The Internatinal Botanic Congress at Brussels

Abstract

THERE was a large and representative gathering of botanists in Brussels on the occasion. of the International Botanical Congress on May 14-22. The inaugural meeting took place in the large rotunda at the Botanic Gardens, but the serious work of the congress was carried out in the Salle des Fetes in the grounds of the Exposition. The important subjects of deliberation were further consideration of the rules of systematic nomenclature and a series of propositions on phytogeographical nomenclature. The rules of systematic nomenclature which were drawn up as the result of the deliberations of the Vienna Congress in 1905 left open for future discussion special points in relation to non-vascular cryptogams and paleobotany. A number of sectional committees were appointed, and their recommendations formed the subject of debate at the recent congress. The chief matter for discussion was the starting points for nomenclature in the various groups. Was the date of publication of Linnrcus's “Species Plantarum,” 1753, which had been adopted as the beginning of nomenclature for seed-plants and ferns, to be the universal starting point throughout the plant kingdom, or would it be preferable to take the date of publication of later systematic works dealing with the various groups of cellular cryptogams?