Notes on the generic name Graecobolanthus (Caryophylleae, Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract

AbstractGraecobolanthus was proposed in 2018 as a new generic name for the Greek species of the genus Bolanthus, the latter genus comprising the remaining species from Anatolia and the Levant according to the revising authors. However, the type of the two generic names, i.e., Graecobolanthus graecus from Greece and Bolanthus hirsutus from the Levant, undoubtedly belong to the same genus based on morphological and genetic similarity. Importantly, B. hirsutus was not included in the molecular analysis by the revising authors. In summary, we note that (i) Graecobolanthus is taxonomically superfluous and Bolanthus is the correct generic name of the Greek‐endemic species; (ii) an extended Phrynella and/or a new generic name might accommodate the Turkish taxa currently under Bolanthus, which were located on a distinct phylogenetic branch in the study by the revising authors.