Astragalus vulnerarioides Allioni (1785a: 343)

Conti, Fabio, Guglielmone, Laura, Pennesi, Riccardo & Bartolucci, Fabrizio, 2016, Typification of the name Astragalus vulnerarioides, basionym of Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. vulnerarioides (Fabaceae), and notes on its distribution, Phytotaxa 261 (3), pp. 298-300 : 298

Astragalus vulnerarioides Allioni (1785a: 343)

≡ Anthyllis vulneraria Linnaeus (1753: 719) subsp. vulnerarioides (All.) Arcangeli (1894: 502)

Lectotype (designated here):—[ ICON] T. XIX, fig. 2 ( Allioni 1785b) . Epitype (designated here):— FRANCE. Astragalus vulnerarioides, Moncenis , (patta creusa), 1838, s.col. (TO! second individual from the left, Fig. 1 ).

Notes:— Astragalus vulnerarioides in currently accepted as Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. vulnerarioides and it is quoted from Italy, France and Spain ( Cullen 1968, Greuter et al. 1989, Conti et al. 2005). According to Tison & de Foucault (2014) it is a critic taxon and great variability has been observed even in Spain ( Benedí 2000). In Italy it is known for Piemonte, Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige (doubtful), Liguria, Umbria (doubtful), Lazio (doubtful), Abruzzo, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata (doubtful), Calabria (doubtful) ( Conti et al. 2005). Tammaro (1985) stated that A. vulneraria group vulnerariodes sensu Pignatti (1982) from the central Apennines should be referred to A. vulneraria subsp. nana ( Tenore 1820: 139) Tammaro (1985: 22) . This latter taxon is characterized by stems with appressed hairs, basal leaves glabrous on the upper surface, inequifoliate, with 1–5 pairs of lateral leaflets, the terminal segment markedly larger than the lateral ones. On the contrary, A. vulneraria subsp. vulnerarioides is characterized by stems with patent hairs, basal leaves hairy on the upper surface, inequifoliolate, with 5–9 pairs of lateral leaflets and the terminal segment slightly larger than the lateral ones.

A revision of the herbarium specimens collected in the central Apennines (APP) and its morphological comparison with specimens of A. vulneraria subsp. vulnerarioides coming from the western Alps, allowed us to confirm the taxonomic treatment proposed by Tammaro.

Thus, we can exclude the presence of A. vulneraria subsp. vulnerarioides from the central Apennines and it is unlikely to be found in the southern Apennines. Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. nana is endemic of central Apennines where it is recorded for Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Epitype of Astragalus vulnerarioides (second individual from the left) kept in TO.