Synonym numbers of Angiosperm species names and their drivers

Abstract Synonyms are an integral part of the taxonomic process, reflecting how the knowledge evolved. However, synonyms frequently introduce taxonomic noise into biodiversity databases, making it essential to understand the factors that drive synonym accumulation. While earlier studies highlighted intrinsic drivers such as nomenclatural practices, taxonomic placement, and the age of accepted names, broader macroecological (e.g., range size) and biogeographical influences remain comparatively understudied. This analysis dataset includes taxonomic metadata (family, genus, species) along with bibliographic (year of description) and distribution data. After data cleaning and filtering, we analysed 347,917 accepted angiosperm names across 421 families and 13,841 genera, covering 355 botanical regions worldwide. Dataset structure below: