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Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 15755

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Dr. Duilio Iamonico

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Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, RM, Italy
Interests: taxonomy and nomenclature of several plant groups, mainly: Amaranthaceae juss., Asteraceae bercht. & J. presl, Caryphyllaceae juss., Chenopodiaceae vent, Cactaceae juss., Malvaceae juss., Plumbaginaceae juss.; flora, plant sociology, landscape ecology and cartography of the Mediterranean area
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Dr. Emanuele Del Guacchio

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Department of Biology, Botanical Garden, University of Naples “Federico II”, via Foria 223, 80139 Naples, Italy
Interests: nomenclature and taxonomy of vascular plants; Mediterranean endemic plants; alien and invasive Italian species; Mediterranean flora
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Taxonomy provides a basic understanding to improve the knowledge around biodiversity, which is necessary for effective decision-making about nature conservation and sustainable use. On the other hand, nomenclature, which regulates how the names should be used to communicate taxonomic hypotheses, is also important to produce correct classification systems of biodiversity, especially through the designation of types which represent the intersection between these two branches of science.

Caryophyllales Perleb is a highly diverse group of angiosperms, constituting about 6% of global flowering plant diversity and encompassing more than 30 families, about 750 genera, and 12,500 species. This order includes ecologically very diverse taxa, some of which are threatened, naturalized or invasive, or economically important. This order is highly complicated from both the nomenclatural and the taxonomic point of view, at all the ranks (from family to species), and further studies are necessary to elucidate the systematics of many groups.

This Special Issue is open to articles on both the taxonomy and/or nomenclature of any taxon belonging to Caryophyllales. Concerning taxonomy, integrative approaches (including morphometry, anatomy, karyology, and/or molecular systematics) are preferred, but also research based on classical methods is welcome. Typification of names can be also proposed in a separate paper; however, in this case, the names studied should constitute a group (at least a logical one). In other words, they should be linked to a taxonomic group, to a geographic area, or to a single author

Dr. Duilio Iamonico
Dr. Emanuele Del Guacchio
Guest Editors

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Keywords

classification
molecular data
morphometry
nomenclature
taxonomy
typification

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nomenclatural Type Identification of Names in North African Tamarix (Tamaricaceae)

by José Luis Villar, María Ángeles Alonso, Manuel B. Crespo and Mario Martínez-Azorín

Plants 2023, 12(23), 3969; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233969 - 25 Nov 2023

Viewed by 594

Abstract

Tamarix is native to Eurasia plus the northern and southern territories of Africa, with some species being introduced into America and Oceania. They are usually found in arid, desertic, or subdesertic areas, often on saline or subsaline soils, in Mediterranean, temperate, or subtropical climates. The genus is renowned for its complex taxonomy, which is usually based on rather variable or unstable characters, which leads to contrasting taxonomic treatments. As part of the taxonomic revision of Tamarix undertaken by the authors, ten names (i.e., T. africana, T. bounopoea, T. brachystylis var. fluminensis, T. malenconiana, T. muluyana, T. tenuifolia, T. tingitana, T. trabutii, T. valdesquamigera, and T. weyleri) published from material collected in the southwestern parts of the Mediterranean basin are taxonomically and nomenclaturally discussed after analysing their original material. Eight intended holotypes are corrected here to lectotypes; one epitype is designated for T. africana to warrant current use of the name; and one isotype, 30 isolectotypes, and 11 syntypes are also identified for the studied names. Further, the taxonomic identity of all names and their eventual synonymic placement are accordingly discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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0 pages, 307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Genus Sagina (Caryophyllaceae) in Italy: Nomenclatural Remarks

by Duilio Iamonico, Laura Guglielmone and Emanuele Del Guacchio

Plants 2023, 12(17), 3169; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173169 - 04 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 934

Abstract

A contribution to the nomenclature of the genus Sagina is presented. The following 10 taxa are recognized as being part of the Italian flora: S. alexandrae, S. apetala, S. glabra, S. maritima, S. micropetala, S. nodosa, S. pilifera, S. procumbens, S. revelierei, and S. saginoides subsp. saginoides. The names S. apetala var. decumbens (=S. apetala subsp. apetala), S. bryoides (=S. procumbens), S. patula (=S. apetala subsp. apetala), S. revelierei, Spergula glabra (=S. glabra), Spergula pilifera (=S. pilifera), and Spergella subulata var. macrocarpa (=S. saginoides subsp. saginoides) are here typified. Specimens deposited at B-W, C, E, and LY, and illustrations by Reichenbach were considered for the typifications. Specifically, two Reichenbach’s illustrations are chosen for S. bryoides and S. saginoides var. macrocarpa. A specimen at B-W is designated as the lectotype of S. glabra. Two specimens at C and G are designated as the lectotypes of S. apetala var. decumbens and S. revelierei, respectively. A specimen at LY is designated for S. patula. As we did not find original material, a neotype at G is designated for S. pilifera. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

