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[Newsletter No.30] Correcting 200 Years of Misapplied Nomenclature for Allium alatoscapum

CBD-CHM Newsletter Vol. 30

Correcting 200 Years of Misapplied Nomenclature for
Allium alatoscapum

The Korea National Arboretum (KNA) of the Korea Forest Service has officially announced the correction of the scientific name of Allium alatoscapum, a indigenous plant of Northeast Asia, which had been misidentified for over 200 years.

Going beyond a simple change of name, this achievement marks an academic milestone as they rectify a long-standing error that has been globally accepted.

Allium alatoscapum is native to the coastal areas of Goseong-gun in Gangwon-do province, South Korea, as well as North Korea, northeastern China, and Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East. It is characterized by its wing-like flattened scape, slightly curved linear leaves, and light purplish, bell-shaped flowers arranged in a rounded inflorescence.

In 1814, German botanist Carl Ludwig Willdenow first described this species under the name Allium spirale Willd. Since then, this name has been widely cited in both domestic and international botanical literature and databases as the accepted scientific name.

However, it was recently discovered that Plants of the World Online (POWO), the world's largest plant database managed by Kew Gardens listed the species as Allium spirale Schweigg., which was described in 1812 by German botanist August Friedrich Schewigger. This change without thorough taxonomic review raised concerns of potential confusion among botanists and researchers worldwide.

Recognizing this implication, the KNA and Changwon National University conducted a joint study to closely examine the original descriptions and related historical documents of both names.

Their analysis revealed that the plant described by Schweigger in 1812 featured a "solid, rounded scape" and "spirally twisted flat leaves," which are clearly distinct from those of the East Asian species. As a result, Willdenow's 1814 name was found to be an illegitimate later homonym under the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN)1) and therefore could no longer be used.

To address this issue, the research team proposed a new scientific name Allium alatoscapum J.E. Jang, H.J. Choi & D.C. Son, which was recently published in the Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy. The name is derived from the Latin words alatus (wing) and scapus (scape), accurately describing the plant's unique winged scape.

1) According to Article 53.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature (ICN), if a name has already been validly published, any subsequent use of the same name for a different type is considered illegitimate and cannot be used.

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