This name was established in Gottschalk (2000: 35). Unfortunately that publication went to press with the name accompanied by a photograph of the wrong plant (Gottschalk, pers. comm.). While this does not affect the nomenclatural status of the name, it does create ambiguity over its application. The error is somewhat compounded by the fact that the name B. ‘Bolero’ had earlier been used as an unestablished working name for the same plant that was figured in error when the name was established. This earlier application of the name was then followed by Kirchner-Abel et al. (2004: 89).

At the time of establishment, the name was in fact intended for the cultivar to which it is now widely applied in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, and which is the parent of further seedlings and cultivars raised and grown world-wide. The plant to which the name had formerly been given merely as a working name was an inferior (according to the hybridiser) sibling which has since been named Brugmansia ‘Old Bol’ (Langenberg Retail List, 2001); it exists only in very limited circulation as far as we know, and has not been cited as a parent of any named hybrid.

We note that the 2009 ICNCP takes a dim view of the establishment of a working name for a cultivar different from that to which the name was initially applied, but that doing so contravenes a recommendation (Rec. 21C), not a rule, and so is technically permissible even though rightly discouraged (see Brickell et al., 2009: 1). In the interests of nomenclatural stability, we therefore in this case make the determination that Brugmansia ‘Bolero’ is to be considered correctly applied in the current widespread sense, as illustrated in Hay et al. (2012: 325, figs. 9.13 a & b), and not as it inadvertently appeared in Gottschalk (2000: 35) and then in Kirchner-Abel et al. (2004: 89).

Brickell, C.D. et al. (2009). International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. 8th Edition. International Society for Horticultural Science, Leuven.
Gottschalk, M. (2000). Engelstrompeten. BLV, München.
Hay, A., M. Gottschalk & A. Holguín (2012). Huanduj: Brugmansia. Florilegium, Sydney & Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Kirchner-Abel, A., W. Abel & V.M. Hesels (2004) Das grosse Buch der Engelstrompeten. Akawa, Privatgarten Verlag.