20 pages, 6349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of the Xerocarpa clade (Opuntia; Opuntieae): Evidence for the Role of the Grand Canyon in the Biogeographic History of the Iconic Beavertail Cactus and Relatives

by Lucas C. Majure, Thomas H. Murphy, Matias Köhler, Raul Puente and Wendy C. Hodgson

Plants 2023, 12(14), 2677; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142677 - 18 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1349

Abstract

The formation of the western North American drylands has led to the evolution of an astounding diversity of species well adapted for such communities. Complex historical patterns often underlie the modern distribution of the flora and fauna of these areas. We investigated the biogeography of a group of desert-adapted prickly pears, known as the Xerocarpa clade, from western North America. The Xerocarpa clade originated in the mid-late Pliocene, likely on the Colorado Plateau, and then moved south into the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts, and California montane regions, further diversifying, mostly into the Quaternary. The southward trajectory of the clade was likely greatly influenced by the formation of the Grand Canyon. The synapomorphy of dry fruit presumably impeded the long-distance dispersibility of the beavertail cactus, Opuntia basilaris, while dry, spiny fruit may have enabled O. polyacantha to substantially increase its distribution. Opuntia basilaris evolved a pubescent epidermis, allowing it to invade hotter, drier conditions, while the spine-clothed stems of O. polyacantha may have given it an advantage for increasing its northern range into colder environments. The Xerocarpa clade shows a cold desert origin, and changes in morphological characters have made these sister taxa well adapted for invading broadscale, but oftentimes contrasting habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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29 pages, 5296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Is Wrong with Frankenia nodiflora Lam. (Frankeniaceae)? New Insights into the South African Sea-Heaths

by Manuel B. Crespo, María Ángeles Alonso, Mario Martínez-Azorín, José Luis Villar and Ladislav Mucina

Plants 2023, 12(14), 2630; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142630 - 13 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1093

Abstract

The taxonomic identity and phylogenetic relationships of several southern African perennial taxa related to Frankenia repens are discussed. In particular, F. nodiflora Lam., a misunderstood species described from the Cape region and synonymised to F. pulverulenta, is restored for plants endemic to salt-pans and riverbeds in the coastal lowlands across the Cape Flats (Western Cape province, South Africa). Further, a revision of morphologically close plants, usually identified as F. pulverulenta or F. repens, also occurring in similar saline ecosystems of the inland western South Africa revealed the existence of two distinct new entities not matching any described taxa of the genus. Molecular analyses of nuclear ribosomal (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data together with morphological divergence allow recognition of those taxa at species rank, within an independent lineage close to F. repens. In consequence, two new sea-heath species are described in the so-called “F. repens group”: F. nummularia from the Nama-Karoo Biome (Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces), and F. anneliseae from the Succulent Karoo Biome (Northern Cape province). Full morphological description and type designation are reported for each accepted species as well as data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic relationships to other close relatives are given. Further, an identification key is presented to facilitate recognition of the southern African taxa of Frankenia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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19 pages, 2941 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spergularia hanoverensis (Caryophyllaceae): Validation and Recircumscription of a Misinterpreted Species from South Africa

by María Ángeles Alonso, Manuel B. Crespo, Mario Martínez-Azorín and Ladislav Mucina

Plants 2023, 12(13), 2481; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132481 - 28 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 950

