Aralia angustiloba, Kolakovsky, 1958

Doweld, Alexander B., 2017, New names in Aralia (Araliaceae), living and fossil, Phytotaxa 297 (1), pp. 62-70 : 63

I. Aralia angustiloba

The fossil Aralia angustiloba Kolakovsky (1958: 247 , 1964: 51) [IFPNI: http://fossilplants.info/names/ 3C896ABA-275A-47F7-A68C-CC6AA123B529] was described on the basis of fossil leaf remains from the Pliocene sediments of Transcaucasus. It was initially proposed by Kolakovsky (1958: 247), who, however, did not validly publish it at that time according to Art. 40.1 of ICN (Melbourne Code; McNeill & al. 2012) because four specimens (III-1898, IIIа-2561, 2730, 2844) were cited and no holotype was indicated. A. angustiloba Kolakovsky was later validated by Kolakovsky (1964: 51) [IFPNI:http://fossilplants.info/names/ 3B14D445-163A-448F-92CA-B6858FB672F0] through holotype designation and providing description in accordance with the requirements of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants. However, Kolakovsky (1964) overlooked that the name has been used for another fossil Aralia angustiloba Lesquereux (1878: 22) [IFPNI: http://fossilplants.info/names/ 910046DE-6A8A- 4A1D-8ED0-36E534DE8CDF] described on the basis of the fossil leaves from the Eocene sediments of Sierra Nevada, California, USA [now recognized in the platanaceous genus of fossil foliage Macginitiea Wolfe & Wehr in Manchester (1986: 224) as M. angustiloba (Lesq.) Manchester (1986: 202) ]. Therefore, the name A. angustiloba Kolakovsky is a later illegitimate homonym (ICN, Art. 53.1) and a new name is necessary to be proposed. In addition, Kolakovsky (1964, 1973) queried his initial attribution of fossil leaves to Aralia , noticing the difference in venation between fossil and extant forms, and suggested its putative relationship with the genus Brassaiopsis Decaisne & Planchon (1854: 106) . But he did not formally transfer A. angustiloba Kolakovsky to Brassaiopsis , noticing the fragmentary preservation of A. angustiloba Kolakovsky and unresolved relationships with another fossil species Brassaiopsis mirabilis Kolakovsky (1964: 53) , which was described on the better preserved and complete foliage from the Pliocene sediments of the Caucasus. On the occasion of the substitution of the homonymic name I exclude this fossil species from Aralia , acknowledged the distinction in leaf venation, and place it into Brassaiopsis upon further study: