Addressing the conundrum of unavailable name-bearing types.
Access to name-bearing type material can be a particular frustration for those mycologists in the tropics, or working outside established institutions, where the specimens are known to exist but cannot be examined. They can be inaccessible because of loans policies and the inability of mycologists to make personal visits. Each case has to be considered separately, but a pragmatic nine-point approach is presented which may provide some guidance as to what can be done in such instances. A postscript draws attention to 12 points to consider when designated or handling name-bearing types.
Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal, 28040 Madrid, Spain; and Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK;
David L
DL
Hawksworth
collections; epitype; fungi; holotype; lichens; nomenclature; proxy type; typification