CAS Catalogue of Diatom Names

Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

Catalogue of Diatom Names, On-Line Version, Updated 19 Sep 2011

Falcula M. Voigt 1960, pg. 85
Generitype	LT: Falcula rogallii Voigt 1960
Designated by	Greuter et al. (006911), p. 429
Year Designated	1993
Nomenclatural status	valid
Recent revisions	Voigt 1961 (001911), Prasad et al. 1989 (ref. 006861)
Comments	This genus originally comprised three new species, none of which was unequivocally designated as type. However, only the first of the three species (Falcula rogallii) was presented as "n.gen. n.sp.", whereas the other species were presented as Falcula media n. sp. and Falcula semiundulata n. sp., and it is possible to interpret this typographical differenciation as an indication of the type. This device is often encountered in biological literature and is explicitly accepted as a means of typification by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature prior to 1931. It is not explicitly ruled unacceptable by the ICBN. Failure to accept Falcula Voigt 1960 as originally typified would mean that it is invalidly published. Later, Voigt 1961 (ref. 001911) describes a fourth species, Falcula paracelsiana (p. 54). If the generic name is not considered valid as of 1960, this fourth species could be considered the type of a monospecific genus in accordance with Art. 42. The situation would be complicated by the fact that Falcula Voigt 1960 was typified with F. rogallii by Greuter et al. 1993 (p. 429), thus creating the later homonym Falcula Voigt ex Greuter et al. 1993 (non Falcula Voigt 1961). Diatom nomenclature seems better served by accepting Falcula Voigt 1960 as a validly published name (P. Silva, pers. com., 1998).
Published in	Voigt, M. 1960 (ref. 1906) Falcula un nouveau genre de Diatomées de la Méditerrannée Revue Algologique, Nouvelle Série,, Vol:5[1], 85-88, 2 pl.