Polygala flavescens Candolle (1813: 134)

Roma-Marzio, Francesco & Peruzzi, Lorenzo, 2017, Typification of the name Polygala flavescens DC. (Polygalaceae), Phytotaxa 331 (2), pp. 299-300 : 299

Polygala flavescens Candolle (1813: 134)

Type (lectotype, here designated):— ITALY. Latium [?]: Montagne de Somme, Stat Romain, 1810, Mr. Moricand s.n. (G-DC barcode

G 00210433!, image of the lectotype is available at http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/chg/adetail.php?id=196230&bas e=img&lang=en).

Further original material traced:— Polygala major floribus luteis R. Hist. 3. 639. Polygala lutea CB pin 215. Polygala major lutea, Mentzel. pugill., s.d., Herbier Vaillant s.n. ( P barcode P 03244009! image available at http://mediaphoto.mnhn. fr/media/1441337049921c8dg03fLjmPOLwL8).

Note:—In the protologue, Candolle cited explicitly polynomials by Bauhin (1623), Ray (1704), and a plant in the Herbarium Vaillant. In addition, he stated that the species was observed by Moïse Étienne (Stefano) Moricand (1779–1854) in the Roman Apennine (Central Italy) in a mountain called Somme “ Hab. in monte dicto Somme, in Apennino Romano... ”. The latter author worked in Geneve with Candolle, and currently his herbarium is preserved at G ( Stafleu & Cowan, 1981).

At P we traced in the Herbarium Vaillant the specimen cited by Candolle in the protologue. Furthermore, at G-DC we found a specimen collected in 1810 by Moricand, referring to the same locality cited in the protologue. Accordingly, both these specimens are complete, well conserved and can be safely considered as original material (Art. 8.2 of the ICN, McNeill et al. 2012). We feel the latter as a better choice for a lectotype, since it also provides some geographical information. However, it is noteworthy to say that the toponym “Monte Somme” - or similar spelling - cannot be found in any of the areas included in the State of the Church (formerly Roman Republic) at that time. We may admit that the collector wanted actually to refer to Monte Somma (Vesuvius area, Campania, S Italy). However, this latter area was never included in the State of the Church (i.e. Roman Republic) and P. flavescens has been never recorded in the Vesuvius area ( A. Santangelo, pers. comm.).

The selected lectotype, as well as other original material, completely agree with the protologue and with the current application of the name (e.g., Pignatti 1982, Arrigoni 2014).