List of taxa named by anagrams

An animation illustrating the anagram between the Euphorbiaceae genus names *Joannesia* and *Annesijoa*

In the biological nomenclature codes, an anagram can be used to name a new taxon.

Wordplays are one source of inspiration allowing organisms to receive scientific names.^[1] In the binomial nomenclature, as scientists have latitude in naming genera and species, a taxon name can therefore be an anagram, provided it remains pronounceable.^[2] For example, in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, a new generic name can be taken from the name of a person by using an anagram or abbreviation of it.^[3]

William Elford Leach was among the first naturalists to use taxonomic anagrams, and, in 1818, he described several isopod genera that were each other's anagrams of 'Caroline' : Conilera, Lironeca, Nerocila, Olencira, and Rocinela.^[1]

List in botany

Initial taxon name	Initial authority	Taxonomic anagram	Anagram authority	Etymology or namesake	Reference
Albizia	Durazz. 1772	Balizia	Barneby & J.W.Grimes 1996	Filippo degli Albizzi (1724 - 1789)	^[4]
Alciope	DC. 1836	Capelio ^[a]	B.Nord. 2002	Alciope, a nymph	^[4]
Alibertia	A.Rich. ex DC. 1830	Ibetralia	Bremek. 1934	Jean-Louis-Marc Alibert (1768 - 1837)	^[4]
Allium	L. 1753	Muilla ^[b]	S.Watson ex Benth. 1833	Latin word for garlic	^[5]
Alsomitra	(Blume) M.Roem., 1846	Siolmatra	Baill., 1885	—	^[6]
Baldellia	Parl. 1854	Albidella	Pichon 1946	Bartolomeo Bartolini-Baldelli (1804 - 1868)	^[4]
Bartsia	L. 1753	Starbia	Thouars 1806	Johann Bartsch (1709 - 1738)	^[4]
Beilschmiedia	Nees 1831	Bielschmeidia	Pancher & Sebert 1874	Carl Traugott Beilschmied (1793 - 1848)	^[4]
Berardia	Brongn. 1826	Diberara	Baill. 1881	Jacques Étienne Bérard (1789 - 1869)	^[4]
Berteroa	DC. 1821	Terobera	Steud. 1855	Carlo Luigi Giuseppe Bertero (1789 - 1831)	^[4]
Bobea	A.Rich. 1830	Obbea ^[a]	Hook.f. 1870	Jean-Baptiste Bobe-Moreau (1761 - 1849)	^[4]
Bouchea	Cham. 1832	Ubochea	Baill. 1891	Peter Friedrich Bouché (1785 - 1856)	^[4]
Bullockia	(Bridson) Razafim., Lantz & B.Bremer 2009	Buckollia	Venter & R.L.Verh. 1994	Arthur Allman Bullock (1906 - 1980)	^[4]
Burmannia	L. 1753	Maburnia ^[a] ^[c]	Thouars 1806	Johannes Burman (1706 - 1779)	^[4]
Danthonia	DC. 1805	Thonandia	H.P.Linder 1996	Étienne Danthoine (1739 - 1794)	^[4]
Ekmania	Gleason 1919	Manekia	Trel. 1927	Erik Leonard Ekman (1883 - 1931)	^[4]
Fuchsia	Plum. ex L.	Schufia ^[a]	Spach	Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566)	^[4]
Gerardia	L. 1753	Dargeria	Decne. 1844	John Gerard (1545 - 1612)	^[4]
Gerardia	L. 1753	Graderia	Benth. 1846	John Gerard (1545 - 1612)	^[4]
Goldfussia	Nees 1832	Diflugossa ^[a]	Bremek. 1944	Georg August Goldfuss (1782 - 1848)	^[4]
Grazielia	R.M.King & H.Rob. 1972	Algrizea ^[c]	Proença & NicLugh. 2006	Graziela Maciel Barroso (1912 - 2003)	^[4]
Hariota	DC. 1834	Hatiora ^[a]	Britton & Rose 1915	Thomas Harriot (ca. 1560 - 1621)	^[4]
Hermannia	L. 1753	Mahernia ^[a]^[c]	L. 1767	Paul Hermann (1646 - 1695)	^[4]
Hottonia	L. 1753	Honottia	Rchb. 1828	Pieter Hotton (1648 - 1709)	^[4]
Huberia	DC. 1828	Behuria	Cham. 1834	François Huber (1750 - 1831)	^[4]
Joannesia	Vell. 1798	Annesijoa	Pax & K.Hoffm. 1919	John VI of Portugal (1767 - 1826)	^[4]
Kailarsenia	Tirveng. 1983	Larsenaikia	Tirveng. 1993	Kai Larsen (1926 - 2012)	^[4]
Lawrencia	Hook. 1840	Wrenciala	A.Gray 1854	Robert William Lawrence (1807 - 1833)	^[4]
Lechlera	Griseb. 1857	Relchela	Steud. 1854	Willibald Lechler (1814 - 1856)	^[4]
Lespedeza	Michx. 1803	Despeleza ^[a]	Nieuwl. 1914	Vicente Manuel de Céspedes (1721 ? - 1794)	^[4]
Letestua	Lecomte 1920	Tulestea	Aubrév. & Pellegr. 1961	Georges Le Testu (1877 - 1967)	^[4]
Lobelia	L. 1753	Bolelia ^[a]	Raf. 1832	Matthias de l'Obel (1538 - 1616)	^[4]
Mikania	F.W.Schmidt 1795	Kanimia ^[a]	Gardner 1847	Joseph Gottfried Mikan (1743 - 1814)	^[4]
Myginda	Jacq. 1760	Gyminda ^[a]	Sarg. 1891	Franz von Mygind (1710 - 1789)	^[4]
Oedera	L. 1771	Eroeda ^[a]	Levyns 1948	Georg Christian Oeder (1728 - 1791)	^[4]
Planogyra	Morse, 1864	Plagyrona	E. Gittenberger, 1977	Latin planus (flat) + gyra (circle) "flatwhorl"	^{[citation needed]}
Siebera	C.Presl 1828	Beriesa	Steud. 1840	Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1789 - 1844)	^[4]
Tragia	L. 1753	Agirta ^[a]	Baill. 1858	Hieronymus Bock, named Tragus (1498 - 1554)	^[4]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m The two genus names are synonyms.
^ It is also an anadrome (reverse spelling).
^ ^a ^b ^c This anagram is imperfect.

