Aizoon L.

Manning, John & Klak, Cornelia, 2022, New infrageneric taxa in Leucospermum (Proteaceae) and Tetragonia L. (Aizoaceae) and a new name in Aizoon subgenus Galenia (Aizoaceae) in southern Africa, Bothalia (a 11) 52 (1), pp. 1-5 : 4

3. Aizoon L. ( Aizoaceae : Aizooideae)

The generic circumscription of Aizoon L. (Aizooideae, Aizoaceae ) was recently enlarged to include those species previously treated in the genus Galenia L. ( Klak et al. 2017). In its new circumscription, Aizoon is recognized by capsules with reduced expanding tissue, and leaves and/or stems covered by silvery hairs or hair­like to rounded papillae. The species previously placed in Galenia subgenus Galenia were transferred to Aizoon subgenus Galenia (L.) Klak, which now includes six species. Among these, the new combination A. procumbens (L.f.) Klak proposed by Klak et al. (2017) for G. procumbens L.f. (1782) is, however, a later homonym of A. procumbens Crantz (1766: 135) . Consequently, the proposed name is illegitimate (Turland et al. 2018: Art. 53.1 and 53.2), and a replacement name is required.

Although this species was originally described as ‘procumbent’, most forms are erect shrublets, some of which have been grouped under the manuscript name ‘ Galenia flavescens ’, which alludes to the yellow to orange colour of the leaves (Adamson, 1956: 96). Since a new name is required, this unpublished epithet is taken up here.