How to validly publish a new nomenclatural act – a quick guide

What to check before you submit your MS with new nomenclatural act – this guide gives you basic information for most commonly published nomenclatural novelties and other acts.

Please, have in mind that fossil-taxa (sensu ICN [1.2]) are such taxa which are covered by ICN and their type is fossil specimen (diatoms excluded). Fossil fungi are registered in separate electronic repositories appointed by the Nomenclatural Committee for Fungi [F.5.3].

New species name (sp. nov.)

  1. the diagnosis or description must be in English or Latin [43.1]
  2. type must be designated [40.1] (for fossil-taxon type must be specimen [8.5]) and word (holo)typus or its equivalent must be used [40.6]
  3. repository (collection where type specimen is conserved) must be specified [40.7]
  4. validating figures (i.e. illustration or figure showing the essential characters) must be accompanied (or reference to them given) [43.2]
  5. one of the validating illustrations must be identified as representing the type specimen [43.3]

New combination with species epithet (comb. nov.)

  1. full and direct reference must be given to basionym’s author and place of valid publication, with page or plate reference and date [41.5]
  2. basionym must be cited [41.5]

Recommended form of statement:
Eretmophylum obtusum (Velenovský) comb. nov.
Basionym: Podozamites obtusus Velenovský, 1885, Die Gymnospennen der böhmischen Kreideformation, p. 9, pl. 1, figs 8–9.

New replacement name (nom. nov.)

  1. full and direct reference must be given to replaced synonym’s author and place of valid publication, with page or plate reference and date [41.5]
  2. replaced synonym (replaced synonym is an original name, however it cannot be called basionym because it does not provide the final epithet) must be cited [41.5]

Recommended form of statement:
Elatocladus velenovskyi nom. nov.
Replaced synonym: Sequoia heterophylla Velenovský, 1885, Die Gymnospermen der böhmischen Kreideformation, p. 22, pl. 12, fig. 12, pl. 13, figs 2–4, 6–9.

Lectotype designation [9.3]

  1. typification statement must include the phrase “designated here” (hic designatus) or an equivalent [7.11]
  2. lectotype is a single specimen [8.1][8.5], selected from the original material [9.3][9.4] (syntypes always have precedence over the other original material [9.12])
  3. the collection, or institution in which the lectotype is conserved, must be specified [9.22]
  4. lectotypification must be indicated by use of term “lectotypus”, its abbreviation, or its equivalent in a modern language [9.23]
  5. the lectotype of a name of a fossil-species or infraspecific fossil-taxon is the specimen (or one of the specimens) on which the validating illustrations are based [9.15]

Recommended form of statement:
Lectotype: Designated here (pl. 1, figs 1, 4, 6). Specimen no. F 340 (housed in the National Museum Prague), validating illustration Velenovský 1885, pl. 3, fig. 6.

See also our Guide on nomenclatural act registration process in PFNR and our Frequently asked questions page.