Polygala corsica Boreau

Polygala corsica Boreau, Mém. Soc. Acad. Maine Loire 1: 87. 1857 ≡ Polygala nicaeensis var. corsica (Boreau) Chodat, Bull. Trav. Soc. Bot. Genève 5: 179. 1889 ≡ Polygala vulgaris “proles” corsica (Boreau) Rouy & Foucaud, Fl. France 3: 72. 1896 ≡ Polygala vulgaris f. corsica (Boreau) Paol. in Fiori & al., Fl. Anal. Italia 2: 230. 1901 ≡ Polygala nicaeensis subsp. corsica (Boreau) Graebn. in Asch. & Graebn., Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 7: 337. 1916. Type. France. “ Corse: Rogliano, rochers ”, 4 July 1854, Revelière 42 (Lectotype, designated here: ANG 037772!). In the protologue, Boreau (1857) mentions “ les plantes recuillies en Corse par M. E. Revellière ”. Based on the indications found in Stafleu and Cowan (1976), we found a pertinent specimen in ANG. This specimen, collected by Revelière in 1854, is part of the Herbarium Boreau. This specimen is clearly original material, suitable for lectotypification. This is particularly relevant, since Chodat (1889: 451) indicated a specimen collected by Mabille in 1867 and conserved in P as “ type ”. However, this must be interpreted as a neotype designation, that is superseded by our lectotype designation (Art. 9.13 of the ICN). The lectotype matches the protologue. Based on the morphological features of the lectotype, P. corsica is very similar to the lectotype of P. pedemontana (see below). The only observed difference concerns the smaller width of the wings, i. e. the two larger lateral, petaloid, sepals (≤ 4.5 mm in the former,> 4.5 mm in the latter), that, however, show the same pattern of vein with anastomoses. In other words, the size of wings in P. corsica is similar to that of P. comosa Schkuhr, but this latter species shows nerves without anastomoses (Tison and de Foucault 2014). Accordingly, we consider P. corsica and P. pedemontana as heterotypic synonyms. This confirms what was previously suggested by other authors, that either synonymised (Jeanmonod and Gamisans 2013) or included (Tison and de Foucault 2014), this taxon should be placed under P. pedemontana. However, it should also be highlighted that the priority name at species level for this unit of diversity is P. corsica and not the later P. pedemontana.