Orthography and Gender of Names and Epithefs 



RULE 27. The original spelling of a name or epithet must be retained, except 

 typographic or orthographic errors. When two or more generic names, or 

 two or more specific epithets in the same genus, are so similar as to cause 

 confusion, they are treated as orthographic variants of the same name or 

 epithet. 



NOTE 1. The phrase "original spelling" as used in this rule means the spel- 

 ling employed when the name of the taxon was validly published. U does 

 not refer to the use of an initial capital or small letter. Adjectives used as 

 specific or subspecific epithets change gender endings when necessary to 

 agree with the gender of the generic name. 



NOTE 2. The use of a wrong (or an alternative) connecting vowel or vowels 

 (or the omission of a connecting vowel) in a generic or subgeneric name or 

 in a specific or a subspecific epithet gives rise to an orthographic variant. 



NOTE 3. When there is doubt as to whether the spellings of the names of two 

 taxa of the same rank or of two epithets are sufficiently alike to be can- 

 fused, they should be referred to the Judicial Commission for an Opinion. 



NOTE 4. An unintentional typographic or orthographic error later corrected 

 by the author is to be accepted in its corrected form without prejudice as to 

 original date and validity of publication. 



NOTE 5. The spelling of the name of a taxon or an epithet derived from 

 the Greek but not transliterated by its author into Latin form in accordance 

 with classic usage (Appendix A) may be corrected as an orthographic error 

 by the Judicial Commission and placed in the list of preferred spellings 

 (see Recommendation 27a). The name of the taxon as originally published 

 becomes an orthographic variant of the corrected name, but without prejudice 

 to the validity cf publication by the first author. Specific and other epithets 

 and names of Greek origin differing merely by having Greek and Latin gender 

 endings respectively are orthographic variants. Epithets having the same 

 meaning and differing only slightly in form are considered as orthographic 

 variants. The genitive and adjectival forms of a personal name are, however, 

 treated as different epithets. 



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