International Association for Plant Taxonomy

International Association for Plant Taxonomy
Formation July 18, 1950
Headquarters Bratislava, Slovakia
President
 Vicki Funk
Website www.iapt-taxon.org

The International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) promotes an understanding of plant biodiversity, facilitates international communication of research between botanists, and oversees matters of uniformity and stability in plant names. The IAPT was founded on July 18, 1950 at the Seventh International Botanical Congress in Stockholm, Sweden.[1] Currently, the IAPT headquarters is located in Bratislava, Slovakia. Its current president, since 2011, is Vicki Funk of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.; vice-president is Sandra Knapp of the Natural History Museum, London; and secretary-general is Karol Marhold of the Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava.

Both the taxonomic journal Taxon and the series Regnum Vegetabile are published by the IAPT. The latter series includes the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, the Index Nominum Genericorum, and Index Herbariorum.

Purpose

The IAPT's primary purpose is the promotion and understanding of biodiversity—the discovery, naming, classification, and systematics of plants—for both living and fossil plants. Additionally, it promotes the study and conservation of plant biodiversity, and works to raise awareness of the general public to this issue. The organization also facilitates international cooperation among botanists working in the fields of plant systematics, taxonomy, and nomenclature. This is accomplished in part through sponsorship of meetings and publication of resources, such as reference publications and journals.

The IAPT also seeks to achieve uniformity and stability in plant names. It accomplishes this through the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, previously known as the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, and through the oversight of the International Bureau for Plant Taxonomy and Nomenclature.

Publications and online resources

Taxon

Taxon[3] is the bi-monthly journal of the IAPT. The journal, which was initiated in 1951, publishes original papers and reviews dealing with systematic botany in the broadest sense. Preference is given to integrative papers combining the results of modern analysis with their consequences for classification. Taxon also contains matters related to botanical nomenclature, and is the medium for the publication of both proposals to conserve or reject names[4] and proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). Publication of such matters in Taxon satisfies the required submission to the General Committee. The journal also contains sections devoted to the International Organisation of Plant Biosystematics, reviews and notices of books and other publications, and news in the world of plant systematics. Although the journal is "devoted to systematic and evolutionary biology with emphasis on botany",[5] it has been in the past criticized for focusing overly on nomenclature and less on the principles and advancements made in the field of plant systematics.[6]

Regnum Vegetabile

Regnum Vegetabile[7] is a published series of books on topics of interest to plant taxonomists. Many of the volumes are literature surveys or monographs in the area of plant systematics. There are several volumes of general use:

The series includes many additional volumes of interest to specialists in specific subdisciplines of botany, in addition to the ones listed above.

Databases

In addition to electronic versions of its print publications, the IAPT maintains the following:

Awards

The IAPT established the Engler Medal in honour of Adolf Engler in 1986, to be awarded for outstanding contributions to plant taxonomy.[9]

References

Bibliography

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