Critica Botanica

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Title page of Linné Critica Botanica from 1737

Critica Botanica is the title of a work by Carl von Linné in which he explained the aphorisms 210 to 324 contained in Fundamenta Botanica in chapters VII to X. In doing so, he created the basis for the rules of modern biological nomenclature .

plant

The first and only edition appeared in 1737 under the full title Critica botanica in qua nomina plantarum generica: specifica & variantia examini subjiciuntur, selectoria confirmantur, indigna rejiciuntur; simulque doctrina circa denominationem plantarum traditur. Seu Fundamentorum botanicorum pars IV. Accedit Johannis Browallii De necessitate historiae naturalis discursus in Leiden from Conrad Wishoff.

The first edition is dedicated to the botanist Johann Jacob Dillen , who came from Germany and worked in England .

content

In Fundamenta Botanica , Carl von Linné had theses out his ideas for redesigning the foundations of botany. The aphorisms 210 to 324 contained in chapters VII to X, which deal with the naming of genera , species , varieties and synonyms , are explained in detail by him. In Genera Plantarum and Hortus Cliffortianus , he put these rules into practice a short time later.

Although Linnaeus dealt primarily with the correct naming of plants in Critica Botanica , he also applied the rules set out here in his zoological and mineralogical works. Many of his principles were incorporated into the rules for botanical and zoological nomenclature that were created at the beginning of the 20th century and are still in place today.

Some examples of the principles established by Linnaeus:

Generic names - Nomina Generica

  • § 213 "All plants belonging to the same genus are to be designated with the same generic name."
  • § 214 "All plants belonging to different genera are to be designated with the different generic names."
  • Section 217 "If the same name was used to designate different genera, it must give way in one place."
  • § 230 "Generic names of plants, which are also used in the nomenclature of zoology and mineralogy, must be returned to their original meaning if they were selected later by botanists."
  • Section 243 "If a generic name is suitable, it is not permitted to change it for a more suitable one."
  • § 244 "No new generic names should be coined as long as there are suitable synonyms."
  • § 247 "Greek generic names are to be written with Latin letters."
  • § 248 "The endings of generic names and their emphasis should be as simple as possible."
  • Section 249 "Generic names that are very long, difficult to pronounce or disgusting are to be avoided."
  • § 251 "The same principles as for the genera apply to the names of the classes and orders."
  • § 255 "The name of a class or order should consist of a single word."

Species names - Nomina Specifica

  • § 256 "A plant is completely named if it is provided with a generic name and a species name."
  • § 283 "Care must be taken to ensure that a variety is not mistaken for a species."
  • Section 284 "The generic name should be added to every species of the genus."
  • Section 285 "The species name should always follow the generic name."
  • Section 286 "A species name without a generic name is like a bell without a clapper."

Names of varieties - Nomina Variantia

  • Section 306 "A variety name can be added to the genus and species name, if such a name is desirable."
  • § 307 "Generic, species and variety names should be written with different capitalized letters."
  • Section 316 "Cultivation that is the mother of so many varieties is also the best test for a variety."
  • § 317 "The one who assigns the varieties to the correct species does no less service than the one who assigned the species to the correct genera."

Synonyms - noun synonyma

  • Section 318 "Synonyms are other names that botanists have given the same plant and can relate to the genus, species or variety."
  • § 322 "When quoting synonyms, the author's name, the book and the page should always be placed at the end of the reference."

Names in honor of people

Linnaeus named numerous plant species after people. He followed the example of Charles Plumier , who in Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera (1703) named about two-thirds of the newly described genera in honor of people.

By choosing a personal name for the genus or species name of a plant, Linné wanted to express the character of this person at the same time. For example, he named the genus Browallia after Johan Browall . He chose the name of the species Browallia demissa to describe Browall as a teacher: cringing and soft. Browallia elata reflects Browall's characteristics as a bishop: proud and high. Browallia alienata describes his character as a politician: fickle and unreliable.

pads

  • 1st edition, Leiden, 1737, 8th

Reviews

  • New newspapers of learned things . Leipzig 1737, pp. 793-796
  • Nova Acta Eruditorum . Leipzig 1739, pp. 455 and 458

literature

  • Arthur Hort (translator): The "Critica Botanica" of Linnaeus . London 1938
  • EG Linsley, RL Usinger: Linnaeus and the Development of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature . In: Systematic Zoology . Volume 8, No. 1, March, 1959, pp. 39-47. doi : 10.2307 / 2411606
  • TA Sprague: Linnaeus as a Nomenclaturist . In: Taxon . Tape. 2, No. 3, May, 1953, pp. 40-46. doi : 10.2307 / 1217339

Latin version of the aphorisms

  1. ↑ "Quaecunque plantae genere conveniunt, eodem nomine generico designandae sunt."
  2. ↑ "Quaecunque, e contrario, plantae genere differunt, diverso nomine generico designandae sunt."
  3. ↑ "Nomen genericum unum idemque, ad diversa designandum genera assumtum, altero loco excludendum erit."
  4. ↑ "nomina generica plantarum, cum Zoologorum & Lithologorum & c. nomenclaturis communia, si a Botanicis postea assumta, ad ipsos remittenda sunt. "
  5. ↑ "Nomen Genericum dignum, alio licet aptiore, permutare non licet."
  6. ↑ "Nomina Generica, quamdiu Synonyma digna in promptu sunt, nova non effingenda."
  7. ↑ "Nomina Generica Graeca Latinis literis pingenda sunt."
  8. ↑ "Nominum Genericorum terminatio & Sonus, quantum fieri possit, facillitanda sunt."
  9. ↑ "Nomina Generica Sesquipedalia, enunciatu difficilia, vel nauseosa, fugienda sunt."
  10. ↑ "Nominum Classium & ordinum cum Genericis par est ratio."
  11. ↑ "nouns Classium & ordinum unico constabunt vocabulo."
  12. ↑ "Perfecte nominata est Planta nomine Genericoi & specifico Instructa."
  13. ↑ "Ne varietas loco speciei sumatur, ubique cavendum."
  14. ↑ "Nomen genericum singulis Speciebus applicari debet."
  15. ↑ "Nomen Specificum semper sequi oportet Genericum."
  16. ↑ "Nomen Specificum sine Generico, est quasi campana sine pistillo."
  17. ↑ "Nomini Generico & specifico etiam Varian, si quod tale, potest addi."
  18. ↑ "Nomina generica, specifica & variantia literis diversae magnitudinis scribenda sunt."
  19. ↑ "Cultura tot varietatum mater, optima quoque varietatum examinatrix est."
  20. ↑ "Varietates qui ad species suas redigit non minora praestat, quam qui species ad propria genera amandavit."
  21. ↑ "Synonyma sunt diversa Phytologorum nomina eidem plantae imposita, eaque Generica, Specifica & Variantia."
  22. ↑ "In Synonymis Author, & Liber cum pagina ad finem ubique indicandi sunt."

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The preface ( Lectori ) is dated 31 May 1737th
  2. ↑ The dedication is dated June 22, 1737.
  3. ↑ Annika Silander Hökerberg: Män omkring Linné . 2000. ISBN 9163097222

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