DIVISION II. RULES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER III. NOMENCLATURE OF TAXA ACCORDING TO THEIR RANK
SECTION 5. NAMES OF TAXA BELOW THE RANK OF SPECIES
(INFRASPECIFIC TAXA)
Article 24
24.1. The name of an infraspecific
taxon is a combination of the name of a species and an infraspecific
epithet. A connecting term is used to denote the rank.
Ex. 1. Saxifraga aizoon subf.
surculosa Engl. & Irmsch. This taxon may also be referred to as
Saxifraga aizoon var.
aizoon subvar.
brevifolia f.
multicaulis subf.
surculosa Engl. & Irmsch.; in this way a full classification of the subforma within the species is given, not only its name.
24.2. Infraspecific epithets are
formed like specific epithets and, when adjectival in form and not used
as nouns, they agree grammatically with the generic name (see Art. 32.7).
Ex. 2. Solanum melongena var.
insanum Prain (Bengal Pl.: 746. 1903,
'insana').
24.3. Infraspecific names with final epithets such as typicus, originalis,
originarius, genuinus, verus, and veridicus, purporting
to indicate the taxon containing the type of the name of the next
higher taxon, are not validly published unless they are autonyms
(Art. 26).
Ex. 3. Lobelia spicata "var.
originalis" (McVaugh in Rhodora 38: 308. 1936) was not validly published (see
Art. 26 Ex. 1), whereas
the autonyms
Galium verum L. subsp.
verum and
G. verum var.
verum
are validly published.
Ex. 4. Aloe perfoliata var.
vera L.
(Sp. Pl.: 320. 1753) is validly published because it does not purport to contain the type of
A. perfoliata L. (1753).
24.4. The use of a binary combination instead of an infraspecific epithet is not admissible. Contrary to
Art. 32.1(c),
names so constructed are validly published but are to be altered to the
proper form without change of the author citation or date of
publication.
Ex. 5. Salvia grandiflora subsp.
"S. willeana" (Holmboe in Bergens Mus. Skr., ser. 2, 1(2): 157. 1914) is to be cited as
S. grandiflora subsp.
willeana Holmboe.
Ex. 6. Phyllerpa prolifera var.
"Ph. firma" (Kützing, Sp. Alg.: 495. 1849) is to be altered to
P. prolifera var.
firma Kütz.
Note 1. Infraspecific taxa within
different species may bear names with the same final epithet; those
within one species may bear names with the same final epithet as the
names of other species (but see
Rec. 24B.1).
Ex. 7. Rosa glutinosa var.
leioclada H. Christ (in Boissier, Fl. Orient. Suppl.: 222. 1888) and
Rosa jundzillii f.
leioclada Borbás (in Math. Term. Közlem. 16: 376, 383. 1880) are both permissible, as is
Viola tricolor var.
hirta Ging. (in Candolle, Prodr. 1: 304. 1824), in spite of the previous existence of a species named
Viola hirta L.
Note 2. Names of infraspecific
taxa within the same species, even if they differ in rank, are treated as homonyms
if they have the same final epithet but are based on different types
(
Art. 53.4), the connecting term not being part of the name.
24A.1. Recommendations made for forming specific epithets (Rec.
23A) apply equally for infraspecific epithets.
24B.1. Authors proposing new infraspecific names should avoid final epithets previously used as specific epithets in the same genus.
24B.2. When an infraspecific taxon
is raised to the rank of species, or the inverse change occurs, the
final epithet of its name should be retained unless the resulting
combination would be contrary to this
Code.
(c)
2006, by International Association for Plant Taxonomy. This page last updated
13.03.2007
.
