Taxonomy of Symphytum asperum Lepechin and S. sylvaticum Boiss. Boraginaceae based on Macro- and Micro-morphology

Symphytum asperum Lepechin and S. sylvaticum Boiss. species are taxonomically very difficult to solve. Many taxonomical arrangements were done by different researchers before with observing herbarium sheets. In our research 25 populations were observed in field and we reached the decision that both of these species’ infraspecific taxa should be synonymized because of the continuation of the characters used to distinguish taxa before. S. asperum Lepechin var. armeniacum Bucknall Kurtto proposed by Kurtto was synonymed and included in S. asperum Lepechin. S. sylvaticum Boiss subsp. sepulcrale var. sepulcrale and S. sylvaticum Boiss subsp. sepulcrale Boiss.&Bal. Greuter&Burdet var. hordokopii Kurtto R.Mill. were synonymed and included to S. sylvaticum. The reasons of these taxonomical rearrangements were gathered from field observations, morphological measurements and scanning electron microscope images.

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