Prunus georgica (Desf.) Eisenman, 2015

Eisenman, Sasha W., 2015, Some nomenclatural adjustments and typifications for almond species in the genus Prunus sensu lato (Rosaceae), Phytotaxa 222 (3), pp. 185-198 : 188-189

Prunus georgica (Desf.) Eisenman , comb. nov.

Basionym:— Amygdalus georgica Desfontaines (1809: 221)

Type (neotype, designated here):—Cultivated garden specimen, s.d., without collector s.n. [“ Amygdalus georgica Desf. H [ort] Pari[s]. Herbarium Webbianum, ex Herb. Desfontaines”] ( FI-W 055869! [digital image], specimen on right side of the sheet).

Note: —This species is currently accepted by botanists in the region of occurrence. The species is listed as endemic to Georgia in both the Flora of Georgia ( Ketskhoveli et al. 1980) and The Vegetation of Georgia (South Caucusus) ( Nakhutsrishvili 2013). It is also listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book of the Georgian SSR ( Kacharava 1982, Red List of Georgia 2006), and Browicz & Zohary (1996) accepted the species. Amygdalus georgica is regarded as a synonym of Prunus tenella Batsch (1801: 29) by Kurtto (2009) and by the Catalogue of life ( Roskov et al. 2014). No specimens were mentioned by Desfontaines in the original description of this species. He does attribute, “ MM. Olivier and Bruyère,” for introducing the plant into cultivation, and states that, “It is still rare in gardens” [translated from original French]. The herbarium of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris ( P) MNHN collection-Paris, where Desfontaines’ Flora Atlantica herbarium is deposited, has a single specimen ( P 00509535) labeled Amygdalus georgica Desf. The only information on the hand-written label is the species name and “ H [ort]. Par[is].1833,” which is fourteen years after the species was described, and the same year in which Desfontaines died. There are two stamped labels on the specimen, the first attributes the specimen to “Herb. E. Cosson,” and the second attributes the specimen to, “Herb. Cosson via Herb. E. Durand.” As such, there is no way to directly connect this specimen to Desfontaines. The Herbarium Universitatis Florentinae ( FI), where Desfontaines’ main herbarium is deposited, has three herbarium sheets of Amygdalus geogica . Accession no. 055869 from the Herbarium Webbianum ( FI-W) is a mixed collection. On the right hand side of the sheet is a label with “Herbarium Webbianum,” and “ex Herb. Desfontaines” printed on it, and, “ Amygdalus georgica Desf. H [ort] Pari[s]” written by hand. Although this specimen is directly attributable to Desfontaines, the lack of a date on this specimen makes it possible that it was collected after 1809, and therefore, it may not be an original element. Thus, this specimen is here designated as neotype in accordance with Art. 9.11 of the ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012).