Background and aims – Taxonomic studies on Malveae J. Presl appear yet incomplete, especially in the genera Malva L. and Lavatera L. The taxon L. plazzae (described in 1995) was never examined from the taxonomic point of view. Despite this, the name Lavatera plazzae was synonymized with Lavatera stenopetala . As part of the revision of the genera Malva and Lavatera for a treatment of Malvaceae in the New Italian Flora, the present study reveals significant, previously overlooked morphological differences between L. plazzae and L. stenopetala . Methods – Specimens from the Herbaria FI, MPU, P, RO and SASSA were examined, and a morphological analysis (27 characters) was performed. The phenotypic variability was illustrated by box plots. The variables were also processed singularly by means and T-test for independent samples comparing the same variable between the taxa. Key results – Lavatera stenopetala Batt. subsp. plazzae (Atzei) Iamonico comb. et stat. nov. is proposed on the basis of a morphometric and taxonomic study of type material and other specimens. Morphological, ecological and chorological features are also provided in comparison with the nominal subspecies. A lectotype and epitype are designated for the name Lavatera stenopetala .

ALGERIA; ENDEMIC TAXON; LAVATERA; NOMENCLATURAL CHANGE; SARDINIA; TUNISIA; TYPIFICATION