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Title: Did Mussat make new combinations in Sylloge Fungorum XV, 1901?

Author
item GAMS, W. - THE NETHERLANDS
item Samuels, Gary
item SCHROERS, H. - SLOVENIA

Submitted to: Mycotaxon
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/3/2007
Publication Date: 4/21/2007
Citation: Gams, W., Samuels, G.J., Schroers, H.J. 2007. Did Mussat make new combinations in Sylloge Fungorum XV, 1901? Mycotaxon. 100:221-225.

Interpretive Summary: Fungi are often used to control crop and greenhouse diseases without chemicals, which is a process called biocontrol. One of the fungi that is commonly used in the biocontrol of crop diseases is Clonostachys rosea. There has been confusion about the scientific name of this fungus because several different names are found in the literature. This research clarifies and specifies what is the correct scientific name for this fungus. Knowing the accurate scientific name of this fungus allows scientists to better communicate about it in developing its use to control plant diseases.

Technical Abstract: Recently, two homonymous combinations, each based on a unique type and credited to different authorities, were used for the destructive mycoparasite Clonostachys rosea. The existence of the binomial Clonostachys rosea (Preuss) Mussat 1901 would render the more recently established C. rosea (Link : Fr.) Schroers et al. 1999 illegitimate. A textual analysis proves, however, that Mussat (1901) did not make any new combinations. According to Article 34.1(a) of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, Clonostachys rosea (Preuss) Mussat is an invalid name that, in a nomenclatural sense, does not exist. We know of no formally published instance where Preuss himself raised Clonostachys araucaria Corda var. rosea Preuss to species level. Therefore, the name Clonostachys rosea Preuss, as it was listed by Mussat, does not exist either. Similarly, the binomials Alternaria citri (Penzig) Mussat, Alternaria macrospora (Sacc.) Mussat and Clonostachys compacta (Preuss) Mussat cannot be regarded as having been validly published by Mussat.