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Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants
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Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants

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: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 6003

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Fabrizio Bartolucci

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Guest Editor
Centro di Ricerche Floristiche dell'Appennino, Università di Camerino—Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga, San Colombo, Barisciano, 67021 L'Aquila, Italy
Interests: systematics; taxonomy and nomenclature of vascular plants; Mediterranean flora; herbarium
Dr. Llorenç Sáez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Systematics and Evolution of Vascular Plants (UAB)—Associated Unit to CSIC, Department BABVE, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Interests: vascular plants; systematics; evolution; biodiversity; biogeography; threatened species
Prof. Dr. Manuel B. Crespo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (dCARN), Universidad de Alicante, ES-03080 Alicante, Spain
Interests: taxonomy and systematics of flowering plants; molecular phylogenetic; plant nomenclature; phytogeography; Asparagales; Brassicales; Caryophyllales
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Euro-Mediterranean area (including Europe, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus) is one of the Earth’s plant diversity hotspots, being home to more than 45,000 species and subspecies of vascular plants. Despite the great attention paid to plant biodiversity in this area, several cryptic species and/or critical groups need to be better investigated from nomenclatural and taxonomic perspectives, and many plant species are yet undescribed. More than 75% of the planet’s undescribed plant species are already threatened with extinction.

Plant taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming plants, and it is of crucial importance for planning the appropriate conservation strategies. Nomenclature plays a central role in the description of the diversity of life on our planet, and the typification process is essential for any taxonomic study.

This Special Issue requests the submission of articles on the taxonomy and/or nomenclature of vascular plants belonging to critical taxonomic groups in the  Euro-Mediterranean area. Concerning taxonomy, studies that employ integrated approaches (including morphology, karyology and/or molecular systematics) are preferred. The typification of names can also be proposed in a separate paper.

Dr. Fabrizio Bartolucci
Dr. Llorenç Sáez
Prof. Dr. Manuel Crespo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cytotaxonomy
  • herbarium data
  • integrative taxonomy
  • molecular data
  • morphometry
  • plant nomenclature
  • typification
  • vascular flora

