Phylogenetic Progress In Polygonum L.s.l.and The Re-arrangement Of Its Scientific Names

Polygonum L.s.l.,which is an extremely large and complex taxa of Polygonaceae,shows enormous morphological variations.A large number of previous studies have shown that Polygonum L.s.l.is polyphyletic.In the present study,the taxonomic history of Polygonum since its publication in 1753 has been reviewed comprehensively,and the phylogenetic relationship between Polygonum and its related genera have been systematically summarized under the background of molecular phylogenetic progress.Based on the new circumscription of Polygonum and its segregation,all scientific names published under Polygonum were re-arranged after examination of the protologues,type specimens,taxonomic works and other materials.The main results are listed below:1.Based on the classification history and phylogenetic relationship,it was determined that the plants in Polygonum belong to three different tribes of the subfamily Polygoniodeae: Polygoneae,Persicarieae and Fagopyreae.Within Polygoneae,Polygonum,Pleuropterus,Reynoutria,Parogonum,Fallopia,and Knorringia were recognized.The genus Polygonum follows the original generic name,but the circumscription is much smaller than the traditional concept;Persicaria,Bistorta and Koenigia were accepted within Persicarieae,,in which Persicaria includes most plants of the previous Polygonum,while Koenigia was expanded to combine Aconogonon and Rubrivena;Fagopyreae contains only Fagopyrum,which has been recognized by most taxonomists for a long time,but most species were still published under Polygonum.2.2,473 scientific names were collected in Polygonum,of which 107 are illegal names and 81 naked names.Among the remaining names,523 represents plants of Polygonum,and 284 were treated as synonyms.91 names are listed as unresolved.Seven names belong to the genus Pleuropterus,and all were treated as synonyms.21 names represent Reynoutria,17 are synonyms,and 4 are unresolved.7belong to Parogonum,and 6 were treated as synonyms.21 names are species of Fallopia and all were treated as synonyms.10 belong to the genus Knorringia.The names confirmed to be Persicaria are 861,of which 711 are synonyms,and 150 are unresolved.146 names belong to Bistorta,and 127 were treated as synonyms.138 names were confirmes as Koenigia,and 137 were treated as synonyms.30 names represent Fagopyrum,and all are treated as synonyms.In addition,a large number of names in Polygonum were found to be incorrectly published,since they represent other genera that are far related to Polygonum,including 39 of Muhlenbeckia,2 of Oxygonum,3 of Duma,3 of Antigonon,19 of Atraphaxis,4 of Coccoloba,1 each of Brunnichia and Pteroxygonum.Besides,there are still 460 names which have not been arranged uue to the lack of protologues and types.