Bacteria and Viruses 45 



Chapter 3. Sect. 1. Naming of Taxa 



RULE 8. Infrasubspecific subdivisions. Subdivisions of species (other than 

 subspecies [varieties]) and subdivisions of subspecies are given vernacular 

 names or designated by numerals or letters or, in special cases, are given 

 names in Latin form. These are termed infrasubspecific subdivisions or forms. 

 The names given to organisms included in infrasubspecific subdivisions need 

 not conform to the rules governing the naming of subspecies and higher 

 taxa. These rules do not determine the naming of forms of infrasubspecific 

 rank. 



NOTE. These subdivisions are regarded as of lower rank than subspecies. 

 The terms commonly used to designate them are strain, biotype, serotype, 

 morphotype, phagotype, group, phase, forma (or forma specialis), variant, 

 mutant, stage, state. 



ANNOTATIONS 



Rule 8. The rules and recommendations of the three biological 

 codes of nomenclature relating to subdivisions of species and sub- 

 species are not uniform. 



Bacteriological Code. The category subspecies is the lowest sub- 

 division of species recognized and governecl by all the Rules and 

 Recommendations of this Code; "variety" is regarded as a synonym 

 of "subspecies." Various terms indicated in the Note to Rule 8 above 

 are of lower than subspecific rank. A collective name has not been 

 recognized for the designation of subdivisions of lower rank than 

 subspecies. The names given to infrasubspecific forms are frequently 

 not Latin and are not subject to the rules governing the naming of 

 bacteriological taxa. The term "infrasubspecific" was proposed in the 

 Zoological Rules to include these lower subdivisions and is appropri- 

 ate for use in bacteriology as well. Confusion will be avoided if 

 bacteriologists will use the names only in a generally accepted sense, 

 as indicated in Recommendation 8a. 



Botanical Code. The botanists recognize a whole hierarchy of 

 names of taxa subordinate to species. These are subspecies, variety, 

 subvariety, forma, subjorma. An example given is: "Saxifraga aizoon 

 var. aizoon subvar. brevi folia forma multicauUs subforma surculosa 

 Engler et Irmscher." 



The Botanical Code states that the use of a binary combination 

 for an infraspecific taxon is not admissible, but ternary combinations 

 may be used provided the rank of the taxon is stated. For example, 

 using the illustration given above, "Saxifraga surculosa Engler et 

 Irmscher" is inadmissible, but "Saxifraga aizoon subforma surculosa 

 Engler et Irmscher" is in proper form. 