Abstract

The name “Spergularia hanoverensis Simon” has been misapplied to an endemic taxon confined to inland semidesert ecosystems in central-western South Africa. It is commonly accepted as a small annual species occurring in saline habitats in a wide elevation range, but its identity still remains obscure. In the context of taxonomic and phylogenetic research on the African species of Spergularia, we found that the name was never validly published. After revision of herbarium material housed in South African herbaria, a voucher collected from Hanover was found at PRE bearing some labels handwritten by E. Simon that suggest it might be an intended type for the name. Additional herbarium material and wild populations from the Karoo region were identified that matched the samples in that voucher, and taxonomic research was conducted to clarify their identity. Among other characters, those Karoo plants show a woody dense compact habit, woody perennial at base; stems prostrate to ascendent; leaves entirely glabrous, somewhat glaucous; large white-hyaline conspicuous stipules; inflorescence glanduliferous, many-flowered subdichasial cyme, with minute bracts; flowers small, with white petals approximately equalling sepals in length, stamens 7–8, and styles free from base; capsule small, with seeds dimorphic, unwinged to broadly winged, with testa always densely tuberculate. Molecular analyses of plastid (trnL-trnF region) and nuclear ribosomal (5.8S-ITS2 region) DNA sequence data support morphological differentiation of the Karoo plants, for which the name S. hanoverensis is here effectively published. A full morphological description and data on ecology, habitat, distribution, and taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of S. hanoverensis are compared to other members of the “South African group”, namely S. glandulosa, S. namaquensis, and S. quartzicola, from which the new species considerably differs. The adaptative significance of dimorphic seeds of S. hanoverensis is briefly commented on in the context of the species habitat preference. An identification key is presented for the South African related taxa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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22 pages, 3614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrative Taxonomy of Armeria Taxa (Plumbaginaceae) Endemic to Sardinia and Corsica

by Manuel Tiburtini, Gianluigi Bacchetta, Marco Sarigu, Salvatore Cambria, Paolo Caputo, Daniele De Luca, Gianniantonio Domina, Alessia Turini and Lorenzo Peruzzi

Plants 2023, 12(11), 2229; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112229 - 05 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3138

Abstract

Sardinia and Corsica are two Mediterranean islands where the genus Armeria is represented by 11 taxa, 10 out of which are endemic. An integrative approach, using molecular phylogeny, karyology, and seed and plant morphometry was used to resolve the complex taxonomy and systematics in this group. We found that several taxa are no longer supported by newly produced data. Accordingly, we describe a new taxonomic hypothesis that only considers five species: Armeria leucocephala and A. soleirolii, endemic to Corsica, and A. morisii, A. sardoa, and A. sulcitana, endemic to Sardinia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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19 pages, 3684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nomenclature Survey of the Genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae): 12 Questions about Amaranthus caudatus

by Duilio Iamonico

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1566; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071566 - 05 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1547

Abstract

Nomenclatural and taxonomic issues concerning Amaranthus caudatus and the related taxa are presented. Types are designated for names A. caudatus var. albiflorus (neotype at RO), A. caudatus var. atropurpureus (neotype at GH), A. caudatus var. gibbosus (neotype at RO), A. dussi (neotype at NAP), and A. edulis (lectotype at LP). Holotypes are indicated for the names A. caudatus var. pseudopaniculatus f. oblongipetalus (EA), A. caudatus var. pseudopaniculatus f. pseudopaniculatus (EA), A. caudatus subsp. saueri (PR), and Amaranthus edulis var. spadiceus (CORD). The names A. caudatus var. albiflorus, A. caudatus var. atropurpureus, A. caudatus subsp. saueri, A. dussi, and Amaranthus edulis var. spadiceus are considered as hererotypic synonyms of A. caudatus. On the basis of morphological, cytological, and molecular data, the taxa caudatus, mantegazzianus, and gibbosus are here proposed to be treated as different species. A new name—Amaranthus baileyanus—is proposed for A. caudatus var. gibbosus because of a previous and validly published Amaranthus gibbosus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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33 pages, 4924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Genus Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae) in South America: Nomenclatural Review and Taxonomic Notes with the Description of a New Species from North Peru

by Duilio Iamonico and Daniel B. Montesinos-Tubée

Plants 2023, 12(5), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12051064 - 27 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1768

