Problems and solutions
Problems in bamboo nomenclature have usually arisen because no adequate type was defined for a particular bamboo name, which was consequently misinterpreted, or because earlier names were overlooked and later names came into widespread use instead. Clarification of the typification, i.e. defining a type that will fix the application of a name, is often sufficient to clear up such problems. This method has for example recently been applied in Bambusa bambos, to sort out the confusion over whether that name should really be applied to the Indian thorny bamboo or to Bambusa vulgaris instead. A recognizable and well preserved type from Sri Lanka has been designated, one of Hermann’s collections from c. 1672 - 1677, from which it would appear Linnaeus described the first bamboo name ever validly published, Arundo bambos L., in 1753.
Since 1994 the powerful process of nomenclatural conservation and rejection have been expanded and applied more widely. Applying this process, the use of a later name can now be sanctioned even though it is technically incorrect, on the grounds that it has become widely used. This is a stronger measure than typification and is proving very useful in the bamboos to sort out conflicts between technically correct names and more widely used names that were published later. In this way an overlooked name that was published earlier, and thus strictly has priority, is basically binned on the grounds that it is not very widely used, and it is best forgotten. Either that name is listed as rejected, or the more widely used name is listed as conserved, depending upon the particular circumstances. Bambusa was conserved long ago against the earlier name Bambos. Thyrsostachys siamensis has more recently been conserved against the earlier, but largely overlooked name Thyrsostachys regia.
For bamboos this process is particularly appropriate as many species were initially described from flowers alone, often collected in unrecorded localities or very remote areas. Such species have often been described a second time from vegetative material collected elsewhere, without their authors realizing that the species already had a name. This would appear to be the case for Fargesia murieliae, and conservation of that name has been proposed (scroll down to article labelled F 1711 on pp. 231-232) and is currently being considered against the earlier name Fargesia sparsiflora, which several authorities consider to be the same species. No doubt many other species will require this approach as they become better known, and collection sites for earlier flower-based names are revisited.
The conservation or rejection of the name has to be proposed in the journal Taxon and a committee of leading botanists has to be convinced that the procedure is fully justified. Sometimes they can instead approve a less dramatic alternative solution to the problem, and formally endorse some other action, as in Pleioblastus viridistriatus, where the Committee declared that Bambusa viridistriata André is indeed the same name as Bambusa viridistriata Regel. Therefore it, and names based on it are not illegitimate, and can be used, although authorship should be given as Regel. Arundinaria auricoma and names based on it are no longer required. This is well summarised in the TROPICOS results for an Expanded Search on Bambusa viridistriata, cf. IPNI.
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Additional sources of information
Types are included in the W3TROPICOS database at Missouri Botanical Garden
Conserved and rejected names are listed in Appendices to the latest Code of Botanical Nomenclature
Proposals to conserve or reject names have been included in a database at the Smithsonian Institution |
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Examples of recent nomenclatural actions:
- PDF link to full paper, abstract or draft in Adobe Acrobat
- Subs. journal subscription required.
Xia, N. H. & Stapleton, C. M. A. (1997). Typification of Bambusa bambos (Gramineae, Bambusoideae). Kew Bull. 52(3): 693–698. PDF (Draft) Includes image of type.
Stapleton, C. M. A. (1998). Proposal to conserve the name Thyrsostachys siamensis Gamble against the name Thyrsostachys regia (Munro) Bennet (Poaceae, Bambusoideae). Taxon 47(3): 739–740. Subs. PDF Draft.
Stapleton, C. M. A. (1998). Nomenclatuur van Peioblastus viridistriatus/auricomus. Nieusbrief European Bamboo Society Afdeling Nederland 8(4): 11–14. PDF Draft (English), PDF Draft (Dutch)
Stapleton, C. M. A. (1998). Bambusa fortunei and Bambusa variegata: competing basionyms for the white-variegated dwarf leptomorph bamboo currently placed in Arundinaria, Pleioblastus, or Sasa. Bamboo Soc. (GB) Newsletter 31: 36–40. PDF Draft
Stapleton, C. M. A. (2000). Typification of Indocalamus tessellatus, Phyllostachys bambusoides var albomarginata, Sasa veitchii, and the genus Sasa. Taxon 49(2): 235–238; & Erratum in Taxon 49(3): 631. Subs. PDF Draft
Stapleton, C. M. A. (2000). Typification of the generic name Sasamorpha. Taxon 49: 545–6. Subs. PDF Draft
Stapleton, C. M. A. & Renvoize, S.A. (2001). Proposal to conserve the name Bambusa viridistriata Siebold ex André (Poaceae, Bambusoideae). Taxon 50(3): 911–913. PDF Draft.
Stapleton, C. M. A. (2003). Proposal to limit the scope of Recommendation 60C.2. Taxon 52: 635. PDF
Stapleton, C. M. A., & Xia, N. H. (2004). Qiongzhuea and Dendrocalamopsis (Poaceae-Bambusoideae): publication by descriptio generico-specifico and typification. Taxon 53: 526-528. Subs.PDF Draft
Stapleton, C. M. A. (2006). Proposal to conserve the name Arundinaria murieliae Gamble against A. sparsiflora (Poaceae, Bambusoideae). Taxon 55(1): 231–232. PDF (free at Taxon website)
Stapleton, C. M. A. & Zijlstra, G. (200-). Proposal to conserve a species name in Arundinaria Michx., currently placed in Fargesia Franchet, with a conserved type (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) Submitted for publication in Taxon 12 Oct 2001. PDF Draft
Stapleton, C. M. A. (200-). (***–***) Proposal to amend Article 33 to explicitly include generic names with presumed basionyms. Submitted for publication in Taxon Oct 30 2003.
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