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Name: Deborah C.
Status: other
Age: 50s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 4/18/2002 8:22:32 PM
Question:
I work for the IL General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. One of the rules we are editing refers to Ambrosia trifida L. Does the "L" stand for Linnaeus? Is it used in all binomial classifications?

Replies:
Yes, L. is the standard abbreviation for the author Linnaeus. It is used only for those names that Linnaeus himself authored, i.e., each plant name is followed by its author(s)'s standardized name(s). For more information, see

http://www.huh.harvard.edu/databases/cms/botanist_index.html

Sincerely,

Anthony R. Brach

Yes, and Yes. Less well known nomenclature authorities are given longer abbreviations or written out. The definitive resource for the Chicago area, Plants of the Chicago Region, Swink and Wilhelm, includes a listing of all the nomenclature authorities for plants included in the book.

J. Elliott


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