Proposal to Conserve Quercus pacifica Nixon and C.H. Mull. Published

The latest issue of the journal TAXON includes a proposal to conserve the name Quercus pacifica Nixon & C.H. Mull., which is the recognized name for a shrubby oak endemic to three islands off the coast of southern California.

This is a bit of unfinished business from Piers Trehane, who realized that this name is not valid, due to the existence of an earlier Quercus pacifica Knowlt., based on Eocene fossils from Oregon.  A review of work on the plant confirmed that a change in the name would cause a lot of unnecessary confusion. Not only is the name Q. pacifica well entrenched in the North American taxonomic literature, but the species, and the plant communities it occurs in, are considered endangered, so a change in the name of this species would cause significant confusion for the conservation work.  Rejection of the older name will cause no problems, since the name is not in use and in fact the fossil that it was based on isn't even an oak. This is a perfect case for conservation of the name that is now in use, so a formal proposal has been published, summarizing the reasons for preserving Q. pacifica Nixon & C.H. Mull. and the reasons why Q. pacifica Knowlt. can be rejected without disadvantage. The case is a strong one, and we expect that the committee that handles these cases will recommend approval when it is voted on at the next International Botanical Congress.