| * | when preceding an entry indicates a proposal to conserve, protect, or reject a name or suppress a publication approved by the General Committee; retention or rejection of the name involved or suppression of that publication is authorized under Art. 14.15, 56.3, or 34.2 subject to the decision of a later International Botanical Congress. |
| (=) | heterotypic synonym (i.e. taxonomic synonym, based on a type different from that of the conserved name), to be rejected only in favour of the conserved name (Art. 14.6 and 14.7). |
| Heterotypic synonyms that are part of a type entry are placed in square brackets. | |
| (=P) | heterotypic synonym of a protected name (i.e. taxonomic synonym, based on a type different from that of the protected name), to be rejected only in favour of the protected name (Art. F.2.1). |
| (≡) | homotypic synonym (i.e. nomenclatural synonym, based on the same type as the conserved name; Art. 14.4), usually only the earliest legitimate one is listed (but more than one in some cases in which homotypy results from type designation). |
| Homotypic synonyms of rejected names, when they exist, are cited instead of the type. | |
| Homotypic synonyms that are part of a type entry are placed in parentheses (round brackets). | |
| (≡P) | homotypic synonym of a protected name (i.e. nomenclatural synonym, based on the same type as the protected name and rejected in favour of it; Art. F.2.1). |
| (H) | homonym (Art. 14.10; see also Art. 53), only the earliest is listed. |
| (NH) | not a homonym (Art. 53), based on a binding decision under the provisions of Art. 53.4. |
| (P) | protected name (Art. F.2.1). |
| (+P) | a name both conserved and protected (Art. 14 and Art. F.2.1). |
| ad t. | ad tabulam, at the plate; used when citing a place of publication associated with a plate. |
| ante | before; used when citing a date. |
| cancellans | a cancel (literally “cancelling”); the bibliographic term for a corrected page inserted in a book, replacing the cancelled page. |
| deest | it is missing; referring to a type specimen that has not been traced. |
| destr. | destrui, destroyed. |
| etiam vide | see also; used for cross-reference to another relevant entry. |
| ex | from; used in author citations (Art. 46) or to indicate the source of a type specimen. |
| gen. fem. cons. | genus femininum conservandum, feminine gender to be conserved (Art. 14.11). |
| gen. masc. cons. | genus masculinum conservandum, masculine gender to be conserved (Art. 14.11). |
| gen. neut. cons. | genus neutrum conservandum, neuter gender to be conserved (Art. 14.11). |
| icon | image, i.e. an illustration. |
| ined. | ineditus, not published. |
| med. | medio, mid, in the middle (in a month or year); used when citing a date. |
| nom. alt. | nomen alternativum, alternative name (Art. 18.6). |
| nom. cons. | nomen conservandum, name to be conserved. |
| nom. illeg. | nomen illegitimum, illegitimate name. |
| nom. rej. | nomen rejiciendum, name to be rejected. |
| nom. utique rej. | nomen utique rejiciendum, name to be rejected outright; a suppressed name, ruled as rejected under Art. 56.1. |
| non designatus | not designated. |
| orth. cons. | orthographia conservanda, orthography (i.e. spelling) to be conserved (Art. 14.11); as by Art. 14.8, listed spellings of conserved names may not be changed even if they are not explicitly designated as “orth. cons.” |
| post | after; used when citing a date. |
| prim. | primo, at the beginning, early (in a month or year); used when citing a date. |
| q. v. | quod vide, which see; used for cross-reference to another relevant entry. |
| s. ann. | sine anno, without year; used when citing a specimen. |
| s. coll. | sine collectore, without collector; used when citing a specimen. |
| s. loc. | sine loco, without locality; used when citing a specimen. |
| sero | late (in a month or year); used when citing a date. |
| sub | under. |
| typ. cons. | typus conservandus, type to be conserved (Art. 14.9; see also Art. 14.3 and 10.4); as by Art. 14.8, listed types of conserved names may not be changed even if they are not explicitly conserved by application of Art. 14.9. |
| typ. des. | typi designatio, designation of type (Art. 10.5); used with names that became homotypic synonyms by type designation. |
| typus | type. |
| vide | see; usually followed by a reference to the author and place of publication of first type designation (Art. 10.5). |