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 33530 KiB  
Article
Challenges in Typification Within Taxonomically Complex Groups: The Case of the Linnaean Name Centaurea phrygia (Asteraceae)
by Gianmarco Tavilla, Manuel B. Crespo and Pedro Pablo Ferrer-Gallego
Plants 2025, 14(9), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14091336 - 29 Apr 2025
Viewed by 362
Abstract
The Linnaean names have undergone significant changes over time, mainly in taxonomically complex aggregates where hybridisation or genetic introgression are frequent. A notable example is the name Centaurea phrygia, which Linnaeus applied in 1753 in a broad sense, including several taxa that [...] Read more.
The Linnaean names have undergone significant changes over time, mainly in taxonomically complex aggregates where hybridisation or genetic introgression are frequent. A notable example is the name Centaurea phrygia, which Linnaeus applied in 1753 in a broad sense, including several taxa that are now recognised as distinct at the specific or subspecific rank. In this context, the typification of the Linnaean name C. phrygia is discussed. The original elements in the protologue, comprising five specimens and one illustration, are critically analysed. The five specimens are excluded for selection as lectotype because they do not correspond to the current concept, use and circumscription of the name C. phrygia subsp. phrygia. The name is lectotypified using an illustration published by Clusius in his “Rariorum plantarum historia”. However, the selected lectotype is demonstrably ambiguous, and the name may not be applied to a single currently recognised taxon with certainty. For that reason, C. phrygia may be a clear example for a proposal to conserve the name with a conserved type. However, because the illustration cited by Linnaeus in 1753, and here selected as lectotype, is part of the protologue and therefore cannot be in serious conflict with it or be superseded, we propose a solution to conclusively fix the case of that Linnaean name. Accordingly, we propose an epitype from an element that unambigously represents the current concept and use of the name C. phrygia subsp. phrygia. The epitype selected is a modern and well-preserved specimen kept at PRC (with barcode PRC452350) and with several duplicates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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31 pages, 9080 KiB  
Article
Appearances Can Be Deceptive: Morphological, Phylogenetic, and Nomenclatural Delineation of Two Newly Named African Species Related to Frankenia pulverulenta (Frankeniaceae)
by María Ángeles Alonso, Manuel B. Crespo, Jordi Abad-Brotons, Mario Martínez-Azorín and José Luis Villar
Plants 2025, 14(7), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14071130 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Frankenia is a morphologically complex genus, with some species exhibiting a few diagnostic characters and significant morphological variability. This has led to misidentification or the synonymisation of many names based on one or a few diagnostic traits. This phenomenon affects the annual sea-heath, [...] Read more.
Frankenia is a morphologically complex genus, with some species exhibiting a few diagnostic characters and significant morphological variability. This has led to misidentification or the synonymisation of many names based on one or a few diagnostic traits. This phenomenon affects the annual sea-heath, F. pulverulenta, a Eurasian–Mediterranean herb that has become subcosmopolitan, to which several entities have been included due to their shared features, namely their annual lifespan or their flattened leaves. However, this fact also extends to shrubby species, such as the Madeiran F. cespitosa. Here, integrative taxonomic studies, encompassing detailed morphological descriptions of macro- and microcharacters along with molecular phylogenetic analyses of both nuclear ribosomal (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) and plastid (matK gene) DNA sequence data, and an analysis of biogeographic data were undertaken. This examination has resulted in the most complete phylogenetic trees of Frankenia to date, leading to the reinstatement of two African species broadly differing morphologically from F. pulverulenta. Firstly, F. florida L.Chevall., a name applied to a species occurring in the Saharan regions of Algeria, Morocco, Mali, and Mauritania, is often accepted as a variety or subspecies of the annual sea-heath. In contrast, F. densa Pohnert, a species endemic to southern Namibia and northern South Africa, has been synonymised with F. pulverulenta. However, since those two names were later homonyms of two Chilean and Australian plants, they were deemed illegitimate upon publication. Consequently, two new names are proposed for them: F. sahariensis and F. dinteri, respectively. Their substantiation as independent species is provided by data on their morphology, distribution, ecology, and molecular phylogenetics, which demonstrate their distinctiveness from F. pulverulenta. Nomenclatural synonymy and types are also presented for all concerned names, including the designation of two new lectotypes. Furthermore, the importance of an accurate description of the morphological variation in populations is emphasised for a precise identification of taxa in Frankenia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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25 pages, 3742 KiB  
Article
A Revised Taxonomy of the Bassia scoparia Complex (Camphorosmoideae, Amaranthaceae s.l.) with an Updated Distribution of B. indica in the Mediterranean Region
by Alexander P. Sukhorukov, Zhibin Wen, Anastasiya A. Krinitsina, Alina V. Fedorova, Filip Verloove, Maria Kushunina, Jean-François Léger, Mathieu Chambouleyron, Abbès Tanji and Alexander N. Sennikov
Plants 2025, 14(3), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030398 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1118
Abstract
Bassia scoparia is a widespread weedy species in the temperate regions of the world and is valued as a medicinal and ornamental plant. To date, the taxonomic concept of B. scoparia remains insufficiently studied due to a limited number of samples used in [...] Read more.
Bassia scoparia is a widespread weedy species in the temperate regions of the world and is valued as a medicinal and ornamental plant. To date, the taxonomic concept of B. scoparia remains insufficiently studied due to a limited number of samples used in the previous phylogenetic analyses. To solve the taxonomy of the B. scoparia complex, we constructed a new phylogeny based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), plastid intergenic spacer atpB-rbcL, and plastid region rpL16 intron sequences for numerous samples with diverse morphology. Our analysis revealed a close proximity and intermixed positions of the samples of the B. scoparia group with various morphology. Because of this polyphyly, we prefer to broadly delimit the species. An updated nomenclature of B. scoparia is provided including four new synonyms: Bassia angustifolia, B. littorea, Kochia albovillosa, and K. scoparia subsp. hirsutissima. In its new circumscription, B. scoparia encompasses populations with glabrous or variously hairy leaves and perianths. The original material of Kochia sieversiana, previously considered a species with hairy leaves and inflorescences, has the same diagnostic characters as in B. scoparia s.str. The correct name for more hairy-leaved plants is B. scoparia var. subvillosa. Plants with hairy perianths known as Kochia albovillosa and K. scoparia subsp. hirsutissima have a restricted distribution in Central Asia and South Siberia and have never been recorded as alien in other regions; they can be classified as a separate variety, B. scoparia var. hirsutissima. The ornamental variant of oblong or pyramidal shape may be called B. scoparia var. trichophila. Bassia scoparia is often confused with a similarly looking relative, B. indica, especially in North Africa, a region where secondary ranges of both species overlap. Phylogenetically, these species are sister groups; they share some morphological characters but have different primary distribution ranges. We traced a recent expansion of B. indica in the Mediterranean with the first record reported from the European continent (Spain) and uncovered various introduction pathways of the species in this region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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27 pages, 4043 KiB  