References

^ ^a ^b Jozwiak, Piotr; Rewicz, Tomasz; Pabis, Krzysztof (2015-07-16). "Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration". ZooKeys (513): 143–160. Bibcode:2015ZooK..513..143J. doi:10.3897/zookeys.513.9873. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4524282. PMID 26257573.
^ Mortenson, Philip B. (2004). This is not a weasel: a close look at nature's most confusing terms. John Wiley & Sons. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-471-27396-7.
^ McNeill, J.; et al., eds. (2012). International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code), Adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011 (electronic ed.). Bratislava: International Association for Plant Taxonomy.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai Burkhardt, Lotte (2018-06-06). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen - Erweiterte Edition. Index of Eponymic Plant Names - Extended Edition. Index de Noms éponymiques des Plantes - Édition augmentée (in German). Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5. S2CID 187926901.
^ Hyam, R.; Pankhurst, R.J. (1995). Plants and their names : a concise dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866189-4.
^ Robinson, George L.; Wunderlin, Richard P. (2005). "Revision of Siolmatra (Cucurbitaceae: Zanonieae)". SIDA, Contributions to Botany. 21 (4): 1961–1969. ISSN 0036-1488.

[Synonym-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m The two genus names are synonyms.

[Anadrome-6] It is also an anadrome (reverse spelling).

[Imperfect-9] This anagram is imperfect.

[Jozwiak2015-1] Jozwiak, Piotr; Rewicz, Tomasz; Pabis, Krzysztof (2015-07-16). "Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration". ZooKeys (513): 143–160. Bibcode:2015ZooK..513..143J. doi:10.3897/zookeys.513.9873. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4524282. PMID 26257573.

[Mortenson2004-2] Mortenson, Philip B. (2004). This is not a weasel: a close look at nature's most confusing terms. John Wiley & Sons. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-471-27396-7.

[MelbourneCode-3] McNeill, J.; et al., eds. (2012). International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code), Adopted by the Eighteenth International Botanical Congress Melbourne, Australia, July 2011 (electronic ed.). Bratislava: International Association for Plant Taxonomy.

[Burkhardt2018-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai Burkhardt, Lotte (2018-06-06). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen - Erweiterte Edition. Index of Eponymic Plant Names - Extended Edition. Index de Noms éponymiques des Plantes - Édition augmentée (in German). