PLANT NOMENCLATURE

Reference: Simpson, M. 2010. Plant Systematics. Elsevier, Inc., U.S.A.

What is Nomenclature?

Assignment of plant names utilizing a formal system.

What is the name of the work providing the rules and recommendations for plant nomenclature?

International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)

What organisms are covered by the ICBN?

Land plants, "algae," and fungi

What are two basic activities governed by the ICBN?

1) Naming new taxa

2) Determining the correct name for previously named taxa (altered in some way)

Legitimate Names

in accordance with the rules of the ICBN

Illegitimate Names

violate one or more rules of the ICBN

What are legitimate and illegitimate names?

International Botanical Congress

held in Vienna, Austria - July 2005

Melbourne, Australia - July 2011

How are changes to the ICBN made?

What are the Principles of Plant Nomenclature?

1) Botanical nomenclature is independent of Zoological and Bacteriological nomenclature.

2) The application of botanical names is determined by means of nomenclatural types.

3) Botanical nomenclature is based upon priority of publication.

4) Each taxon of a particular circumscription, position, and rank can have only one correct name, the earliest in accordance with the rules. [=Fundamental Principle!]

5) Scientific names are treated as Latin.

6) The rules and regulations of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature are retroactive.

What are the Principles of Plant Nomenclature?

Rules = required

Recommendations = not required

What are the rules vs. regulations of the ICBN?

What is a scientific name?

= the names assigned by the rules of the ICBN

In Latin language

E.g., Malpighia, Alliaceae, Zingiberales

Who first consistently used binomials?

Binomial = “two names”

E.g., for Quercus dumosa NuttallQuercus = genus name (capitalized)

dumosa = specific epithet (not capitalized)

Quercus dumosa = species name (underlined or italicized)

Nuttall = author

Linnaeus

What is the correct form of binomials?

Name the reasons that common names are disadvantageous?

1) Only scientific names are universal, used the same world-wide; e.g., Ipomoea -Woodbine, Morning Glory

2) Common names are not consistent.

a) A taxon may have more than one common name.

b) One common name may refer to more than one taxon (e.g., ”hemlock”).

3) Common names tell nothing about rank.

4) Many, if not most, organisms have no common name in any language.

What is rank?

Hierarchical classification in which a higher rank is inclusive of all lower ranks.

What is position?

Placement as a member of a taxon of the next higher rank

.

E.g., Aster & Rosa of same rank (genus) but different positions (Asteraceae & Rosaceae)

What are the ranks?Kingdom (various) Plantae

Phylum [Division] -phyta Magnoliophyta

Subphylum [Subdivision] -phytina Magnoliophytina

Class -opsida Magnoliopsida

Subclass -idae Asteridae

Superorder -anae, [-iflorae] Asteranae

Order -ales Asterales

Suborder -ineae Asterineae

Family -aceae Asteraceae

Subfamily -oideae Asteroideae

Tribe -eae Heliantheae

Subtribe -inae Helianthinae

Genus (various) Helianthus

Subgenus (various) Helianthus

Section (various) Helianthus

Species (various) Helianthus annuus

Subspecies (various) Helianthus annuus ssp. annuus

Variety (various) Helianthus annuus var. annuus

Major Rank Endings:

Order -ales Asterales

Family -aceae Asteraceae

Subfamily -oideae Asteroideae

Tribe -eae Heliantheae

Subtribe -inae Helianthinae

Genus (various) Helianthus

Subgenus (various) Helianthus

Section (various) Helianthus

Species (various) Helianthus annuus

Subspecies (various) Helianthus annuus ssp. annuus

Variety (various) Helianthus annuus var. annuus

What is the rank of:Conostylidoideae subfamily

Flacourtiaceae family

Haemodoreae tribe

Hamamelidae subclass

Linnaea borealis var. longiflora variety

Liliopsida class

Magnoliophyta phylum

Rosales order

Tribonanthes genus

Tribonanthes variegata species

Phlebocarya ciliata ssp. pilosissima subspecies

Alternate Family NamesApiaceae Umbelliferae

Arecaceae Palmae

Asteraceae Compositae

Brassicaceae Cruciferae

Fabaceae Leguminosae

Faboideae Papilionoideae

Clusiaceae/Hypericaceae Guttiferae

Lamiaceae Labiatae

Poaceae Gramineae

Subgenus versus subgeneric?

What is a trinomial?

subspecies or variety name

E.g., Toxicodendron radicans ssp. diversilobum

(diversilobum = subspecific epithet)

Sphenomeris chinensis var. rubens Amoroso et Medecilo

rubens = varietal epithet

Brickellia arguta var. odontolepis

(odontolepis = varietal epithet)

What is of higher rank?

Authorship?

the name of the person who first validly published the name

E.g.,

Rosaceae Jussieu

Conostylideae Lindley

Mohavea A. Gray

Mohavea confertiflora (Bentham) Heller

Alocasia nycteris Medecilo, Yao & Madulid

Monardella linoides A. Gray ssp. viminea (Greene) Abrams

AUTHOR NAMES OFTEN ABBREVIATED:

Haemodoraceae R. Br. (for Robert Brown) or Liquidambar styraciflua L. (for C. Linnaeus)

How to learn scientific names:

1) Syllabize and accent.

2) Use mnemonic devices.

3) Learn the etymology (meaning).

4) Practice and review: oral and written recitation.

Herbarium specimen (usu.) permanently associated with a name.

Holotype - primary specimen upon which a name is based, designated at the time of publication.

Isotype - duplicate of the holotype, collected at the same time by the same person from the same place.

Lectotype - selected from the original material to serve as the type when holotype not available.

Neotype - specimen derived from a non-original collection that is selected to serve as the type.

What is a nomenclature type?

Types exist for all ranks up to family

A specimen described by Linnaeus is the type for Borago officinalis L.

Borago officinalis L. is the type for the genus Borago L.

The genus Borago L. is the type for the family Boraginaceae Jussieu

Taxa at which ranks have types?

What is a priority of publication?

When and with what publication begin?

Nomina familiarum conservandaNomina generica conservanda et rejicienda

Nomina species conservanda

Species Plantarum by Linnaeus in 1753(with exceptions)

Name published first is the legitimate one

Adverse consequences?

How to correct?

Two reasons for name change?

Four major ways that names are changed?United, Divided,

Changed in rank, Changed in Position

1) Name contrary to the rules (illegitimate).

2) Additional research has changes definition and delimitation of a taxon.

Name may be divided:

E.g., Rhus (Anacardiaceae) split into Malosma,

Rhus, and Toxicodendron

Name changes:

Names may be united:

E.g., Diplacus and Mimulus (Phrymaceae) have

been united into one genus, Mimulus

Name changes:

Name may be changed in position:

E.g., Sedum variegata transferred to the genus

Dudleya, the new species Dudleya variegata;

Name changes:

Name may be changed in rank:

E.g., Pentagramma triangularis ssp. maxonii

changed to rank of species: Pentagramma maxonii

Name changes:

What is a basionym?

The original (now rejected) name, part of which (the epithet) has been used in a new combination.

(only within same rank; recommended for change of rank)

Person(s) who named basionym. Retained!

Author(s) in parentheses?

BasionymE.g., Sedum variegata Wats. was transferred to the genus Dudleya by Moran, new species name is:

Dudleya variegata (Wats.) Moran

[Note: Sedum variegata Wats. is the basionym]

E.g., Muhlenbergia shepherdii (Vasey) Swallen transferred to Blepharoneuron by Peterson & Annable, new name is:

Blepharoneuron shepherdii (Vasey) Peterson & Annable.

What is an autonym?

Automatically created name for infrafamilial, infrageneric, and infraspecific taxa.

Created when taxa are divided.

Assigned based on priority of publication.

Autonyms have no authors.

