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Senecio squalidus (Asteraceae) currently includes nine subspecies distributed in North and Central Europe and in the Mediterranean basin. Within this taxonomic aggregate, many species have been described, but research on their nomenclatural types is incomplete. A complete nomenclatural survey of 19 names belonging to this taxonomically critical group was carried out. Fourteen lectotypes are here designated. The nomenclatural analysis, complemented by field investigations in the type localities of the taxa described in the Central Mediterranean, allowed us to accept 10 species. Accordingly, we proposed here a new name and a new missing combination at a specific level: S. aknoulensis and S. calabrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European taxonomists are divided regarding Quercus dalechampii, considering it either: (1) a distinct species close to Q. petraea, (2) a distinct species close to Q. pubescens, or (3) falling within the morphological variability of previously described species, including Q. petraea and Q. pubescens. These taxonomic disagreements are largely due to inconsistencies between the description of Q. dalechampii and much of its original material. In order to resolve these differing interpretations, all available original material was examined and a lectotype, superseding a previous neotype, was chosen from this material. The original material for the name consisted of mixed material belonging both to the Q. petraea complex and the Q. pubes-cens complex. The lectotype designated here is characterized by pubescent leaves and belongs to the Q. pubescens complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globularia is a genus of small evergreen and perennial shrubs that are widespread in Europe. Globularia section Empetron includes a group of three species, G. cordifolia, G. meridionalis, and G. neapolitana, that have been taxonomically disputed for more than 150 years. Many morphological features have been proposed to discriminate these species. Nevertheless, evidence from both past and recent literature suggest that these differences among species are not consistent. In order to shed new light in this long-disputed group, we investigated 10 populations of the G. cordifolia species complex with both classical and geometric morphometrics and used environmental predictors in multivariate regression to explain patterns of variation. Our results showed that bract area and calyx teeth length are correlated with solar radiation and annual precipitation, whereas leaf dry mass per unit area can be explained by temperature seasonality. Leaf shape can be explained by temperature seasonality as well, although with a lower amount of explanatory and predictive power. Despite a comparatively low sample size in terms of populations, our results were based on a large number of individuals and were supported by a robust statistical approach. We can conclude that differences among the three species of Globularia could be related to the combined effects of several ecological variables and might not have taxonomical value. Our novel approach provided an ecological interpretation on a species complex that makes up a continuum of forms within the environmental framework of the Mediterranean basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]