Homonymy: Legitimacy vs. Illegitimacy

Abstract

According to the glossary of the shenzhen code, a homonym is "A name spelled exactly like another name published for a taxon at the same rank based on a different type…names of subdivisions of the same genus or of infraspecific taxa within the same species that are based on different types and have the same final epithet are homonyms, even if they differ in rank… because the rank-denoting term is not part of the name…" (turland et al., 2018).in this regard, we add that homonyms may be created either unintentionally or deliberately. Although later homonymy usually causes illegitimacy, the provisions on homonymy do not apply to infrafamilial names, such as tribes and simultaneously published homonyms may be legitimate. we illustrate the concepts with a few examples.Regarding the homonymy at the same rank, we provide two examples here. The first example, belonging to the family onagraceae, explains how ludwigia dc. (prodr. 3: 58. 1828) became a later homonym of ludwigia l. (sp. pl. 1: 118. 1753) by exclusion of the type of ludwigia l. the second example, in orchidaceae, explains how Epidendrum l. (sp. pl. 2: 952. 1753) and Epidendrum l. (sp. pl., ed. 2. 2: 1347. 1763) became homonyms because of the provisions of the code on conservation of names from later usage with conserved types and rejection of identical earlier names with different types.the case of ludwigia might be considered as an example of "genuine" homonyms, whereas that of Epidendrum as an example of "artificial" homonyms.HOMONyMy: LEGITIMACy VS. ILLEGITIMACy g. Krishna, 1 a. bhattacharJee, 2,3 anD s. banDyopaDhyay 4 Abstract. Homonyms, if based on different types and recognized at the same rank, may be created either unintentionally or deliberately.Identical infrageneric names of the same genus or identical infraspecific names of the same species may be homonyms, even if they differ in rank. Although later homonymy usually causes illegitimacy, the provisions on homonymy do not apply to infrafamilial names, such as tribes. simultaneously published homonyms may be legitimate.