Fossil plant descriptions

[Kyle Williams]

In the December issue of the American Journal of Botany there is
description of a new species of fossil pine.  I was surprised that there
was no Latin description anywhere in the article.  I then looked in the
botanical code and it was clear that all vascular and non-vascular plants
as well as algae must have a Latin description (or diagnosis) but fossil
plants can have the description in any language (as no language was
specifically indicated and the index states it is not required to be in
Latin).  Does anyone know the reason for this exception?

Thank you,

Kyle Williams
Flora of Pennsylvania Intern
Morris Arboretum and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia