Autonym (botany)

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In botanical nomenclature (which also covers fungi), autonyms are automatically-created names. They apply only to taxa resulting from the subdivision of a genus (Article 22 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature) or of a species (Article 26), and therefore only to infrageneric or infraspecific taxa. They are considered to have been published when the first infrageneric or infraspecific taxon was published, even if not explicity mentioned at that time. Type specimens are not designated for autonyms, since they include the type species (for infrageneric names), or the type of the species (for infraspecific names). The epithet is always a repetition of the name of the genus or species, and is cited without an authority. Autonyms have priority over other names published at the same time. Examples include Euphorbia sect. Euphorbia, Tricholoma (Fr.) Staude sect. Tricholoma, Festuca ovina subsp. ovina and Tricholoma sulphureum (Bull.: Fr.) P. Kumm. var sulphureum.