Article

The name “Prunus cupaniana” was created, but not validly published, by Gussone in 1843 for a taxon of N Sicily closely related to Prunus mahaleb. The nomenclature of this taxon has been mishandled, and the valid publication of its name by the Huet brothers, on printed herbarium labels distributed in 1857, has remained unnoticed. The authors confirm their earlier view, that the plants in question are best considered a subspecies of Prunus mahaleb, and draw attention to the appropriate combination that was published by Arcangeli in 1882 but has been similarly ignored. The correct name is therefore Prunus mahaleb subsp. cupaniana (Guss. ex E. Huet & A. Huet) Arcang. In the absence of unquestionable original herbarium material, an illustration on one of Cupani’s plates is designated as lectotype, with an epitype to aid its interpretation. Updated distributional data for the taxon are provided.