A report on the fate of the suprageneric proposals considered at the XVI International Botanical Congress has been prepared and is now available. It is important to stress that all wording and placement of new material in the Code is subject to review by the Editorial Committee.
The recent suggestion that cycad family names based on Stangeria and Encephalartos might be validated in 1890 (mentioned below on 27 Jun) proved not to be correct. The names were proposed at the rank of family but within the natural order Cycadaceae. Thus, the two names are not validly published (Art. 33.5).
9 Aug 1999
A set of corrections and modifications of the suprageneric nomenclature in volumes III and IV of The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants edited by K. Kubitzki is now available for review. In addition, a conspectus of the monocotyledonous angiosperms as outlined by him is given with full synonymy.
Alexander Doweld of the National Institute of Carology (Gaertnerian Institution) in Moscow is currently searching the paleobotanical literature for suprageneric names and has found the following new places of publication:
Gnetopsida Eichl. ex Kirpotenko, Ocerk Estestv. Klassif. Rast.: vii, 31. 1884 (Gnetaceae), validated by a diagnosis and description in Russian. I have yet to see this publication.
Other recent changes due to our joint review of selected Russian literature are the following:
Equisetidae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 3. 1900 (Equisetinae), validated by a diagnosis in Russian.
Gnetidae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 54. 1900 (Gnetaceae), validated by a diagnosis in Russian in a key.
Cycadidae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 54. 1900 (Cycadeae), validated by a diagnosis in Russian in a key.
Professor Doweld has also uncovered a potentially earlier place of publication (1890) for Stangeriaceae and (in the same paper) the validation of Encephalartaceae. I will report on these names once the work is reviewed in detail.
Setchellanthaceae Iltis in Taxon 48: 260. 17 Mai 1999. T.: Setchellanthus Brandegee in Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 3: 378. 1909.
At long last the oft mentioned, and always invalidly published, family Setchellanthaceae has been formally published. In a detailed review of the history, distribution and features of the monospecific family entitled "Setchellanthaceae (Capparales), a new family for a relictual, glucosinolate-producing endemic of the Mexican desert (Taxon 48: 257-275. 1999), Hugh H. Iltis of the University of Wisconsin outlines the many distinguishing features of this blue-flowered, narrowly distributed shrub of the Chihuahuan and Tehaucán deserts. Long included in the Capparaceae, the overwhelming data supports recognition of the family as a near-basal element in the Brassicales (including the Capparales) as traditionally defined. Supporting articles in the same issue of Taxon augment the justifications for family recognition. These include:
Tobe, H., S. Carlquist & H.H. Iltis. 1999. Reproductive anatomy and relationships of Setchellanthus caeruleus (Setchellanthaceae). Taxon 48: 277-283.
Tomb, A.S. 1999. Pollen morphology and relationships of Setchellanthus caeruleus (Setchellanthaceae). Taxon 48: 285-288.
Carlquist, S. & R.B. Miller. 1999. Vegetative anatomy and relationships of Setchellanthus caeruleus (Setchellanthaceae). Taxon 48: 289-302.
Karol, K.G., J.E. Rodman, E. Conti & K.J. Sytsma. 1999. Nucleotide sequence of rbcL and phylogenetic relationships of Setchellanthus caeruleus (Setchellanthaceae). Taxon 48: 303-315.
27 Jun 1999
Bayer et al. (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 129: 267-303. 1999), in an article entitled "Support for an expanded family concept of Malvaceae within a recircumscribed order Malvales: A combined analysis of plastid atpB and rbcL DNA sequences" outline their justification for reducing Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae and Bombacaceae to the Malvaceae (see the abstract).
The Malvales are circumscribed to include the Malvaceae in their newly enlarged sense (see also the paper by Judd & Manchester (Brittonia 49: 384-405. 1997), Bixaceae Link, Diegodendraceae Capuron, Cochlospermaceae Planch., Cistaceae Juss., Dipterocarpaceae Blume, Sarcolaenaceae Caruel, Neuradaceae Link, Sphaerosepalaceae (Warb.) Tiegh. ex Bullock, Thymelaeaceae Juss. and Muntingiaceae C. Bayer, M.W. Chase & M.F. Fay. The genus Petenaea was not assigned to a family.
The enlarged Malvaceae are defined as a taxon of nine subfamilies: Byttnerioideae Burnett, Grewioideae Dippel, Tilioideae Arn., Helicteroideae (Schott & Endl.) Meisn., Brownlowioideae Burret, Sterculioideae Burnett, Dombeyoideae, Bombacoideae Burnett and Malvoideae. The author mention several tribe names but only recognize formally the Byttnerieae DC., Kleinhovieae Arn. (including Theobromeae Stahl), Lasiopetaleae DC. and Hermannieae DC. The authors used the later Theobromeae in their paper.
Should one wish to recognize each of the above subfamilies as families, some names are available. In addition to the well-known Tiliaceae, Sterculiaceae and Bombacaceae there are also the Byttneriaceae R. Br. (1814), Helicteraceae J. Agardh (1858) and Pentapetaceae Spreng. (1826, including Dombeyaceae Kunth ex Desf., 1829). I am not aware of available family names for the Grewioideae or the Brownlowioideae
29 May 1999
An electronic note has been prepared outlining a new provision for Art. 35 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature that will be presented on the floor of the Nomenclatural Sessions at the next Botanical Congress. Three examples are given that illustrate the impact of the proposed amendment. In addition, I have provided a suggested rewording of Art. 35.2 for editorial consideration.
