Phytotaxa 334 (1): 080–082 http://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ Copyright © 2018 Magnolia Press Correspondence PHYTOTAXA ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) 80 Accepted by Duilio Iamonico: 12 Dec. 2017; published: 12 Jan. 2018 https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.334.1.13 Acantholimon davisii (Plumbaginaceae), a new specific name for the Turkish endemic A. caryophyllaceum subsp. parviflorum GALİP AKAYDIN 1 & MANUEL B. CRESPO 2* 1 Department of Biology Education, Hacettepe University, 06800 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey; e-mail: agalip@hacettepe.edu.tr 2 dCARN (Depto. Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales) & CIBIO (Instituto Universitario de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, P. O. Box 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain; e-mail: crespo@ua.es *author for correspondence Acantholimon Boissier (1846: 69) nom. cons., was first described to include perennial, densely or laxly pulvinate subshrubs, mostly thorny and cushion-forming. The genus currently contains about 200 taxa, mainly distributed from SE-Europe to C-Asia (see e.g., Kubitzki 1993). The main distribution centres of the genus are in the eastern Mediterranean and the Irano-Turanian regions (Bokhari 1970, Yıldırım & Crespo 2014), where many endemics occur. Taxa in Acantholimon have considerable ecological and economic importance, mostly as ornamental plants because their long-lasting and nicely coloured flowers (Doǧan & Akaydın 2004). The most complete synopsis of the Turkish taxa of Acantholimon was published by Doǧan & Akaydın (2007), who accepted 52 species (with 10 subspecies and 17 varieties). More recently, three new species were described (Baǧcı et al. 2009, Yıldırım & Crespo 2014, Iǧci et al. 2017) to raise the current checklist of the genus to 55 species, 10 subspecies and 17 varieties, many of which are Turkish endemics with very narrow distributions. Acantholimon caryophyllaceum Boissier (1846: 78) subsp. parviflorum Bokhari (1970: 299) was described to include some populations from CN-Anatolia which differ from the typical subspecies on account of some morphological differences, such as its rather small calyx (ca. 9–11 mm long) with nerves colourless to light pink, and the glabrous inner bracts (Doǧan & Akaydın 2007). The subspecies is also characterised by its short (up to 12 cm) scapes much exceeding leaves, glabrous and simple; spikelets ca. 10–20 mm long, one-flowered, rather loosely disposed, flexuose and distichously arranged for the major part of the scape; inner bract acute, often acuminate, with rather broad scariose margins and a wide central herbaceous band; and petals bright pink. These morphological peculiarities, together with notable ecological and geographical differences (see Bokhari & Edmondson 1972: 489), are strong enough to consider Bokhari’s taxon at the species rank in A. sect. Staticopsis Boissier (1846: 71), a solution that was adopted by Akaydın & Doǧan (in Doǧan & Akaydın 2007: 414) when establishing the combination A. parviflorum (Bokhari) Akaydın & Doǧan. However, the earlier homonym A. parviflorum Regel (1882: 73) was already available for a different plant (also of A. sect. Staticopsis), described from Saratag Gorge in the basin of the Zeravshan River (Palmir-Altai Region, Central Asia). This Asian species occurs in stony mountain slopes at higher elevation (ca. 2000–3000 m), and it is easy to recognise based on its long (up to 40 cm) scapes greatly exceeding leaves, often puberulous and usually with 2–3 short branches above the middle; spikelets ca. 8–11 mm long, 1(–2)-flowered, densely disposed and distichously arranged, mostly on the distal part of the scape; inner bract obtuse, often shortly mucronate, with very broad scariose margins and only a central narrow reddish rib; and petals pinkish (isolectotype: LE, barcode LE 00050421 [photo!]). Apparently, the lectotype of A. parviflorum should be conserved in “Moscow” according to Linczevski (1952: 364), who cited it as “type”. However, we were not able to trace any type voucher at MW and MWC (acronyms according to Thiers 2017+). Further work is needed to clarify this point. All things considered, the combination established by Akaydın & Doǧan (in Doǧan & Akaydın 2007: 414) is illegitimate according to Art. 53.1 of the ICN (McNeill et al. 2012) and cannot be applied to the Turkish endemic. Therefore, a new name (Art. 6.11 of the ICN) is proposed below. Acantholimon davisii Akaydın & M.B.Crespo, nom. nov. ≡ A. caryophyllaceum subsp. parviflorum Bokhari (1970: 299) [replaced synonym] ≡ A. parviflorum (Bokhari) Akaydın & Doǧan (2007: 414), nom. illeg. [non A. parviflorum Regel (1882: 73)] (Fig. 1). Type (see Bokhari 1970: 299):—TURKEY. A5 Sinop: Boyabat, 350 m, bare eroded hills (clay), dominant, lax cushion fls. pink, 24.vii.1962, Davis, Coode & Yaltırık D. 38043 (holotype E, barcode E 00327025!) [available at http://plants.jstor.org/stable/viewer/10.5555/ al.ap.specimen.e00327025].