Construction of Infraspecific Names
Article 24 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) describes how infraspecific names are constructed. The order of the three parts of an infraspecific name is:
- genus name, specific epithet, connecting term indicating the rank (not part of the name, but required), infraspecific epithet.
It is customary to italicize all three parts of such a name, but not the connecting term. For example:
- Acanthocalycium klimpelianum var. macranthum
- genus name = Acanthocalycium, specific epithet = klimpelianum, connecting term = var. (short for "varietas" or variety), infraspecific epithet = macranthum
- Astrophytum myriostigma subvar. glabrum
- genus name = Astrophytum, specific epithet = myriostigma, connecting term = subvar. (short for "subvarietas" or subvariety), infraspecific epithet = glabrum
The ranks below species explicitly allowed in the ICN are:
- subspecies - recommended abbreviation: subsp. (but "ssp." is also in use)
- varietas (variety) - recommended abbreviation: var.
- subvarietas (subvariety) - recommended abbreviation: subvar.
- forma (form) - recommended abbreviation: f.
- subforma (subform) - recommended abbreviation: subf.
Read more about this topic: Infraspecific Name (botany)
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