[Taxacom] Fw: Use of parentheses

[Laurent Raty]

Bob, 

> Aus (Bus) xus Smith, 1900.
>
> This brings the current total to 3:3 if you include me, since I've been
> reasoning that Bus is a genus-group name, and since the species hasn't
> left Bus, there is no need for parentheses. It's still not clear to me
> from the replies so far that the Code gives unambiguous advice in this
> case.

Article 51.3 states: "When a species-group name is combined with a
generic name other than the original one, the name of the author of the
species-group name, if cited, is to be enclosed in parentheses".

Note the use of "generic name", NOT "genus-group name". These are two
different things, and you are confusing them.

Go to the glossary, you'll find :
* generic name, or genus name, or name of a genus
   (1) A scientific name of a taxon at the rank of genus.
   (2) The first name of a binomen or a trinomen [Art. 5].
* genus-group name
   A scientific name of any genus or subgenus, including names for
   collective groups and for ichnotaxa at the genus-group level.

Even if the genus-group name Bus appears in "Aus (Bus) xus", it appears
there as a *sub*generic name, NOT as a generic name. So in the original
combination, xus is NOT "combined with with a generic name" Bus.

There is absolutely no ambiguity.

Cheers,
Laurent -



Laurent Raty
Brussels, Belgium