CHAPTER VII

REJECTION OF NAMES

Article 54

54.1. Consideration of homonymy does not extend to the names of taxa not treated under this Code, except as stated below (see also Art. F.6.1):

(a) Later homonyms of the names of taxa once treated as algae, fungi, or plants are illegitimate, even when the taxa have been reassigned to a different group of organisms to which this Code does not apply.

(b) A name applied to an organism covered by this Code and validly published under it (Art. 32–45) but originally published for a taxon other than an alga, fungus, or plant, i.e. under another Code, is illegitimate if it (1) is unavailable for use under the provisions of the other Code¹, usually because of homonymy, or (2) becomes a homonym of an algal, fungal, or plant name when the taxon to which it applies is first treated as an alga, fungus, or plant (see also Art. 45.1).

[footnote]¹ Such names are termed “objectively invalid” in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and “illegitimate” in the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes.

(c) A name of a genus is treated as an illegitimate later homonym if it is spelled identically with a previously published intergeneric graft hybrid “name” established¹ under the provisions of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.

[footnote]¹ The term “established” is used by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants for the concept of validly published in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants.

Ex. 1. (b)(1) Cribrosphaerella Deflandre ex Góka (in Acta Palaeontol. Polon. 2: 239, 260, 280. 5 Sep 1957) was published under the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature for the Cretaceous coccolith algae previously known as Cribrosphaera Arkhang. (in Mater. Geol. Rossii 25: 411. 1912), an objectively invalid (equivalent to illegitimate) name under that Code because it is a later homonym of Cribrosphaera Popofsky (in Ergebn. Plankton-Exped. 3(L.f.β): 22, 32, 63. 1906), a radiolarian genus. Although Cribrosphaera Arkhang. is not a later homonym under this Code, it is illegitimate because it is not available for use according to the provisions of the Code under which it was published; consequently Cribrosphaerella is the correct name for the coccolith genus under both Codes.

Note 1. The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes provides that a prokaryotic name is illegitimate if it is a later homonym of a name of a taxon of prokaryotes, fungi, algae, protozoa, or viruses.

Recommendation 54A

54A.1. Authors naming new taxa under this Code should, as far as is practicable, avoid using such names as already exist for zoological and prokaryotic taxa (see also Art. F.6.1).