28 International Code of Nomenclature 



Rule 5. Sect. 1 . Naming of Taxa 



Compounds with two Latin stems: Putribacilius, Lactobndllus, 

 Fu.slformis. 



Latinized names of persons: Borrelia, Kurthia, Gaffkya, Esche- 

 richia, Erwinia, Gallionella, Pasteurella, Klebsiella, Eherthella. 



Latin-Greek hybrid names: Brevibacterium, Flavobacterium, 

 Actinobacilhis, Acetobacter, Acetomonas. 



Names of Subgejiera. Names of subgenera, as noted, are formed 

 exactly as are the names of genera. When included in the name of a 

 species, the subgeneric name is placed in parentheses between the name 

 of the genus and the specific epithet. If one recognizes two subgenera 

 in the genus Bacillus, one (that including the type species of the 

 genus) must bear the same name as the genus. One would then 

 write Bacillus (Bacillus) siibtilis and Bacillus (Aerobacilhis) poly- 

 niyxa to designate species of two subgenera differentiated on the 

 basis of gas production. The name of a subgenus is not combined 

 with a specific epithet independently of the generic name; the use 

 of Aerobacillus poly my xa indicates recognition of Aerobacillus as a 

 generic name. The requirement that one subgenus in a genus must 

 bear the same name as the genus (Bacteriological Code 1947) would 

 make necessary the revision of Pederson's (1945) recognition in the 

 genus Lactobacillus of three subgenera: Thennobacterium, Strepto- 

 bacterium and Betabacterium; the one containing the type species 

 should be called Lactobacillus. 



Use of the generic name. The commonest use of a generic name 

 is in combination with a specific epithet to form a binary combination 

 (the scientific name of a species) . The generic name Bacillus with 

 the specific epithet subtilis gives Bacillus subtilis. But the generic 

 name is also commonly used without designation of species. There 

 is some confusion in the literature of bacteriology and some evidence 

 of differences of opinion as to such independent use of a generic 

 name. The generic name singly is often used in the sense of "this 

 species of" the genus, or even "this individual" or "this strain" of a 

 species. Custom throughout biology has apparently approved this 

 usage. One may, therefore, write appropriately "this Salmonella." 

 The context determines whether reference is to a particular species 

 of the genus or to an individual strain of a species. The generic 

 name is frequently used when it is desired to avoid allocating an 

 isolate to a particular species; the statement, "This Salmonella was 

 isolated from an egg," merely places the strain in the appropriate 

 genus. 



There is some difference of opinion as to the use of a generic 

 name in the plural. The Bacteriological Code, as well as others, 

 states that there can be only one correct name for a genus, and that 

 no other genus can legitimately have the same name. It has been 

 urged that inasmuch as there can be but one genus correctly named 

 Salmonella, the use of the plural Salmonellae would imply the exist- 

 ence of more than one genus Salmonella^ which, mider the rules, is 



