Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica |Plan of the Manual| 245 
ordered alphabetically. Scientific (Latin) names for plant families, ending in “‘-aceae,” 
appear in alphabetical order within each volume. Eight families have alternative 
names, without the “-aceae” ending, that are deemed acceptable: Apiaceae (alterna- 
tive name Umbelliferae), Arecaceae (Palmae), Asteraceae (Compositae), Brassica- 
ceae (Cruciferae), Clusiaceae (Guttiferae), Fabaceae (Leguminosae), Lamiaceae (La- 
biatae), and Poaceae (Gramineae). For consistency, the Manual uses the ‘“-aceae” 
name in each case. 
Within each family, scientific names for genera are ordered alphabetically, as are 
scientific names of species, within each genus. Accepted names of treated taxa are in 
boldface type. The spelling of species epithets has sometimes been changed from the 
original, to conform with the requirements of the International Code of Botanical 
Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 2000: Arts. 60-62). 
The family circumscriptions followed in the Manual are based primarily on 
Dahlgren et al. (1985), in the case of monocotyledons; for the dicotyledons, Cronquist 
(1981) has been the main guide. However, we have also tried to keep apace of current 
usage according to Stevens (2003), and either make changes or supply cross-references 
accordingly, for apparently stable configurations. Genus and species concepts are gen- 
erally those of the individual contributors. Synonymy, if any, is indicated only for spe- 
cies and infraspecific taxa, with the basionym or replaced name of the accepted name 
first, followed by other synonyms in alphabetical order. All synonyms are italicized. 
The basionym or replaced name (illegitimate name replaced by a nomen novum), if one 
exists, is always provided for accepted names. Blocking names may also be indicated, 
for replaced names; thus, “Maxillaria acutifolia Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 
Beith. 19: 229. 1923, non Lindl. (1839)” conveys that Schlechter’s M. acutifolia is dif- 
ferent from and blocked (rendered illegitimate) by Lindley’s earlier usage of the same 
binomial, and also signifies that the accepted name, M. angustissima Ames & C. Schwe- 
inf., is a nomen novum (substitute for an illegitimate name, with the same type). 
Otherwise, synonymy is not comprehensive: as a general rule, only those nomen- 
clatural and taxonomic synonyms that have been used as accepted names in standard or 
recent area floras or florulas, or taxonomic revisions, are given in the Manual. The pub- 
lications from which listed synonyms have been culled include (but are not limited to): 
Flora mesoamericana (Davidse et al., 1994), Flora of Costa Rica (Standley, 1937b— 
1938b), Flora costaricensis (Burger, 1971-2000), Flora de Nicaragua (Stevens et al., 
2001), Flora of Panama (Woodson & Schery, 1943-1981), Flora of Guatemala 
(Standley & Steyermark, 1946-1977), The rain forests of Golfo Dulce (Allen, 1956), 
and Flora of Barro Colorado Island (Croat, 1978). 
An attempt has also been made to account for misapplied (“sensu”) names ac- 
cepted in the above floras; however, this could not always be done, because floristic 
works often do not cite specimens. The following abbreviations are employed for 
“sensu” synonymy: Fl. BCI = Flora of Barro Colorado Island; Fl. CR = Flora of 
Costa Rica; Fl. Guat. = Flora of Guatemala; Fl. Nic. = Flora de Nicaragua; Fl. Pan. 
