50 YEARS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE OF NOMENCLATURE FOR CULTIVATED PLANTS: FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR THE CODE

The first edition of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants was published in June 1953 by the Royal Horticultural Society as a preprint from the Report of the Thirteenth International Horticultural Congress held in London, September 1952, and has undergone a total of six editions, the last being in 1995. This presentation sets the scene for discussions on nomenclature issues which form one of purposes of this Symposium by reviewing past editions of the Code and illustrating a few of the problems confronting the formulation of a new edition. The need for international co-operation between statutory and non-statutory bodies in the various acts of nomenclature and taxonomy is highlighted.