Autonym (botany)

Interpretation

The application of names of taxonomic groups is determined by means of nomenclatural types (Principle II of the ICN). For all taxa, nomenclatural types are preserved specimens or illustrations.

In the case of an infraspecific taxon, if a botanist described a new taxon and publishes a new name at infraspecific level, all elements that previously belonged to the species (and are not included in the newly described taxon) now become a new infraspecific taxon. But as neither the type nor the final epithet has changed, there is no need for a change in author citation.

The same goes for a subdivision of a genus. If a botanist creates a new subdivision of a genus, for example by dividing a large genus into two or more subgenera, sections, or series, then a new subdivision of the genus at each of the new ranks will share the type of the genus and have as its epithet the name of the genus.

As will be clear from the definition, an autonym can be one of two kinds:

• for a taxon at a rank below that of genus and above that of species (technically a "subdivision of genus", but loosely speaking an "infrageneric taxon"), in which case its epithet repeats the generic name (Art. 22), for example

Magnolia L. sect. Magnolia, automatically established when A.P. de Candolle published sect. Gwillimia DC., in: Syst. Nat. 1 (1817): 455.

• for a taxon at a rank below that of species (an infraspecific taxon), in which case the infraspecific epithet repeats the specific epithet (Art. 26), for example

Elmerrillia papuana (Schltr.) Dandy var. papuana, automatically established when var. glaberrima Dandy, and var. adpressa Dandy were published.

Other provisions concerning autonyms

The name of a subdivision of a genus that includes the type of the genus is not validly published if its epithet does not repeat the generic name unaltered, in other words: it may not be anything other than an autonym, for example

When Seringe published Magnolia L. subgen. Gwillimia Ser., in: Fl. Jard. 3 (1849): 222, the autonym Magnolia L. subgen. Magnolia was automatically established. When the latter was named Magnolia L. subgen. Eumagnolia by Seringe, same publication, p. 224, that name was not validly published as it included Magnolia virginiana L., the type of the genus. The autonym however, was validly published, even though it did not appear in print.

The same goes, mutatis mutandis, for infraspecific taxa.

An autonym is considered to have been published at exactly the same time as the earliest name(s) in that particular rank under the genus or species.

When Rehder & Wilson in C.S. Sargent, Pl. Wilson. 1 (1913): 392, published Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E.H. Wilson var. biloba, they established at the same time Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E.H. Wilson var. officinalis, even though that name was nowhere mentioned in Plantae Wilsonianae.

The autonym has nomenclatural priority over the name (or the names, as the case may be) that established it (Art. 11.6).

When Heracleum sibiricum L., with subsp. lecokii (Godr. & Gren.) Nyman and subsp. sibiricum (autonym), is placed under Heracleum sphondylium L. as a subspecies, then the correct name of the subspecies is Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp. sibiricum (L.) Simonk. This can be viewed as uniting the subspecies lecokii and the subspecies sibiricum into one subspecies, and as such a choice has to be made between the two subspecies names; the autonym sibiricum has priority.

The type of an autonym is the same as that for the corresponding genus or species (Art. 7.6): "The type of an autonym is the same as that of the name from which it is derived." As an autonym is automatically created (without an author being involved), no author citation follows the name.