In Australian botany, a phrase name is an informal name given to a plant
taxon
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
that has not yet been given a formal scientific name. The term was adopted in 1992 by the Australian Herbarium Information Systems Committee. The species phrase name consists of four components — the generic name, "sp." (to indicate it is a species), an identifier (geographical or morphological) and a collector's name and number representing a herbarium specimen vouchering the concept of the new species.
For example, the phrase name "''Derris'' sp. Wenlock River (B.Hyland 21082V)" refers to an unnamed species of ''
Derris
''Derris'' is genus of leguminous plants found in Southeast Asia and the southwest Pacific islands, including New Guinea. The roots of '' D. elliptica'' contain rotenone, a strong insecticide and fish poison.
Despite the secondary compounds foun ...
'', the specimen of which was collected by
Bernard Hyland
Bernard Hyland (Bernard Patrick Matthew Hyland, born 1937), known as Bernie Hyland, is an Australian botanist.
He has contributed significantly to the understanding of Australian plants, in particular numerous species of his home and workplace ...
on the
Wenlock River
The Wenlock River is a river located on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Australia.
Course and features
The river rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range below Jacks Knob, west of Nundah homestead. The river ...
and whose herbarium number is 21082V. Likewise the phrase name "''Dryandra'' sp. 1 (A.S.George 16647)" refers to an unnamed ''
Dryandra
''Banksia'' ser. ''Dryandra'' is a series of 94 species of shrub to small tree in the plant genus ''Banksia''. It was considered a separate genus named ''Dryandra'' until early 2007, when it was merged into ''Banksia'' on the basis of extensiv ...
'' species to which belongs the herbarium specimen numbered 16647 collected by
Alex George Alexander or Alex George may refer to:
*Alex George (botanist) (born 1939), Australian botanist
* Alexander L. George (1920–2006), American political scientist
* Alexander George (philosopher), American philosopher
*Alex George (motorcyclist), Sc ...
.
The second example is not typical — the identifier is usually something more informative, such as a location or distinctive morphological characteristic.
A phrase name is used for an unnamed taxon, which may or may not have already been formally described, but only for as long as no scientific name has been chosen for it; afterwards it may be listed as a synonym,
References
Botanical nomenclature
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