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DIVISION II.  RULES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER I.  TAXA AND THEIR RANKS

Article 1

1.1. Taxonomic groups of any rank will, in this Code, be referred to as taxa (singular: taxon).

1.2. Fossil taxa (diatoms excepted) may be treated as morphotaxa. A morphotaxon is defined as a fossil taxon which, for nomenclatural purposes, comprises only the one part, life-history stage, or preservational state represented by the corresponding nomenclatural type.

Note 1.  Any fossil taxon that is described as including more than one part, life-history stage, or preservational state is not a morphotaxon.
Ex. 1. Alcicornopteris hallei J. Walton (in Ann. Bot, n.s., 13: 450. 1949) was described from fossil material that included a compression on the surface of a petrified nodule with anatomy permitting description of the rachides, sporangia, and spores of a pteridosperm. This species comprises two preservational stages, two life-history stages, and three parts of the plant and is therefore not a morphotaxon.
Ex. 2.  Protofagacea allonensis Herend. & al. (in Int. J. Pl. Sci. 56: 94. 1995) was described on the basis of dichasia of staminate flowers, with anthers containing pollen grains, fruits, and cupules. This species comprises more than one part and more than one life-history stage and is therefore not a morphotaxon.

1.3. As in the case of form-taxa for asexual forms (anamorphs) of certain pleomorphic fungi (Art. 59), the provisions of this Code authorize the publication and use of names of morphotaxa (Art. 11.7).

 

(c) 2006, by International Association for Plant Taxonomy. This page last updated  09.03.2007 .