Taxonomy and nomenclature of the polymorphic European high mountain species Androsace vitaliana (L.) Lapeyr. (Primulaceae)

Abstract

Androsace vitaliana (syn. Vitaliana primuliflora; Primulaceae) has been subject to several taxonomic treatments, whose conclusions ranged from a single species with numerous infraspecific taxa to several species usually without infraspecific taxa. Here, following molecular investigation, several taxonomic changes are made. A single species with the following infraspecific taxa is recognized: subsp. vitaliana (Pyrenees), subsp. cinerea (south-western Alps), subsp. lepontina (Pennine Alps), subsp. sesleri (south-eastern Alps), subsp. praetutiana (Apennines) and subsp. assoana (Iberian Peninsula excluding the Pyrenees), the last of which is divided into the four allopatrically distributed varieties assoana, centriberica, flosjugorum and nevadensis. Contrary to some previous assertions, all taxa are allopatric and, especially for subspp. vitaliana, cinerea and lepontina, where clear diagnostic characters are lacking, they can best be determined by their geographic origin.