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(203) Proposal to add two new Examples to Article 9.19
Author(s) -
Prado Jefferson,
Hirai Regina Y.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.12705/652.42
Subject(s) - citation , herb , library science , humanities , medicinal herbs , art , traditional medicine , computer science , medicine
The concept of an epitype was established by the Tokyo Code (ICBN, Greuter & al. in Regnum Veg. 131. 1994), thus it has been in use for about 20 years. An epitype is a specimen or illustration selected to serve as an interpretative type when the holotype, lectotype, or previously designated neotype, or all original material associated with a validly published name, is demonstrably ambiguous and cannot be critically identified for purposes of the precise application of the name to a taxon (Art. 9.8). According to the Melbourne Code (ICN, McNeill & al. in Regnum Veg. 154. 2012) the author who first designates an epitype must be followed, and a different epitype may be designated only if the original epitype is lost or destroyed (Art. 9.20). In the case of the designation of a lectotype or neotype that choice is superseded if the holotype or, in the case of a neotype, any of the original material is rediscovered (Art. 9.19). However, the Code does not permit explicitly the supersession of a new epitype in the case when a previously designated epitype is rediscovered. As the usage of epitypes is rather limited at the moment, there probably have not been many cases when the epitype has been lost and later rediscovered. Nevertheless, such situations could occur over time more and more frequently. It is also obvious that the first epitype selected is the most important because of Art. 9.20 of the Code (i.e., “the author who first designates an epitype must be followed”). To be better prepared for such occurrence (when the epitype is rediscovered) we therefore make the following proposal: