Yes, unfortunately we have to wait a while longer to get our
CPNs and can only sit around itching ourselves with curiosity, hearing
people talk about what interesting articles or photos were published.
Like the Genlisea violacea (actually hispidula) on the cover of the June
issue which I first read about on this listserv. Maybe someone can kill a
bit of our curiosity and tell us what else is in this latest issue?
BTW Jan, I saw your comment that the description of these 2 Neps
was precise and detailed, and not the horrible "...affinis, sed...". Are
you referring to the latin description only? I don't know about you, but
I sure prefer to see a paper where the description is in English,
preceded by a short description in Latin of the type "....affinis,
sed....". Wether we like it or not, English IS the main international
and scientific language. And this tendency is only getting stronger,
especially with the Internet growing the way it is.
I think it's a pain in the .... to have to sort out all those Latin
descriptions, and I at least consider myself lucky because my native
language is Portuguese and I have good notions of Italian and Spanish to
help me out. Xenophobisms apart, if this was up for a vote, I'd want to
dump Latin descriptions altogether and go for English. Or even using
Spanish, German, French, or all of these would be better. I mean, it's
much easier to find someone who speaks one of these languages (to help
out when publishing a new species) than someone who speaks Latin! The
irony is that the use of Latin was intended to overcome this multiple
language problem.
As I see it, Latin descriptions are, in a way, monopolizing
taxonomy by reducing the participation of "outsiders" (a scientific
xenophobia, if you wish), or at least making them dependent on the small
group of taxonomists who dominate botanical latin well and to whom all
other taxonomists turn for help. As I've told you in past snail-mail
correspondence, Jan, I've been having some hiearchy/jealousy trouble
with the botanists at my university and have been forced to work
independently because of this incompatibility. Thus, Latin has been
hindering me in many ways and I've even had to ask a Catholic priest for
help!
So while Latin is still in the rules, we can at least reduce this
part to the short Latin phrases used by Allen Lowrie, Peter Taylor, and
others in their descriptions, followed by full descriptions in English.
It sure would help socialize scientific work.
Fernando Rivadavia
Sao Paulo, Brazil