Veronica benthamii K.Koch

Linnaea 22: 691 (Koch 1849), nom. illeg. (Art. 53.1; non V. benthamii Hook.f.).

TYPE CITATION. — Armenia, Aragazotn: “Auf der Ostseite des Alagäs [= Aragaz] auf basaltischem Boden, c. 3500’ hoch”(likely collected 1835).

LECTOTYPE (DESIGNATED HERE). — “2531 Vero. w Armenia M. Aucher (Éloy) 1836”, G[G00673571*].

Nomenclatural note. With regards to V. benthamii, surprisingly, the Aucher-Éloy collection was not found in P nor in B nor in any other herbarium except in Geneva. Therefore, the specimen in G has been chosen as lectotype and supports the synonymization with V. peduncularis M.Bieb. It remains unknown where Koch (1849) has the precise locality from since Bentham (1846) provided the number of the collection by Aucher-Éloy and that he has seen it in G but not the precise locality, which is also not present on the specimen label. Maybe, a collection by Aucher-Éloy was in B but was also destroyed in WWII.