Abstract

All the names in Paronychia described from South America are investigated. Five names (P. arbuscula, P. brasiliana subsp. brasiliana var. pubescens, P. coquimbensis, P. hieronymi, and P. mandoniana) are lecto- or neotypified on specimens preserved at GOET, K, LP, and P. The typification of nine names, first proposed by Chaudhri in 1968 as the “holotype” are corrected according to Art. 9.10 of ICN. Three second-step typifications (Art. 9.17 of ICN) are proposed for P. camphorosmoides, P. communis, and P. hartwegiana. The following nomenclatural changes are proposed: P. arequipensis comb. et stat. nov. (basionym: P. microphylla subsp. microphylla var. arequepensis), P. compacta nom. nov. pro P. andina (Philippi non Gray; Art. 53.1 of ICN), P. jujuyensis comb. et stat. nov. (basionym: P. hieronymi subsp. hieronymi var. jujuyensis), P. compacta subsp. boliviana comb. nov. (basionym: P. andina subsp. boliviana), and P. compacta subsp. purpurea comb. nov. (basionym: P. andina subsp. purpurea). A new species (P. glabra sp. nov.) is proposed based on our examination of live plants and herbarium specimens. P. johnstonii subsp. johnstonii var. scabrida is synonymized (syn. nov.) with P. johnstonii. Finally, P. argyrocoma subsp. argyrocoma is excluded from South America since it was based on misidentified specimens (deposited at MO) of P. andina subsp. andina. A total of 30 species (43 taxa including subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, and forms) are recognized, highlighting that for some (Paronychia chilensis, P. communis, P. setigera) we provisionally accept Chaudhri’s infraspecific classification, since the high phenotypic variability of these taxa is quite complicated and further investigations need to solve their taxonomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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26 pages, 9477 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trying to Understand the Complicated Taxonomy in Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae): Insights on Seeds Micromorphology

by Duilio Iamonico, Amara Noor Hussain, Arya Sindhu, Venugopalan nair Saradamma Anil Kumar, Shabnum Shaheen, Mamoona Munir and Paola Fortini

Plants 2023, 12(5), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12050987 - 21 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1904

Abstract

Amaranthus is a genus taxonomically complex because of its high morphological variability, which led to nomenclatural disorders, misapplication of names, and misidentifications. Floristic and taxonomic studies on this genus are still incomplete, and many questions remain open. Seed micromorphology has been shown to play an important role in the taxonomy of plants. Regarding Amaranthaceae and Amaranthus, investigations are rare, and they refer to one or a few species. With the primary aim to test if seed features are helpful in the taxonomy of Amaranthus, we here present a detailed SEM study on seed micromorphology in 25 Amaranthus taxa using morphometric methods. Seeds were collected from field surveys and herbarium specimens; 14 seed coat features (7 qualitative and 7 quantitative) were measured on 111 samples (up to 5 seeds per sample). The results obtained revealed that seeds micromorphology provides interesting new taxonomic data concerning some taxa (species and below ranks). In fact, we were able to distinguish a few seed types, including one or more taxa, i.e., blitum-type, crassipes-type, deflexus-type, tuberculatus-type, and viridis-type. On the other hand, seed features are not useful for other species, for example, those included in the deflexus-type (A. deflexus, A. vulgatissimus, A. cacciatoi, A. spinosus, A. dubius, and A. stadleyanus). A diagnostic key of the studied taxa is proposed. Subgenera cannot be distinguished using seed features, thus confirming the published molecular data. All these facts reveal, once again, the taxonomic complexity of the genus Amaranthus since, e.g., just a few seed types can be defined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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19 pages, 5453 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Taxonomy Complexity of Some Tyrrhenian Endemic Limonium Species Belonging to L. multiforme Group (Plumbaginaceae): New Insights from Molecular and Morphometric Analyses

by Duilio Iamonico, Olga De Castro, Emanuela Di Iorio, Gianluca Nicolella and Mauro Iberite

Plants 2022, 11(22), 3163; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11223163 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1510

Abstract

The delimitation of Limonium taxa is highly complicated due to hybridization, polyploidy, and apomixis. Many “microspecies” were described and aggregated into groups, most of which are still poorly known from both molecular and morphological points of view. The aim of this study is to investigate four endemic species from the Tyrrhenian coast of central Italy and the Ponziane Archipelago belonging to the L. multiforme group (L. amynclaeum, L. circaei, L. pandatariae, and L. pontium) by means of molecular and morphometric analyses. Molecular data by sequencing ITS and three plastid markers and morphometric data highlight new information about the taxonomy of these taxa so as to reduce them into a single specific entity. In fact, the better taxonomic choice is to consider the populations studied as part of a single species, i.e., Limonium pontium. Three subspecies are recognized, i.e., subsp. pontium [= L. circaei = L. amynclaeum; from Circeo to Gianola localities (excluding Terracina) and from islands Ponza, Palmarola, Zannone, and Santo Stefano], subsp. pandatariae comb. et stat. nov. (from island of Ventotene), and subsp. terracinense subsp. nov. (from Terracina). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Caryophyllales)

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