L. = Linnaeus?

[Jacques Melot]

>Dear Collaegues,
>I have a somewhat curious problem.
>In botany the names of authors usually are abbreviated. To satisfy an
>editor I have to render the authors of a number of plant species in full.
>No big problem, except - to my surprise - for L. (usually pronounced as
>Linnaeus), which I was regrettably silly enough to look up too.
>        Both Harvard and Missouri Botanical Garden databases give for L.
>"Linnaeus, Carl von"; as far as I know his name was Carl (Latinized as
>Carolus on title pages) Linnaeus. In addition, Harvard mentions as
>alternative name "Carl von Linne", the accent on the e understandably
>having been devoured by the ASCII code.
>        Zander (*1) gives "Carl von Linn=E9", Flora Europaea (*2): "C. v=
on
>Linn=E9 (C. Linnaeus)", the name he bore after he received a knighthood
>(1761).
>        I hope I am not expected to check for every species wether it ha=
s
>been published before or after 1761.
>        Did I miss something? A rule, a recommendation, an agreement, th=
e
>point?
>Information on this topic will be highly appreciated by
>Albertine Ellis
>
>
>
>*1 Zander, 1994. Handw=F6rterbuch der Pflanzennamen; Stuttgart, Ulmer. L=
inn=E9
>with accent
>*2 Tutin et al., 1993. Flora Europaea, vol. 1 2nd ed.; Cambridge, Cambri=
dge
>UP. Linn=E9 with accent
>
> *  Albertine C. Ellis - Adam                                           =
  *
> o  University of Amsterdam                                             =
o
> *  Hugo de Vries Laboratorium                                        *
> o  Kruislaan 318 / 1098 SM Amsterdam                          o
> *  Phone: xx (0)20 5257822 / Fax: xx (0)20 5257662     *
> o  e-mail: a433alb at horus.sara.nl                                      o

Chere Albertine,

Le Code de Nomenclature Botanique, utilise <<Linnaeus>>.
Ce serait une erreur, a mon avis, d'utiliser Linnaeus avant 1761 et Linne
apres: il y a retroactivite dans l'usage de l'alias <<Linne>>. Donc il y =
a
deux noms possibles: <<Linnaeus>> et <<Linne>>.
Le plus simple et surtout le plus sage est de suivre la norme adoptee par
le Code. D'ailleurs, a sa naissance Linne s'appelait aussi Carl Nilsson (=
=3D
Carl fils de Nils) car le systeme en -son et -dottir etait, sauf erreur d=
e
ma part, encore vivant a l'epoque de la naissance de Linne!
Le plus important est d'avoir une abreviation normalisee pour Linne ou
Linnaeus, et c'est incontestablement L. (Voir Code de Tokyo, p. 59, Recom=
m.
46A.5: <<When it is a well-established custom to abridge a name in anothe=
r
manner, it is advisable to conform to it (L. for Linnaeus, [...])>>.)

Cordialement,

Jacques Melot, Reykjavik
melot at ismennt.is