Veronica aucheri Boiss.

Veronica aucheri Boiss. View in CoL

Diagnoses Plantarum Orientalum Novarum, ser. 1, 4: 80 ( Boissier 1844).

TYPE CITATION. — Iran, Mazandaran: “Hab. in alpibus Demawend Persiae borealis Aucher pl. Exs. No 5093 ”.

LECTOTYPE (DESIGNATED HERE). — “ Alp. Demawend Aucher-Éloy-Herbier d’Orient No. 5093 ” (likely collected 3.Sep. 1837) G[ G00768190* ].

ISOLECTOTYPES (DESIGNATED HERE). — K[ K001070207* ], KW-Turcz.[no barcode!], OXF!, P[ P04049044* , P04049048* , P04049051* , P04049052* ], W[ W0053054! ], WU[ WU070357! ].

Nomenclatural note. Veronica aucheri is a procumbent alpine scree plant from the Alborz Mountain range in Iran. It was classified under V. sect. Alsinoides by Boissier (1844) based on indumentum and growth habit and unclear life history. Later, he ( Boissier 1879) moved it to sect. Veronica based on its perenniality, although annual forms may still occur at lower elevations (Doostmohamadi pers. comm.). A position among perennial, alpine Iranian species was recently confirmed ( Doostmohammadi et al. 2022). The type collection (Aucher-Éloy no. 5093) is quite widespread, but it is likely that Boissier has seen only his own collection in Geneva since he stated that he has seen only fragments. The Geneva specimen is indeed a collection presented with all branches separated, which is unusual for this species, which often has herbarium specimens with intermingled branches.