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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infraspecific name | 1/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infraspecific_name | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:15:36.651923+00:00 | kb-cron |
In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon or infraspecies. The scientific names of botanical taxa are regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). As specified by the ICN, the name of an infraspecific taxon is a combination of the name of a species and an infraspecific epithet, separated by a connecting term that denotes the rank of the taxon. An example of an infraspecific name is Astrophytum myriostigma subvar. glabrum, the name of a subvariety of the species Astrophytum myriostigma (bishop's hat cactus). In the previous example, glabrum is the infraspecific epithet. Names below the rank of species of animals and of cultivated plants are regulated by different codes of nomenclature and are formed somewhat differently.
== Construction of infraspecific names == Article 24 of the 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 recommended abbreviations for ranks below species are:
subspecies - recommended abbreviation: subsp. (but "ssp." is also in use although not recognised by Art 26) varietas (variety) - recommended abbreviation: var. subvarietas (subvariety) - recommended abbreviation: subvar. forma (form) - recommended abbreviation: f. subforma (subform) - recommended abbreviation: subf. Although the connecting terms mentioned above are the recommended ones, the ICN allows for other connecting terms in validly published infraspecific taxa. It specifically mentions that Greek letters α, β, γ, etc. can be used in this way in the original document and further ranks may be added without limit. Names that use these connecting terms are now deprecated (though still legal), but they have an importance because they can be basionyms of current species. The commonest cases use "β" and "b"; examples mentioned in the ICN are Cynoglossum cheirifolium β Anchusa (lanata) and Polyporus fomentarius β applanatus whilst other examples (coming from the fungus database Index Fungorum) are Agaricus plexipes b fuliginaria and Peziza capula ß cernua. The ICN allows the possibility that a validly published name could have no defined rank and uses "[unranked]" as the connecting term in such cases.
== Abbreviation of infraspecific names == Like specific epithets, infraspecific epithets cannot be used in isolation as names. Thus the name of a particular species of Acanthocalycium is Acanthocalycium klimpelianum, which can be abbreviated to A. klimpelianum where the context makes the genus clear. The species cannot be referred to as just klimpelianum. In the same way, the name of a particular variety of Acanthocalycium klimpelianum is Acanthocalycium klimpelianum var. macranthum, which can be abbreviated to A. k. var. macranthum where the context makes the species clear. The variety cannot be referred to as just macranthum. Sometimes more than three parts will be given; strictly speaking, this is not a name, but a classification. The ICN gives the example of Saxifraga aizoon var. aizoon subvar. brevifolia f. multicaulis subf. surculosa; the name of the subform would be Saxifraga aizoon subf. surculosa.
== Legitimate infraspecific names == For a proposed infraspecific name to be legitimate it must be in accordance with all the rules of the ICN. Only some of the main points are described here. A key concept in botanical names is that of a type. In many cases the type will be a particular preserved specimen stored in a herbarium, although there are other kinds of type. Like other names, an infraspecific name is attached to a type. Whether a plant should be given a particular infraspecific name can then be decided by comparing it to the type. There is no requirement for a species to be divided into infraspecific taxa, of whatever rank; in other words, a species does not have to have subspecies, varieties, forms, etc. However, if infraspecific ranks are created, then the name of the type of the species must repeat the specific epithet as its infraspecific epithet. The type acquires this name automatically as soon as any infraspecific rank is created. As an example, consider Poa secunda J.Presl, whose type specimen is in the Wisconsin State Herbarium.