Nomenclature and typification of plant names related to Centaurea aplolepa and C. leucophaea (Asteraceae) from Italy and France

Centaurea aplolepa Moretti and C. leucophaea Jord. (Asteraceae) are endemic to the central-western Mediterranean and include, respectively, ten and six subspecies, mostly occurring in north-western Italy and south-eastern France. As part of an ongoing systematic study on Centaurea L. sect. Centaurea from the central Mediterranean, 17 nomenclatural types (13 lectotypes, three neotypes and one epitype) are designated to fix the application of all names of the taxa described for France and Italy and related to C. aplolepa and C. leucophaea. In addition, previous typifications are critically revised and discussed. Centaurea aplolepa subsp. maremmana (Fiori) Dostál and C. litigiosa (Fiori) Arrigoni, two currently accepted taxa endemic to Tuscany (central Italy), are respectively considered here as heterotypic synonyms of C. aplolepa subsp. carueliana (Micheletti) Dostál and C. aplolepa subsp. cosana (Fiori) Dostál. Finally, C. aplolepa subsp. gallinariae (Briq. & Cavill.) Dostál, a currently accepted subspecies narrowly endemic to the Gallinara island (Liguria, northern Italy), is considered here as a heterotypic synonym of C. leucophaea subsp. brunnescens (Briq.) Dostál.