[Taxacom] LSID versus names

[Jim Croft]

This kind of thinking is a big problem and one of the reasons we get
into messes like this. NONE of these databases is authoritative.  They
are not mentioned in the Code, they have not legislated priority and
have no official standing in nomenclature or taxonomy at all. They are
at best useful and reliable indices to the literature (with the type
and cited specimens, the real authority), at worst, incomplete
perpetuators of falsehoods.

There is no point looking for a single point of truth when there isn't
one. Well ok, it might be core business for religion and politics. But
it is not going to work for nomenclature and taxonomy, unless we
change the Code radically and create one (ducks quickly, to avoid the
ugly reg* word).

jim

On Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 5:42 PM, Roderic Page <r.page at bio.gla.ac.uk> wrote:
> Plant people are
> somewhat better off with IPNI, although one could argue whether we should
> regard IPNI, Tropics, or the Plant List as the definitive authority.