler as possible nymphaeaceous remains (vide Collinson, 1980). Since the fossil generic name is a (para)homonym of previously validly published orchidaceous generic name Thiebautia Colla (1824: 161) and ericaceous Thibaudia Ruiz et Pavon ex Jaume St. -Hilaire (1805: 362), a generic name is here validated.