Taxonomical, chorological and ecological notes on the Eastern Alps endemic Arenaria huteri (Caryophyllaceae-Alsinoideae)

Arenaria huteri is an orophyte of the southeastern Alps and an endemic Italian species. The name is typified in the present paper on a herbarium specimen kept in WU. A lectotypification is also proposed for the name A. huteri beta glareosa (lectotype in WU, isolectotypes in FI, GJO, JE, K), while no typification is necessary for A. huteri alpha rupestris nom. nud., a name that can be ascribed to A. huteri s.str. The infraspecific variability and the differences between A. huteri and related taxa were studied on the basis of morphological analyses. The results showed that A. huteri can certainly be included in sect. Rariflorae and that is clearly separated from A. cinerea, A. cretica, A. filicaulis, and A. gracilis. On the other hand, an analysis of infraspecific variability highlighted the overlapping ranges of morphological characters of the former varieties A. huteri alpha rupestris (identical with the autonymic variety) and A. huteri beta glareosa, which can therefore be synonymized under the name A. huteri. Notes on ecology and distribution of this species are also provided.