An animation illustrating the anagram between the Euphorbiaceae genus names Joannesia and Annesijoa
Illustration from Adam White's A Popular History of British Crustacea, 1857, showing the crustacean genera Conilera and Rocinela named by Leach using taxonomic anagrams

In the biological nomenclature codes, an anagram can be used to name a new taxon.

Wordplays are one source of inspiration allowing organisms to receive scientific names.[1] In the binomial nomenclature, as scientists have latitude in naming genera and species, a taxon name can therefore be an anagram, provided it remains pronounceable.[2] For example, in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, a new generic name can be taken from the name of a person by using an anagram or abbreviation of it.[3]

William Elford Leach was among the first naturalists to use taxonomic anagrams, and, in 1818, he described several isopod genera that were each other's anagrams of 'Caroline' : Conilera, Lironeca, Nerocila, Olencira, and Rocinela.[1]

List in botany

Initial taxon name Initial authority Taxonomic anagram Anagram authority Etymology or namesake Reference
Albizia Durazz. 1772 Balizia Barneby & J.W.Grimes 1996 Filippo degli Albizzi (1724 - 1789) [4]
Alciope DC. 1836 Capelio [a] B.Nord. 2002 Alciope, a nymph [4]
Alibertia A.Rich. ex DC. 1830 Ibetralia Bremek. 1934 Jean-Louis-Marc Alibert (1768 - 1837) [4]
Allium L. 1753 Muilla [b] S.Watson ex Benth. 1833 Latin word for garlic [5]
Alsomitra (Blume) M.Roem., 1846 Siolmatra Baill., 1885 — [6]
Baldellia Parl. 1854 Albidella Pichon 1946 Bartolomeo Bartolini-Baldelli (1804 - 1868) [4]
Bartsia L. 1753 Starbia Thouars 1806 Johann Bartsch (1709 - 1738) [4]
Beilschmiedia Nees 1831 Bielschmeidia Pancher & Sebert 1874 Carl Traugott Beilschmied (1793 - 1848) [4]
Berardia Brongn. 1826 Diberara Baill. 1881 Jacques Étienne Bérard (1789 - 1869) [4]
Berteroa DC. 1821 Terobera Steud. 1855 Carlo Luigi Giuseppe Bertero (1789 - 1831) [4]
Bobea A.Rich. 1830 Obbea [a] Hook.f. 1870 Jean-Baptiste Bobe-Moreau (1761 - 1849) [4]
Bouchea Cham. 1832 Ubochea Baill. 1891 Peter Friedrich Bouché (1785 - 1856) [4]
Bullockia (Bridson) Razafim., Lantz & B.Bremer 2009 Buckollia Venter & R.L.Verh. 1994 Arthur Allman Bullock (1906 - 1980) [4]
Burmannia L. 1753 Maburnia [a] [c] Thouars 1806 Johannes Burman (1706 - 1779) [4]
Danthonia DC. 1805 Thonandia H.P.Linder 1996 Étienne Danthoine (1739 - 1794) [4]
Ekmania Gleason 1919 Manekia Trel. 1927 Erik Leonard Ekman (1883 - 1931) [4]
Fuchsia Plum. ex L. Schufia [a] Spach Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566) [4]
Gerardia L. 1753 Dargeria Decne. 1844 John Gerard (1545 - 1612) [4]
Gerardia L. 1753 Graderia Benth. 1846 John Gerard (1545 - 1612) [4]
Goldfussia Nees 1832 Diflugossa [a] Bremek. 1944 Georg August Goldfuss (1782 - 1848) [4]
Grazielia R.M.King & H.Rob. 1972 Algrizea [c] Proença & NicLugh. 2006 Graziela Maciel Barroso (1912 - 2003) [4]
Hariota DC. 1834 Hatiora [a] Britton & Rose 1915 Thomas Harriot (ca. 1560 - 1621) [4]
Hermannia L. 1753 Mahernia [a][c] L. 1767 Paul Hermann (1646 - 1695) [4]
Hottonia L. 1753 Honottia Rchb. 1828 Pieter Hotton (1648 - 1709) [4]
Huberia DC. 1828 Behuria Cham. 1834 François Huber (1750 - 1831) [4]
Joannesia Vell. 1798 Annesijoa Pax & K.Hoffm. 1919 John VI of Portugal (1767 - 1826) [4]
Kailarsenia Tirveng. 1983 Larsenaikia Tirveng. 1993 Kai Larsen (1926 - 2012) [4]
Lawrencia Hook. 1840 Wrenciala A.Gray 1854 Robert William Lawrence (1807 - 1833) [4]
Lechlera Griseb. 1857 Relchela Steud. 1854 Willibald Lechler (1814 - 1856) [4]
Lespedeza Michx. 1803 Despeleza [a] Nieuwl. 1914 Vicente Manuel de Céspedes (1721 ? - 1794) [4]
Letestua Lecomte 1920 Tulestea Aubrév. & Pellegr. 1961 Georges Le Testu (1877 - 1967) [4]
Lobelia L. 1753 Bolelia [a] Raf. 1832 Matthias de l'Obel (1538 - 1616) [4]
Mikania F.W.Schmidt 1795 Kanimia [a] Gardner 1847 Joseph Gottfried Mikan (1743 - 1814) [4]
Myginda Jacq. 1760 Gyminda [a] Sarg. 1891 Franz von Mygind (1710 - 1789) [4]
Oedera L. 1771 Eroeda [a] Levyns 1948 Georg Christian Oeder (1728 - 1791) [4]
Siebera C.Presl 1828 Beriesa Steud. 1840 Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1789 - 1844) [4]
Tragia L. 1753 Agirta [a] Baill. 1858 Hieronymus Bock, named Tragus (1498 - 1554) [4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The two genus names are synonyms.
  2. ^ It is also an ananym (reverse spelling).
  3. ^ a b c This anagram is imperfect.

References

  1. ^ a b Jozwiak, Piotr; Rewicz, Tomasz; Pabis, Krzysztof (2015-07-16). "Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration". ZooKeys (513): 143–160. doi:10.3897/zookeys.513.9873. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4524282. PMID 26257573.
  2. ^ Mortenson, Philip B. (2004). This is not a weasel: a close look at nature's most confusing terms. John Wiley & Sons. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-471-27396-7.
  3. ^ McNeill, J.; et al., eds. (2012). International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code), Adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011 (electronic ed.). Bratislava: International Association for Plant Taxonomy.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Burkhardt, Lotte (2018-06-06). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen - Erweiterte Edition. Index of Eponymic Plant Names - Extended Edition. Index de Noms éponymiques des Plantes - Édition augmentée (in German). Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5.
  5. ^ Hyam, R.; Pankhurst, R.J. (1995). Plants and their names : a concise dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866189-4.
  6. ^ Robinson, George L.; Wunderlin, Richard P. (2005). "Revision of Siolmatra (Cucurbitaceae: Zanonieae)". SIDA, Contributions to Botany. 21 (4): 1961–1969. ISSN 0036-1488.
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