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International Code of Botanical Nomenclature

 

 
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International Code of Botanical Nomenclature
 
 
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The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical name
Botanical name

A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if the plant is a cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants....
s that are given to plants. Its intent is that each taxonomic group ("taxon
Taxon

A taxon or taxonomic unit is a name designating an organism or a group of organisms. In biological nomenclature according to Carl Linnaeus, a taxon is assigned a taxonomic rank and can be placed at a particular level in a systematic hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships....
", plural "taxa") of plants has only one correct name
Correct name (botany)

In botany, the correct name is the one and only botanical name that is to be used for a particular taxon, when that taxon has a particular taxonomic placement....
 that is accepted worldwide. The value of a scientific name is that it is an identifier
Identifier

In computer science, Identifiers are Lexical Token s that name entity. The concept is analogy to that of a "name". Identifiers are used extensively in virtually all information processing systems....
; it is not necessarily of descriptive value, or even accurate.





Both these principles are regulated and limited.






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The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical name
Botanical name

A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if the plant is a cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants....
s that are given to plants. Its intent is that each taxonomic group ("taxon
Taxon

A taxon or taxonomic unit is a name designating an organism or a group of organisms. In biological nomenclature according to Carl Linnaeus, a taxon is assigned a taxonomic rank and can be placed at a particular level in a systematic hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships....
", plural "taxa") of plants has only one correct name
Correct name (botany)

In botany, the correct name is the one and only botanical name that is to be used for a particular taxon, when that taxon has a particular taxonomic placement....
 that is accepted worldwide. The value of a scientific name is that it is an identifier
Identifier

In computer science, Identifiers are Lexical Token s that name entity. The concept is analogy to that of a "name". Identifiers are used extensively in virtually all information processing systems....
; it is not necessarily of descriptive value, or even accurate.

  • The guiding principle in botanical nomenclature
    Botanical nomenclature

    Botanical nomenclature is the formal naming of plants, from a scientific point of view. It has a long history, going back perhaps to Theophrastos, but anyway back to the period when Latin was the scientific language throughout Europe....
     is priority. The ICBN sets the formal starting date of plant nomenclature at 1 May 1753, the publication of Species Plantarum
    Species Plantarum

    Species Plantarum was first published in 1753, as a two-volume work by Carl Linnaeus. Its prime importance is perhaps that it is the primary starting point of botanical nomenclature as it exists today....
     by Linnaeus
    Carolus Linnaeus

    Carl Linnaeus was a Sweden botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern alpha taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology....
     (or at later dates for specified groups and ranks).


  • A botanical name is fixed to a taxon by a type. This is almost invariably dried plant material and is usually deposited and preserved in a herbarium
    Herbarium

    In botany, a herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens. These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in alcohol or other preservative....
    , though can be an image. Some type collections can be viewed online at the websites of the herbaria in question.


Both these principles are regulated and limited. To avoid undesirable effects of priority, conservation of a name is possible. Above the taxonomic rank
Taxonomic rank

Taxonomic rank, taxonomic category, rank, or category is an abstract term used in the scientific classification, or taxonomy, of organisms....
 of family very few hard rules apply (e.g. see descriptive botanical names
Descriptive botanical names

Descriptive botanical names: Article 16 of the ICBN rules that a name above the rank of rank may be either descriptive or formed from the name of an included family....
).

The ICBN can only be changed by an International Botanical Congress
International Botanical Congress

International Botanical Congress is a large-scale meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, from all over the world. Authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies , congresses are held every six years with the venue circulating around the world....
 (IBC), with the International Association for Plant Taxonomy
International Association for Plant Taxonomy

The International Association for Plant Taxonomy promotes an understanding of plant biodiversity, facilitates international communication of research between botany, and oversees matters of uniformity and stability in plant names....
 providing the supporting infrastructure. The present edition is the Vienna Code (2006), based on the decisions of the XVII IBC at Vienna 2005. This was preceded by the St Louis Code (2000) and the Tokyo Code (1994), both available online. Each new edition supersedes the earlier editions and is retroactive
Retroactive

Retroactive means something happening after the fact. It may refer to:* Retroactive legislation or "Ex post facto law"* Retroactive continuity or "Retcon", in fiction...
 back to 1753, except where expressly limited.

Botanical nomenclature is independent of zoological and bacteriological nomenclature, which are governed by their own Codes (see Nomenclature Codes
Nomenclature Codes

The Nomenclature Codes are the rulebooks that govern biological nomenclature.After the successful introduction of two-part names for species by Carolus Linnaeus it became ever more apparent that a detailed body of rules was necessary to govern scientific names....
).

The ICBN applies not only to plants, as they are now defined, but also to other organisms traditionally studied by botanists. This includes blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, blue-green bacteria or Cyanophyta, is a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis....
); fungi, including chytrids, oomycetes, and slime mould
Slime mould

Slime mold is a broad term describing fungi amoeboid organisms. Their common name refers to part of some of these organism's life cycles where they can appear gelatinous ....
s; photosynthetic
Photosynthesis

File:Seawifs global biosphere.jpgPhotosynthesis is a metabolic pathway that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds, especially sugars, using the energy from sunlight....
 protists and taxonomically
Alpha taxonomy

Alpha taxonomy is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms, thus leading to the recognition of proposed taxonomic groups, or taxon , which may then be naming conventions....
 related non-photosynthetic groups. There are special provisions in the ICBN for some of these groups, as there are for fossil
Fossil

Fossils are the preserved remains or trace fossil of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous Rock formations and sedimentary rock layers is known as the fossil record....
s.

For the naming of cultivated plants there is a separate code, the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants

The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants regulates the naming of cultivars, cultivar Groups and graft-chimaeras. Examples are...
. This gives supplementary rules and recommendations.

See also

  • International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
    International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

    The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a set of rules in zoology that have one fundamental aim: to provide the maximum universality and continuity in the naming of all animals according to taxonomy judgment....
  • Author citation (botany)
    Author citation (botany)

    In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature ....


External links

  • (1994)
  • (2000)
  • (2006)
[pdf file]