Correct Name of the Japanese Endemic Species Pertya trilobata (Asteraceae)

Abstract

For the name of one of the Japanese endemic species of Pertya sect. Macroclinidium (Asteraceae) or the genus Macroclinidium, the adjective trilobus has been used as the specific epithet, as P. triloba or M. trilobum. However, this adjectival epithet should be treated as an orthographical variant of trilobatus used in M. trilobatum Makino, because they are confusingly similar epithets based on the same type. Thus, its correct name under Pertya is P. trilobata (Makino) Makino based on M. trilobatum, which has priority as the validly published name. Concurrently, on the basis of cytological, morphological and preliminary molecular evidences, P. ×koribana (Nakai) Makino & Nemoto, which has been known as a putative hybrid between P. trilobata and P. robusta, is to be treated as P. trilobata having unlobed leaves.