Ornithogalum adseptentrionesvergentulum

Rodger Whitlock totototo@telus.net
Sun, 10 Jun 2012 18:30:51 PDT
On 10 Jun 2012, at 12:11, Jim McKenney wrote:

> It seems to me that this word adseptentrionesvergentulum is not formed
> properly. 
> 
> Although the phrase "ad septentriones vergentulum" might make sense in
> prose,  squashing the separate words together does not form a proper
> botanical epithet. 

I offer Arctostaphylos uva-ursi as a solution.

"ad-septentriones-vergentulum"

But you are really right. The entire Linnean system of binomials was based on 
abandoning the former system of long descriptive phrases, and "nodding toward 
the north" is certainly a descriptive phrase.

The upshot may very well be that the next name assigned to this taxon will be 
the permanent one because this lengthy phrase-jammed-together fails to meet the 
requirements of the ICBN.


-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate



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