Myosotis elongata var. parviflora Strobl

Cecchi, Lorenzo & Selvi, Federico, 2015, Typification of names in Boraginales described from Sicily, Natural History Sciences 2 (2), pp. 97-99 : 98-99

Myosotis elongata var. parviflora Strobl in Flora 67: 635. 1884. [ Myosotis sylvatica s.l.]

Locus classicus: [ Italy, Sicily] “ Colma Grande [...] Bosco di Castelbuono [...] Waldwiesen und Buschwelrk der Nebroden, Fosse di S. Gandolfo, Pizzo �ntenna [...] Pietra Fucile, Balato reale, Piano della battaglia, Pozzo di Mennonica (Porcari Cat.)” .

Lectotype (here designated): [ Italy, Sicily] “ In re- gione elatiore montium Madoniarum locis umbrosis, solo calcareo: Fosse di S. Gandolfo 1850 m ”, 07.1873, Strobl (� DMONT!).

Other original specimens mentioned by Strobl are kept in FI, NAP, PAL and possibly in other herbaria (not seen).

Note. When describing the new taxon M. sylvatica subsp. subarvensis, Grau (1964: 571-572) suggested that this could be a synonym of M. elongata var. parviflora and other doubtful names of taxa described from Sicily and the South Balkans. However, the author also added that “eine Typifizierung kaum möglieh ist” [“a typification is hardly possible”] for all these names. Both the collection locality and the morphological characters of the type material of M. elongata found in ADMONT support Grau’s hypothesis that M. sylvatica subsp. subarvensis corresponds to M. elongata var. parviflora .

Although M. sylvatica subsp. elongata and subsp. subarvensis , as well as other infraspecific taxa, are rec- ognized in most recent floristic treatments based on weak quantitative differences (Grau & Merxmüller in Tutin & al. 1972, Pignatti 1982, Greuter & al. 1984), their taxonomic (and geographic) separation is very doubtful. For example, two specimens collected by Todaro at Busambra in the same day have been identified by Grau one as M. sylvatica subsp. subarvensis and the other (the isotype!) as M. sylvatica subsp. elongata , which would suggest the hardly plausible co-existence of two conspecific taxa in the same area and habitat.

Morphological variation of the Myosotis sylvatica group in Italy needs to be better investigated and it may be that some of the taxa currently accepted are not worthy of recognition.

Sabato S., 1990 – Remarks on the Publication Dates of Tenore’s “Flora Napolitana”. Taxon, 39 (3): 409- 416.

Selvi F., Cecchi L., 2009 – Typification of names taxa of Boraginaceae described by Italian botanists. Taxon, 58: 621-626.

Tutin T.G., Heywood V.H., Burges N.A., Moore D.M., Valentine D.H., Walters S.M., Webb D.�. (eds.), 1972 – Flora Europaea, 3. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.