Nomenclatural novelties and taxonomic changes for extant and fossil Populus (Salicaceae)

Abstract

Several new names are proposed for extant and fossil Populus. P. hastifolia Doweld nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement name for the extant P. lancifolia N. Chao, a later homonym of the fossil name P. lancifolia A. Braun. P. neimongolica Doweld nom. nov. is published for the illegitimate name P. platyphylla T. Y. Sun, a later homonym of P. platyphylla (Göpp.) Schimp. P. trinervifolia Doweld nom. nov. is proposed as a replacement name for the extant P. trinervis Z. Wang & S. L. Tung, a later homonym of the fossil name P. trinervis J. W. Dawson, with an additional recombination of its regional variety: P. trinervifolia var. shimianica (Z. Wang & N. Chao) Doweld comb. nov. P. simonioides Doweld sp. nov. is proposed instead of the invalidly published P. sinensis H.-M. Li. The fossil name P. latior A. Braun is resurrected because a synonym, P. populina (Brongn.) Knobloch, which is in current use, was found to be a later illegitimate homonym of another fossil name P. populina Jarm. Both fossil names, P. latior A. Braun, P. lancifolia A. Braun and P. zaddachii Heer, are neotypified. A new combination, P. populifolia (Krasnow) Doweld comb. nov. is proposed for a distinctive Eocene-Oligocene fossil poplar, with the names for the fossil P. amplifolia Pimenova and P. germanica (Menzel) Walther (Menispermites germanicus Menzel) placed into synonymy on account of priority; in addition the species is lectotypified.