Bacteria and Viruses 87 



Rules 22b, 22c. Changes in Names of Taxa 



Rule 22b. Under the Bacteriological Code the name of a genus is 

 not changed when it becomes a subgenus, nor is the name of a sub- 

 genus changed when it becomes a genus. This rule definitely fixes the 

 coordinate nomenclatural status of generic and subgeneric names. 



The Botanical Code does not recognize the equal priority status 

 of generic and subgeneric names. The pertinent article (Art. 70) 

 states that when the rank of a genus or an infrageneric (all ranks 

 below genus) rank is changed, the correct name is the earliest legiti- 

 mate name available in the new rank; in other words, a name of a 

 genus or subgenus has no priority outside its own rank. An author 

 who raises a subgenus to the rank of genus need not adopt the sub- 

 generic name for the name of the new genus. 



The Zoological Rule states that generic and subgeneric names are 

 subject to the same Rules and Regulations and are nomenclaturally 

 coordinate, thus resembling the Rule in the Bacteriological Code. 

 When a later author changes the rank of a genus to that of a sub- 

 genus, the name of the genus becomes the name of the subgenus. 

 Similarly a subgenus when raised to the rank of a genus retains its 

 name. 



Rule 22c. Names of species and subspecies are subject to the same 

 Rules and Recommendations and are nomenclaturally coordinate. 

 When a species becomes a subspecies or a subspecies becomes a species 

 the epithet (specific or subspecific) is unchanged. 



The Zoological Rules are essentially the same. 



The Botanical Code on the contrary does not regard specific and 

 subspecific epithets as nomenclaturally coordinate and states that in 

 no case does an epithet have priority outside its own rank. An author 

 who raises the rank of a subspecies to that of a species is not com- 

 pelled to retain the subspecific epithet for that of the species. 



