Recent developments in botanical nomenclature: implications for systematic botany in Brazil

Abstract

Recent and proposed changes to the International Code for Botanical Nomenclature are outlined and their implications for Brazilian systematic botany discussed. As well as differing radically in terminology and in principle from the ICBN, the draft BioCode is shown to include measures which the botanical community has already voted not to incorporate in their code. A new Internet-accessible International Plant Names Index to be launched in 1999 may weaken still further the case for the introduction of mandatory registration of plant names.