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 names that are given to plants. Its intent is that each taxonomic group ("taxon", plural "taxa") of plants has only one correct name, accepted worldwide. The value of a scientific name is that it is a label: it is not necessarily of descriptive value, or even accurate.
- The guiding principle in botanical nomenclature is priority. The ICBN sets the formal starting date of plant nomenclature at 1 May 1753, the publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus (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. Many type collections can be viewed online at the website of the herbarium in question.
Both these principles are regulated and limited. To avoid undesirable effects of priority conservation of a name is possible. Above the rank of family very few hard rules apply (e.g. see descriptive botanical names).
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Maintenance
The ICBN can only be changed by an International Botanical Congress, although the International Association for Plant Taxonomy provides supporting infrastructure. The first more or less internationally accepted Code was the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature of 1906, the "Vienna Rules". The "Rules" in the title were replaced by "Code" from 1952 onwards. The present Code is the "St Louis Code" (2000), available online. This is based on the decisions of the XVI IBC at St. Louis 1999.
The preceding Code was the "Tokyo Code" (1994), which is also available online. Following the XVII IBC in Vienna in 2005, the "Vienna Code" (2006) will be published. Each Code supersedes the earlier versions and is retroactive back to 1753 (except where expressly limited).
Other Codes
Botanical nomenclature is independent of zoological and bacteriological nomenclature, which are governed by their own Codes (see Nomenclature Codes). However, it follows the same general principles including the use of a binary name (or binomial name, see binomial nomenclature) for each species. As such names are treated as if a Latin sentence, these scientific names are sometimes called 'Latin names'.
Relationship to taxonomy
Note that nomenclature should not be confused with taxonomy. Taxonomy is a science which determines which taxa (taxonomic groupings, singular: taxon) should be recognized (e.g. "What plants belong to this species?") and how these taxa relate to each other (e.g. "What species belong to this family?"). Nomenclature concerns itself only with the question which name should be used for any taxon that is recognized by taxonomy: see correct name.
Where taxonomists differ in opinion more than one name may be used for one and the same plant. Within any taxonomic viewpoint only one name can be correct, but somebody holding a different taxonomic viewpoint may be using a different name, although for him too there is only one correct name (in his taxonomic viewpoint). This means that in case of confusion:
- If confusion is nomenclatural (for example an older name is discovered which has priority and threatens to displace a well-known name), the Code offers means to set things right (at least sometimes): see conservation.
- If confusion is taxonomic (taxonomists differ in opinion on the circumscription or the relationships of taxa), then only more scientific research can settle this.
See also
External links
- IAPT
- St. Louis Code (2000)
- Tokyo Code (1994)