28 May 1999
A statement regarding a failure to adopt Art. 16.1, Proposal F is presented noting the significant impact upon suprageneric nomenclature if the prefix Eu- can not be dropped as is the current traditional practice.
9 May 1999
Two new listing have been compiled. The first is a revised lists of suprageneric names for vascular plants and the second deals with the impact on removing Art. 14, footnote 2 in the Code.
3 May 1999
John H. Schaffner (1866-1939) published a long series of papers on plant classification in a series of different journals. Alexander Doweld (Moscow) called my attention to one paper ("The classification of plants, VII" Ohio Naturalist 12: 409-419. Dec 1911) previously missed by me. The following earlier places of publication are now noted, the most important being the first:
Liliidae J.H. Schaffn., Ohio Naturalist 11: 413. Dec 1911 (Liliiflorae)The subclass Liliidae has long been attributed to Takhtajan (Sist. Filog. Cvetk. Rast.: 473. Jan-Mar 1967) and the name is widely used in the botanical literature. While names above the rank of family are not subject to the provisions of priority, some may wish to adopt Myrtidae J.H. Schaffn. (Ohio Naturalist 11: 416. Dec 1911, as Myrtiflorae) over Rosidae Takht. (Sist. Filog. Cvetk. Rast.: 264. Jan-Mar 1967).
Platanales J.H. Schaffn., Ohio Naturalist 12: 415. Dec 1911
Cyclanthales J.H. Schaffn., Ohio Naturalist 12: 413. Dec 1911
16 Apr 1999
Alexander Doweld (Moscow) kindly called to my attention to a series of names overlooked by me (A. Heintze, 1927. Cormofyternas Fylogeni. Lund) or unknown to me (A.N. Beketow, Kurs Botaniki, 1862 and I.N. Gorozhankin, 1904. Lektsii po Morfologii I Sistematike Archegonialnykh Rastenij. II. Pteridophyta I Archispermae. Moscow: A.I. Mamontov). Significant bibliographic changes are noted for Araucariales, Cryptomeriaceae, Cycadidae, Ginkgoales, Lycopodiidae and Psilotophyta. None of the other names is in current use.
Araucariales Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 72. 1904.
Burmanniidae Heintze, Cormofyt. Fylog.: 10. 1927.
Cryptomeriaceae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 88. 1904.
Cycadidae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 67. 1904 (Cycadoideae).
Ginkgoales Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 73, 93. 1904.
Lycopodiidae Bek., Kurs Bot. 1: 115. 1862 (Lycopodieae).
Marattiophyta Heintze, Cormofyt. Fylog.: 22. 1927.
Ophioglossophyta Bek., Kurs Bot. 1: 89. 1862 (Ophioglosseae).
Orchididae Heintze, Cormofyt. Fylog.: 10. 1927.
Piceaceae Gorozh., Lekts. Morf. Sist. Archegon.: 79. 1904.
Psilotophyta Heintze, Cormofyt. Fylog.: 22. 1927.
14 Apr 1999
In 1996 I attributed the rank of tribe to a series of Berchtold and Presl infrafamilial names published in 1820. In doing this I followed the advise of others being personally unaware that on page 202, Berchtold and Presl specifically equated their rank of "celed" with "familia" under a higher rank ("rad") they considered to be the same as "ordo" or what we would now term "family" (Art. 18.2). As a result, the some 80 tribal names attributed to Berchtold and Presl and reported by me over the years in Indices Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium must now be considered invalidly published (Art. 33.5) and new places of publication reported for each name.
In the listing of Berchtold and Presl names reported by me at the rank of tribe I now give the corrected authorship and place of publication noted. At present, I have not found valid places of publication at the rank of tribe for seven names (Baeckeeae, Browallieae, Daleeae, Mercurialideae, Mesueae, Rhapideae and Robinieae).
8 Apr 1999
Dr. Robert F. Thorne has prepared a summary of the monocotyledonous angiosperms, revising his 1992 treatment. To this I have added authorships for the suprageneric names as known to me currently. Names without authorships have yet to be checked for their validity. Full synonymy has been added except at the rank of subfamily.
29 Mar 1999
Considerable work has been done on legume suprageneric names since my Beanbag paper entitled Suprageneric names in Fabaceae Published Prior to 1870 was published in November of 1997. Accordingly, an update is presented with corrections, additions and a listing of the names published up to 1900.
20 Feb 1999
As a follow up to the listing of Reichenbach tribal names (see immediately below), I am now presenting a listing of unranked Reichenbach names that are based on a generic name and otherwise validly published. The combination of the two listings should make it possible for one to account for most of this authors suprageneric names.
19 Feb 1999
Several months ago, Verne Grant raised a question regarding the use of a particular H.G.L. Reichenbach name that required an immediate answer. This was followed by a careful evaluation of a series of his publications that appeared from 1831 until 1841. I can report now that in at least some instance Reichenbach assigned a specific rank to a particular set of his multi-layered suprageneric names. The result is the introduction of a series of tribal names that were validated by Reichenbach prior to that given by me or stated by other authors. A summary of my findings is located elsewhere.
17 Feb 1999
It has come to my attention that the following names are now in current use and accordingly has been added to the NCU family listing
22 Jan 1999
A revised and updated listing of earlier places of publication for conserved spermatophyte family names in App. IIB of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is now available. If adopted, two new superconsevation statements would be required. No name would be affected by adoption of the earliest place of publication of any of the listed names. I would appreciate learning of other potential names that would require superconservation statements to maintain current nomenclatural tradition.
1 Jan 1999
