Re: Plant Nomenclature References

Jan Schlauer (Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de)
Mon, 18 Mar 1996 17:31:25 +0100

Dear Michael,

> The reason for my posting is I hope that someone in the group can
>recommend a good primary reference (English) on taxonomy and plant
>nomenclature.

So you are looking at least for two references (probably you need some
reference on nomenclature more urgently).

> That is, if you are going to try and register a plant hybrid
>what are the rules in choosing a name or in one being disqualified.

Do you want to register a single, particular clone of this hybrid as a
cultivar (cultivated variety) without any effects on scientific
nomenclature, or do you want do describe the hybrid as a nothotaxon
(including all clones with the same parentage, irrespective of direction)?
In the first case you have to follow the rules of the "International Code
of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants" (ICNCP; living specimen of the clone,
description in e.g. English, no Latin name allowed, illustration of living
plant), in the second the "International Code of Botanical Nomenclature"
(ICBN; herbarium type specimen, description or diagnosis in Latin, Latin
name, effective publication, priority).

> This is
>not in direct reference to Genera of Carnivorous Plants but of the Genus
>Lilium. I assume there is a standard set of some kind.

Yes, and the standards do not depend on the genus concerned as long as you
are dealing with plants.

>(The registry authority is the RHS England).

Perhaps in the case of _Lilium_. Rather certainly *not* in cps (in which
one officially recognized authority for the registration of cultivars is
the International Carnivorous Plant Society, Fullerton, USA). For
scientific plant names, there is no registry authority (one is scheduled
for 1999, however).

> I am aware I could write to them but perhaps
>someone can clue me in on a suggested book which I might be able to get
>through my local library system.

First decide what you intend to do. Then get either the ICNCP or the ICBN
(or both) from your library system.

Kind regards
Jan