Infraspecific taxon in the context of "Form (botany)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Infraspecific taxon

In botany, an infraspecific name is the scientific name for any taxon below the rank of species, i.e. an infraspecific taxon or infraspecies. The scientific names of botanical taxa are regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). As specified by the ICN, the name of an infraspecific taxon is a combination of the name of a species and an infraspecific epithet, separated by a connecting term that denotes the rank of the taxon. An example of an infraspecific name is Astrophytum myriostigma subvar. glabrum, the name of a subvariety of the species Astrophytum myriostigma (bishop's hat cactus). In the previous example, glabrum is the infraspecific epithet.

Names below the rank of species of animals and of cultivated plants are regulated by different codes of nomenclature and are formed somewhat differently.

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👉 Infraspecific taxon in the context of Form (botany)

In botanical nomenclature, a form (Latin: forma, plural: formae) is one of the "secondary" taxonomic ranks, below that of variety, which in turn is below that of subspecies and species; it is an infraspecific taxon. If more than three ranks are listed in describing a taxon, the "classification" is being specified, but only three parts make up the name of the taxon: a genus name, a specific epithet, and an infraspecific epithet.

The abbreviation "f." or the full Latin word "forma" should be put before the infraspecific epithet to indicate the rank—neither the abbreviation nor full Latin word are italicized when used as a connecting term in a scientific name.

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