TYPIFICATION AND THE NAMES OF FOSSIL PLANTS - A REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

The rules surrounding the designation of nomenclatural types to fossil plant taxa, including the definitions of the various kinds of type an d the related requirements for valid publication, are found in several provisions of the International code of botanical nomenclature. In pa rt because of the necessarily piecemeal nature of these rules, problem s and ambiguities in interpretation have arisen that merit discussion. These problems and ambiguities include: the definition of the term le ctotype; the use of isotypes and epitypes; the appropriate treatment o f macrofossil types that are represented by more than one specimen; th e application of Article 37.4 and the citation of collectors' names; t he nature of the type of a generic name; the definition of ''original material''; and the imperative to indicate the repository of a type. I n our view, the increasing rate of change of the Code, which would rea ch a climax with the possible introduction of a BioCode, is also promo ting ambiguities, and hence potential instability in plant nomenclatur e.