2022 Volume 97 Issue 1 Pages 1-22
Japanese alpine fleabane, ‘Miyama-azuma-giku’ in Japanese, is a typical Japanese alpine plant. The names Erigeron thunbergii A.Gray var. glabratus A.Gray or E. thunbergii subsp.
glabratus (A.Gray) H.Hara & Kitam. have been predominantly adopted for the plants. However, a reexamination of the type specimen preserved at GH reveals that E. thunbergii var. glabratus is distinct from the Japanese alpine fleabane. To discover its identity, a field survey was undertaken at the type locality and plants similar to the type specimen were gathered. As the plants are quite distinct from E. thunbergii, a new name E. mutsuensis Kadota is provided for Erigeron thunbergii A.Gray var. glabratus A.Gray. Consequently, E. alpicola Makino is considered to be the correct name for Japanese alpine fleabane. The lectotype of Erigeron alpicola Makino is designated. Under E. alpicola, five varieties, i.e., var. angustifolius (H.Hara) Kadota, var.
haruoi (Toyok.) Kadota, var. heterotrichus (H.Hara) Kadota, var. kirigishiensis (Inagaki & Toyok.) Kadota, and var. schikotanensis (Barkalov) Kadota are recognized. Additionally, a new rheophytic variety, E.alpicola var. riparius Kadota, is described from Shimukappu, Hokkaido, northern Japan.