Autonyms:

E.g., Lotus stipularis (Benth.) E. Greene split by Isely into 2 varieties:

Lotus stipularis (Benth.) E. Greene var. ottleyi Isely

Lotus stipularis (Benth.) E. Greene var. stipularis

Family Euphorbiaceae divided into subfamilies:

Euphorbioideae is the autonym

Genus Ceanothus split into two subgenera:

Subgenus Ceanothus and subgenus Cerastes

(Subgenus Ceanothus contains type species for the genus.)

What are the main criteria of valid publication?

1) Name must be effectively published

2) Name must be published in the correct form, properly Latinized with the correct rank ending.

3) Name must be published with a Latin description or diagnosis or with a reference to such. [Vernacular description typically included.]

4) Nomenclatural type must be indicated (for genus and below).

What is a synonym?

= a rejected name, by a particular author or authors.Synonyms usu. indicated in brackets; e.g.,

Malosma laurina Abrams [Rhus laurina Nutt.]

1) because illegitimate.

2) because of taxonomic judgement.

Why rejected?

What is a correct name?

A legitimate (and therefore validly published) name that is accepted by a particular author or authors.

Each taxon can have only one correct name.

How can a name be legitimate but not correct?

There may be 2 (or more) alternative, legitimate names.

Only one of these can be correct (in any given work).

Malacothrix incana (Nutt.) T. & G.[Malacomeris i. Nutt.] (=basionym)

Porophyllum gracile Benth.[P. caesium Greene; P. vaseyi Greene]

Gilia diegensis (Munz) A. & V. Grant[Gilia inconspicua (Sm.) Sweet var. diegensis Munz]

(=basionym)

What is a homonym?

= synonym identical to accepted, correct name.

= binomial in which genus and specific epithets are identical in spelling.

Tautonyms are not permitted

E.g., Helianthus helianthus is a tautonym and illegitimate

Helianthus helianthoides is not a tautonym and would be permitted.

What is a tautonym?

Abbreviations:"in" = "in the publication of"

E.g., Arabis sparsiflora Nutt. in T. & G.

May be abbrev: Arabis sparsiflora Nutt.

"ex" = "validly published by."

E.g., Microseris elegans Greene ex A. Gray

May be abbrev.: Microseris elegans A. Gray.

Abbreviations"x" = a hybrid.

E.g., Salvia x palmeri (Gray) Greene

= S. apiana x S. clevelandii.

"sp. nov." = species novum

E.g., "Eryngium pendletonensis sp. nov."

"cf." = confer, meaning "compare."

E.g., "Calyptridium cf. monandrum"

Independence of Botanical Nomenclature

Same names can exist in botanical and zoological codes.

Both codes can treat same organisms, e.g., "Protista".

Retroactivity of the ICBN

Botanical Names

What language?

Three Latin genders & primary endings:

Many classical trees are feminine, regardless of ending,

e.g., Quercus alba, Pinus ponderosa

masculine -us Amaranthusfeminine -a Crassulaneuter -um Eriogonum

Latin, language of the Romans

Exception to gender endings?

What names are Latin plurals?

Commemorative names?

Male: -ii, -i (after r or y or non-a vowel), -e (after a)smithii, breweri, baileyi, barbanae

Female: usually add -e or -aebarbarae,

Named after some person or place.

Rank of families & above (“The Rosaceae are...”)

Endings of commemoratives?

Latin diphthongs:

Not a Latin diphthong.Vowels are separately pronounced in Latin

But, often like “oil” in English:Euphorbioideae

-ae (æ) Tropaeolum -ei Eichhornia-oe Kallstroemia -eu Teucrium-au Daucus -ui EquisetumBUT: -oe (=oë): Aloe (also written Aloë)

oi

Pronunciation of Latin names?No universal rules; varies from region to region.

How to pronounce commemoratives?

Number of syllables in a scientific name?

= number of vowels and diphthongs

Cakile microcarpa

Cleistes Oenothera

Eucalyptus Pyrus

Caesalpinioideae Cae sal pi ni o i de ae

1) As they would be pronounced in Latin

2) As the person or place would be pronounced in the native language.

E.g., Hesperoyucca whipplei (after Whipple)