Nomenclator of Pancic's plant taxa
During his 42-year research work dealing with plant life in the Balkan Peninsula, Josif Pancic has discovered, studied, described and named, alone or together with R.Visiani and S.Petrovic, 193 plant taxa new to science. Among them there are 131 plant species, 47 varieties and 7 forms (Mayer and Diklic 1967, Diklic 1996, 1998).
Out of 131 plant species, reported by Pancic as new to science, for 32 taxa only the name was cited/assigned/given while obligatory morphological description was not given/lacking/missing. Thus, according to botanical nomenclature code, these taxa were qualified as “nomen nudum” (“nude name” or “only name”) and as such, could not be considered as taxonomically valid. After subsequent analysis of Pancic’s material, out of 23 only named taxa 11 were additionally assigned corresponding name or (were given) corresponding taxononimical status (see nomenclator)
By subsequent revision, it has been established that 78 taxa, described by Pancic, represent synonyms or homonyms of already described and named plants.
Synonyms represent different names for the same species. They arise when the same species from various localities is assigned different name by various botanists. According to Botanical Nomenclature Code, the species’s name first reported in a scientific journal or botanical monograph becomes the valid scientific name, and that reported later becomes its synonym.
Homonyms represent the same names, which various botanists have given to different species. According to the Botanical Nomenclature Code the first reported name remains valid and for another one new name must be assigned.
By additional revision, 39 plants- described and reported by Pancic as new taxa- were either assigned lower systematic rank or retained that assigned by Pancic at the level of subspecies, variety and forms.
It should be noted that 55 species of vascular plants, described by Pancic as new to the Balkan Peninsula, have retained the same taxonomical rank and may be considered as the most significant Pancic’s botanical discovery. However, it must be born in mind that current taxonomical rank of different Pancic’s taxa cannot be considered as final. The contemporary taxonomical and systematic investigations will prove in the future that some of the taxa, today considered as synonyms or lower taxa, are good species, as it had been considered by Pancic.
This Nomenclator of Pancic’s taxa, is based on taxonomical and systematic works of Diklic and Mayer (Mayer and Diklic 1967; Diklic 1996, 1998). It is also (to a lesser extent) supplemented and corrected on the basis of recently published taxonomical data. Besides, a contribution of some of the authors of this presentation should be recognized.
Mayer, E., Diklic, N.: Nomenclator Pancicianus :- In: Pancic’s collection on the occasion of the 150th anniversary from his birth (Recuel des Travaux édité a l’occasion du 150 anniversaire de la naissance de Josif Pancic) edited by Mladen Josifovic, Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti (Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences), Belgrade 1967.(in Serbian)
Diklic Nikola: Pancic’s work in the field of phytotaxonomy – discoveries of plants new to science. – In: Josif Pancic, Life and Work – Josif Pancic’s collected works book 11, edited by Tatic, B., curcic, B., Jankovic,M, Publishing House for Textbooks and Teaching Aids, Beograd, 1998, p.243-258. (in Serbian)
Diklic, Nikola: Josif Pancic (1814-1888). – In: Lives and work of the Serbian scientists) Ed. Miloje Saric, The Serbian Academy and Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, 1996, Biographies and Bibliographies, The books I and II, The Board for the Study of Life and Work of Scientists in Serbia and Scientists of Serbian Origin, Book 1, p 1-61.(in Serbian)
Owing to Josif Pancic’s great contribution to the development of entire European botany in the mid and at the end of the last century, many European botanists dedicated to him their botanical discoveries thus showing him particular respect..
S obzirom na veliki doprinos Josifa Pancica razvoju ukupne evropske botanike sredinom i krajem prošlog veka, mnogi evropski botanicari su mu iskazali posebnu pažnju i poštovanje, posvecujuci mu svoja botanicka otkrica.