UPDATING SCIENTIFIC NAMES FOR INTRODUCED GERMPLASM OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT VASCULAR PLANTS

The Plant Exploration and Taxonomy Laboratory of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), maintains a Nomenclature File documenting the scientific names for introductions since 1898 of foreign and domestic germplasm of vascular plants. The ca. 40 000 scientific names for genera, species, subspecies, varieties, and forms occupy 32 file drawers holding 10 x 15 cm cards. Each card lists the following: Accepted name, citation of protologue, basionym, selected synonyms, common name, geographic distribution, references, comments, entry number, and name of botanist revising data. The names are entered into a computer database maintained by the Germplasm Resources Information Network, a unit of ARS, and are accessible to the Plant Introduction Office (ARS) and to scientists in the National Plant Germplasm System. Three taxonomic botanists now work full-time to update and revise the names to bring them in agreement with recent nomenclatural and taxonomic research. Standard taxonomic indices and catalogs, floras, and monographs are consulted. The rate of updating so far averages 4 800–6 000 names per year. Problems include the lack of any widely accepted standardized list of abbreviations for authority names (authors, describers). Much greater problems are encountered in adopting reasonable classifications for the many taxonomically difficult genera of economic plants, and particular examples are discussed. Also described are the computerized products of this work.