illustrations as lectotypes

[Gomez Luis Diego]

When thhere is an specimen that has served as model for an illustration
that in turn is established as some kind of type, the specimen MUST be the
type. Botanists only use illustrations when no specimen is actually
available.
Things that come to mind, for example, Plumier's illustrations of many
tropical plants for which there are no real, physical specimens.

On Tue, 26 Dec 1995, Joe Laferriere wrote:

> The ICBN permits usage of an illustration as type, and many botanists
> have taken advantage of this provision to designate illustrations
> published in, for example, Botanical Magazine as lectotypes. The
> paintings in Bot Mag are generally pretty good, but I have seen rather
> pitiful line-drawings in other places designated as lectotypes.
>    Question (one for which I can find no guidance in the ICBN): If an
> illustration has been selected as lectotype (or, for that matter,
> holotype or neotype), what status is accorded to the specimen on which
> the drawing was based? Is it an isotype? Suppose one wanted to negate the
> lectotypification declaring the illustration as lectotype and replace it
> with the specimen, would this be at all possible? I suppose the specimen
> could become an epitype without too much difficulty.
>