— 396 — 



ification above Linnean Species. Therefore it is a confusion 

 of ideas to co-ordinate the Species and the Microspecies by using 

 the binar nomenclature for both. For many purposes we have 

 no lise for a fmer classification than the Linnean species. 



In order to prevent this confusion I advance the following 



Propositions: 



1. The notion Species shall be maintained in its Linnean 

 significance but according to our present knowledge as a 

 superior classification. 



2. The Species in this significance, especially the critical ones, 

 shall be critically revised with regard to the variation of the 

 characters. New diagnoses shall be given; in these are embo- 

 died only the characters that distinguish the species from 

 all other species of that genus. No varying characters are 

 embodied in the diagnoses. In a list after the diagnoses, all 

 the varying characters and the genotypically conditioned 

 variations of these (similar to my list of Viola) are given. 



3. The minor units shall, in order to distinguish them from 

 the Linnean species, be named Microspecies (Ostenfeld 

 1921, p. 117) in the sense heritably fixed units, and I sore- 

 agents (= combinations of genotypically conditioned cha- 

 racters), when only the reaction of the individuals 

 themselves against the conditions is taken into con- 

 sideration (Raunkiær 1918). 



The term Formå shall be applied as a designation of the 

 variations caused by the external conditions solely 

 (as for instance Polygonum amphibiiim L. f. terrestre and f. 

 natans). 



4. Ternar nomenclature shall be applied for the Microspecies 

 and Isoreagents. Just as the name of the species involves 

 the name of the genus too, the name of the microspecies 

 shall involve both the name of the genus and that of the 

 species. (Not Hieracium marginelliceps Dahlst. but Hieracium 

 silvaticum marginelliceps Dahlst. and not Viola niaritima 

 Schweigg. but Viola tricolor maritima Schweigg.). 



When the varying characters and the genotypically conditioned 

 variations of these are given after the diagnosis, every one can 



