Abstract
Based on observations of herbarium specimens, including type material, and living plants in the wild, we demonstrate that Elsholtzia ciliata var. brevipes C. Y. Wu & S. C. Huang belongs to the same taxon as E. zhongyangii P. Li & X. J. Jin, not E. ciliata var. ciliata (Thunb.) Hyland as previously treated. The recognition of E. zhongyangii at the specific rank is further supported. Accordingly, E. ciliata var. brevipes is treated as a synonym of E. zhongyangii herein.
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