Dave, When adding or editing a plant name is it possible to add a scroll over window or something to list preferred abbreviations for species or synonym names? We get duplication due to different accepted abbreviations.
Tropicos uses subsp., f., var.
Kew uses subsp., fo., var.
ITIS uses ssp.,
ex.
subspecies = subsp. and ssp. used
forma = f. and fo. used
varietas = var.

Abbreviation standardization would eliminate a lot of duplication in the DB..

That would be nice. Just last night I deleted several duplicates in the lilium species area, preferring subsp. over ssp. Right or wrong, I done did it.

Connie, after reading this article at RHS I use subsp. too. It states "...Such populations are often distinguished as subspecies (abbreviated to subsp. or occasionally ssp. but this can easily be confused with spp., the abbreviation for species plural, so is not recommended),..."
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/rhsplan...

I read that some time back and it influenced my decision to use subsp.

I agree that we should standardize the abbreviations we use and stick with them, enforcing them as needed.

Evan, since you brought this up, do you have a complete list of what should be used? With that, I may be able to program the system to enforce it.

Moreover, if you have a complete list of all the abbreviations, along with the commonly used incorrect corresponding abbreviations, I might be able to script the correction of many incorrect entries.

Give me a bit to put a list together.

Have any decisions been reached? I see "subsp" and "subsp." and "var" and "var." in the database. Should these abbreviations be followed by a period or not?

This would really be helpful, knowing the correct way to present these abbreviations.

My bad. Will work it up this WE.

Found ICBN on web. Will update tonight with links.

Taxonomic abbreviations:

The current ICBN, International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (VIENNA CODE) can be found here: http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/main.h...

A ranking of taxa and their abbreviations can be found here: http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/frames...

Division II, Chapter I, Article 4.2 provides a more complete ranking of taxa.

A list of abbreviations can be found here: http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/frames...

International Code of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants can be found here: http://www.actahort.org/chroni...

For our purposes here are the taxa and the "recommended" abbreviation (in brackets are other abbreviations found):
genus: gen.
subgenus: subg. [subgen.]
sectio (section): sect.
subsectio (subsection): subsect.
series: ser.
subseries: subser.
species: sp.
subspecies: subsp. [ssp.]
varietas (variety): var. [var]
subvarietas (subvariety): subvar.
forma (form): f. [fo.]
subforma (subform): subf.

The bracketed abbreviations are variations found here and there.

So the bracketed variations are deprecated in favor of the non-bracketed.

Had to look up deprecated but I believe yes.
The non-bracketed abbr. are those recommended by the ICBN.
Bracketed abbr. are those found on various websites including taxonomic sites like Tropicos and ITIS, as well as Zuzu's reference.

I wonder if the difference in abbreviations is because these are their "recommendations".

Thank you, Evan.

Thanks for the nudge.

Thanks, Evan. So these are what we're going with from now on? Will they be scripted into the current database entries?

Waiting for the answer. : )

Bump.