[Taxacom] Family Epacridaceae (and Order Ericales)

[Kenneth Kinman]

Karl and Jim,
      I disagree with you both.  The name of a family or subfamily is of
FAR greater importance than the name combination of a few of its
species.  The higher the rank of a taxon, the more people it affects
(today and in the future).  I don't know the details of the
Leptecophylla case, but sometimes name combination changes are
necessary.

       On the other hand, the case of Family Epicridaceae was totally
unnecessary, just because an influential minority (compared to the total
number of users) can't bear the thought of a paraphyletic family.  But
in spite of that minority influence, a google search for Styphelioideae
still brings up FAR fewer results than a search for the equivalent taxon
Epicridaceae.  This is a case where the damage is still minimal, and
this influential minority (strict cladists) could begin to redeem
themselves before they damage the image of systematics even further.
This is especially true for angiosperm and vertebrate families, orders,
and classes.  
       --------Ken Kinman

-----------------------------------------------------------
Karl Magnacca wrote:
On Mon, March 30, 2009 9:33 pm, Jim Croft wrote: 
> Why bother?  They are just names, and names of relatively >limited 
> application. 
I agree; I'd say that a far bigger "insult" was that part of Styphelia
(including the Hawaiian representative, which is one of the most common
native plants there) was recently removed to the horribly un-euphonious
genus Leptecophylla.  But it's hardly something I'd petition to change
the name of. 
Karl