Author
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Wiersema, John |
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Submitted to: Taxon
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2016 Publication Date: 10/27/2016 Citation: Wiersema, J.H. 2016. (001) Proposal to provide a more direct definition of the term “gathering”. Taxon. 65:1186. Interpretive Summary: The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants is revised every six years to incorporate decisions of the Nomenclature Section of successive International Botanical Congresses (IBC) on proposals to amend these rules that govern the scientific names of plants. The proposal in this paper will be considered at the IBC in Shenzhen, China in 2017, and seeks to provide a direct definition of the technical term “gathering” that is used in the Code. Currently, the definition of a gathering must be indirectly gleaned from definitions of other related terms, leaving room for ambiguity in its interpretation. This work proposes a clear and precise definition of a term that is important in the Code. This will be useful to scientists who communicate about the names of plants. Technical Abstract: The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants is revised every six years to incorporate decisions of the Nomenclature Section of successive International Botanical Congresses (IBC) on proposals to amend the Code. The proposal in this paper will be considered at the IBC in Shenzhen, China in 2017, and seeks to provide a more direct definition of the technical term “gathering” that is used in several places in the Code. The concept of a gathering is of critical importance to the definition of a type specimen and to determining valid publication of a name, yet nowhere in the Code is this term directly defined. Currently, the information on what constitutes a gathering must be indirectly gleaned from the definitions of other terms, leaving room for ambiguity in its interpretation. |
