Author citation (botany)
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In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to the person (or group of people) who validly published a botanical name, i.e. first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN).
Unlike the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the ICBN does not use group-level names (see author citation (zoology). This means that every name has its own distinct authorship (see rank). For example, the species commonly known as the Damask rose can be assigned to the following taxa in a particular classification system:
- division Magnoliophyta Cronquist & al.
- subdivision Magnoliophytina Frohne & U.Jensen ex Reveal
- class Magnoliopsida Brongn.
- subclass Rosidae Takht.
- superorder Rosanae Takht.
- order Rosales Perleb
- suborder Rosineae Rchb.
- family Rosaceae Adans.
- subfamily Rosoideae Arn.
- tribe Roseae Lam. & DC.
- subtribe Rosinae J. Presl.
- genus Rosa L.
- species Rosa damascena Mill.
When citing a botanical name including its author, the author's name is often abbreviated although the abbreviations used have been inconsistent in various publications. To encourage consistency the ICBN now recommends (Recommendation 46A, Note 1) the use of Brummitt & Powell's Authors of plant names (1992). These standard abbreviations can be found at the IPNI, Author Query page. For example in:
- Magnoliopsida Brongn., the abbreviation "Brongn." refers to Adolphe Theodore Brongniart.
- Rosa L., the abbreviation "L." refers to Carolus Linnaeus.
- Rosa damascena Mill., the abbreviation "Mill." refers to Philip Miller.
- Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl., (Coast Redwood) the abbreviation D.Don indicates that David Don originally published the name in a genus other than Sequoia (in this case as Taxodium sempervirens D.Don); subsequently, the combination into Sequoia was published by Endlicher.
This is not full citation, which would include more detail on place of publication. Full citation of the example directly above is
- Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl., Syn. Conif. 198
that is, on page 198 of Endlicher's Synopsis Coniferarum, published in 1847. Full citations are usually found only in taxonomic works.
