names of hybrids

NAMES OF HYBRIDS

Lately there is a discussion going on if we should call our beloved Epiphyllum hybrids Epicactus hybrids. This is not new as this discussuion is going on for the last 50 years. According to the ICBN this not common and allowed. Also there is the fact thast epicactus sounds to much like Epipactus, an orchid genus, and much confusion could be a result from this.

ICBN Code for hybrids, Vienna code, addapted in 2006.

H.1.1. Hybridity is indicated by the use of the multiplication sign ? or by the addition of the prefix "notho-" 1 to the term denoting the rank of the taxon.

H.2.1. A hybrid between named taxa may be indicated by placing the multiplication sign between the names of the taxa; the whole expression is then called a hybrid formula.

H.3.1. Hybrids between representatives of two or more taxa may receive a name. For nomenclatural purposes, the hybrid nature of a taxon is indicated by placing the multiplication sign ? before the name of an intergeneric hybrid or before the epithet in the name of an interspecific hybrid, or by prefixing the term "notho-" (optionally abbreviated "n-") to the term denoting the rank of the taxon (see Art. 3.2 and 4.4). All such taxa are designated nothotaxa.

H.3.2. A nothotaxon cannot be designated unless at least one parental taxon is known or can be postulated.

H.3.3. For purposes of homonymy and synonymy the multiplication sign and the prefix "notho-" are disregarded.

H.4.1. When all the parent taxa can be postulated or are known, a nothotaxon is circumscribed so as to include all individuals (as far as they can be recognized) derived from the crossing of representatives of the stated parent taxa (i.e. not only the Fl but subsequent filial generations and also back-crosses and combinations of these). There can thus be only one correct name corresponding to a particular hybrid formula; this is the earliest legitimate name (see Art. 6.3) in the appropriate rank (Art. H.5), and other names to which the same hybrid formula applies are synonyms of it. 

H.5.1. The appropriate rank of a nothotaxon is that of the postulated or known parent taxa.

H.5.2. If the postulated or known parent taxa are of unequal rank the appropriate rank of the nothotaxon is the lowest of these ranks.

H.6.1. A nothogeneric name (i.e. the name at generic rank for a hybrid between representatives of two or more genera) is a condensed formula or is equivalent to a condensed formula (but see Art. 11.9).

H.6.2. The nothogeneric name of a bigeneric hybrid is a condensed formula in which the names adopted for the parental genera are combined into a single word, using the first part or the whole of one, the last part or the whole of the other (but not the whole of both) and, optionally, a connecting vowel.

H.6.3. The nothogeneric name of an intergeneric hybrid derived from four or more genera is formed from the name of a person to which is added the termination -ara; no such name may exceed eight syllables. Such a name is regarded as a condensed formula.

H.6.4. The nothogeneric name of a trigeneric hybrid is either (a) a condensed formula in which the three names adopted for the parental genera are combined into a single word not exceeding eight syllables, using the whole or first part of one, followed by the whole or any part of another, followed by the whole or last part of the third (but not the whole of all three) and, optionally, one or two connecting vowels, or (b) a name formed like that of a nothogenus derived from four or more genera, i.e., from a personal name to which is added the termination -ara.

H.7.1. The name of a nothotaxon which is a hybrid between subdivisions of a genus is a combination of an epithet, which is a condensed formula formed in the same way as a nothogeneric name (Art. H.6.2), with the name of the genus.

H.8.1. When the name or the epithet in the name of a nothotaxon is a condensed formula (Art. H.6 and H.7), the parental names used in its formation must be those which are correct for the particular circumscription, position, and rank accepted for the parental taxa.

H.8.2. Names ending in -ara for nothogenera, which are equivalent to condensed formulae (Art. H.6.3-4), are applicable only to plants which are accepted taxonomically as derived from the parents named.

H.9.1. In order to be validly published, the name of a nothogenus or of a nothotaxon with the rank of subdivision of a genus (Art. H.6 and H.7) must be effectively published (see Art. 29, 30, 31) with a statement of the names of the parent genera or subdivisions of genera, but no description or diagnosis is necessary, whether in Latin or in any other language.

H.10.1. Names of nothotaxa at the rank of species or below must conform with the provisions (a) in the body of the Code applicable to the same ranks (see Art. 40.1) and (b) in Art. H.3. Infringements of Art. H.3.1. are treated as errors to be corrected (see also Art. 11.9).

H.10.2. Taxa previously published as species or infraspecific taxa which are later considered to be nothotaxa may be indicated as such, without change of rank, in conformity with Art. 3 and 4 and by the application of Art. 50 (which also operates in the reverse direction).

H.10.3. The following are considered to be formulae and not true epithets: designations consisting of the epithets of the names of the parents combined in unaltered form by a hyphen, or with only the termination of one epithet changed, or consisting of the specific epithet of the name of one parent combined with the generic name of the other (with or without change of termination).

H.11.1. The name of a nothospecies of which the postulated or known parent species belong to different genera is a combination of a nothospecific epithet with a nothogeneric name.

H.11.2. The final epithet in the name of an infraspecific nothotaxon of which the postulated or known parental taxa are assigned to different species, may be placed subordinate to the name of a nothospecies (but see Rec. H.10B).

H.12.1. Subordinate taxa within nothospecies may be recognized without an obligation to specify parent taxa at the subordinate rank. In this case non-hybrid infraspecific categories of the appropriate rank are used.

H.12.2. Names published at the rank of nothomorph are treated as having been published as names of varieties (see Art. 50). 

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