Polygala coursiereana Pomel

Polygala coursiereana Pomel, Bull. Soc. Sci. Phys. Algérie 11 (7): 211 1874 Fig. 2 ≡ Polygala nicaeensis var. coursiereana (Pomel) Batt. in Batt. & Trab., Fl. Algérie, 1: 106. 1888. Type. ALGERIA. “ Fort de l’eau ”, s. d., Coursière s. n. (lectotype, designated here: MPU 005110!). In the prologue, Pomel (1874) only mentions “ Fort de l’eau ” as place of collection. After searching for specimens in the various herbaria cited in Stafleu and Cowan (1983), we found a specimen in the Herbarium Pomel at MPU and collected by Coursière, which is original material, suitable for lectotypification. The specimen is in good conservation condition and a fruit, the wings and some corollas are clearly visible. The lectotype matches the protologue. Based on the morphological features of the lectotype, P. coursiereana is a heterotypic synonym of P. nicaeensis s. str., as circumscribed in this study, i. e. a taxon combining the morphological features and distribution of the former P. nicaeensis subsp. nicaeensis and P. nicaeensis subsp. mediterranea Chodat (see below).