Article
Floristic Account of Apocynaceae (Gentianales) in Tunisia: New Additions to National and North African Flora with Nomenclatural Updates and Taxonomic Notes
by Ridha El Mokni and Duilio Iamonico
Plants 2025, 14(3), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030318 - 22 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1040
Abstract
A taxonomic revision of the family Apocynaceae (Gentianales) from Tunisia is presented. Field surveys carried out during the last two decades allowed us to identify new records at the national level, i.e., Asclepias curassavica, Carissa macrocarpa, Cascabela thevetia, and Cryptostegia [...] Read more.
A taxonomic revision of the family Apocynaceae (Gentianales) from Tunisia is presented. Field surveys carried out during the last two decades allowed us to identify new records at the national level, i.e., Asclepias curassavica, Carissa macrocarpa, Cascabela thevetia, and Cryptostegia grandiflora (the latter three are new to the non-native Mediterranean and North African woody vascular flora). The genus Asclepias is new at a national level, whereas Carissa, Cascabela, and Cryptostegia are recorded here for the first time in the Mediterranean basin. Information is provided about nomenclature (accepted names, main synonyms, and types), morphology, chromosome number, chorology, occurrence in Tunisia, habitat, phenology, and taxonomic annotations, and original photos are prepared. Diagnostic keys relating to generic and species ranks are also given. Using typificitions, the identity of the Linnaean names Cynanchum erectum and C. monspeliensis, Pourret’s Vinca difformis, and Roxburgh’s Nerium grandiflorum is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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16 pages, 15890 KiB  
Article
Patterns of Genetic and Morphological Variability of Teucrium montanum sensu lato (Lamiaceae) on the Balkan Peninsula
by Miloš Zbiljić, Dmitar Lakušić, Zlatko Šatović, Zlatko Liber and Nevena Kuzmanović
Plants 2024, 13(24), 3596; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13243596 - 23 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 678
Abstract
The Balkan Peninsula represents an important center of plant diversity, exhibiting remarkable ecological heterogeneity that renders it an optimal region for studying the diversification patterns of complex taxa such as Teucrium montanum. In the Balkan Peninsula, T. montanum is a highly plastic [...] Read more.
The Balkan Peninsula represents an important center of plant diversity, exhibiting remarkable ecological heterogeneity that renders it an optimal region for studying the diversification patterns of complex taxa such as Teucrium montanum. In the Balkan Peninsula, T. montanum is a highly plastic and morphologically variable species with unresolved taxonomic status. To ascertain the patterns of genetic and morphological diversification, a comparative genetic and morphological analysis was conducted. In total, 57 populations were subjected to analysis using AFLP and a multivariate morphometric approach. A Bayesian analysis of population structure distinguished two main genetic clusters, labelled A and B. Cluster B was found to be geographically restricted to the northwestern Dinarides, while cluster A occurred in the rest of the Balkans. Genetic cluster A was further subdivided into four subclusters that were spatially separated from each other. The contact populations between the subclusters exhibited a mixed genetic structure. There was a partial correlation between genetic and morphological diversification. The peripheral populations of the genetic clusters displayed morphological differences, while both genetic and morphological differences decreased in the contact zones. The observed genetic structure can be attributed to the reproductive biology of this species and the complex geological history of the Balkan Peninsula. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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20 pages, 7546 KiB  
Article
The Taxonomic Circumscription and Nomenclatural History of Pilosella suecica (Asteraceae): A Special Case of Grey Literature in Taxonomic Botany
by Alexander N. Sennikov
Plants 2024, 13(10), 1301; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13101301 - 8 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1145
Abstract
The taxonomic history, nomenclature and application of the oldest species names available for the common hybrids between Pilosella caespitosa and P. lactucella are reviewed. Elias Fries created a nomenclatural and bibliographical collision when he replaced a printed label of his exsiccata Herbarium normale [...] Read more.
The taxonomic history, nomenclature and application of the oldest species names available for the common hybrids between Pilosella caespitosa and P. lactucella are reviewed. Elias Fries created a nomenclatural and bibliographical collision when he replaced a printed label of his exsiccata Herbarium normale with its second version, distributed at a later date, in which the protologue of Hieracium suecicum had appeared. In this protologue, the new species name was validly published with a mere reference to the original description of H. auricula var. majus, thus being based on the type of the latter. In a later fascicle of the same exsiccata, Fries excluded this synonym and distributed a different morphotype of H. suecicum, which caused taxonomic confusion and re-description of the same taxon under the name H. fennicum. The surviving original material of H. auricula var. majus is rejected, and its neotype is designated, making H. suecicum the correct name for the hybrids strictly intermediate between P. lactucella and P. caespitosa. Such hybrids constitute the most common hybridogenous taxon of Pilosella in Scandinavia, Finland and neighbouring Russia, with many synonyms described from this area and partly typified here. Another hybridogenous taxon of the same origin, more similar to P. lactucella and previously known as P. cochlearis, is correctly named P. stipitiflora comb. nov. The nomenclatural value and bibliographic complexity of exsiccata, a commonly underestimated kind of grey literature in taxonomic botany, are further highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Euro + Mediterranean Vascular Plants)
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