Banana leaf canna nomenclature question
Jim McKenney (Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:34:46 PDT)

Thanks, Chris.

Now let’s ask the same question from a different point of view.

A check of IPNI suggests that Canna musifolia was not validly published
under the ICBN. Also, the paper “The Cannaceae of the World” by

H. Maas-Van De Kamer & P.J.M. Maas in BLUMEA 53: 247–318 Published on 29
October 2008 (thank you Alani) lists Canna musifolia (and its orthographic
variants) as a “nomen subnudum”.

[For those of you trying to follow this, a nomen nudum is a name published
without description. The term “nomen subnudum” (evidently an unofficial
term) is sometimes used to describe names which are not quite a nomen
nudum, but otherwise not adequately described.]

Chris, you framed your response in terms of names published under the ICBN.
If the name is not validly published under the ICBN, doesn’t that change
things?

For purposes of discussion, let’s say Canna musaefolia was not published
validly under the ICBN. In that case, would the spelling musaefolia be
available for a cultivar name?

Jim McKenney

jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com

Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone
7

My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/

BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/

Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS

Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/

Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/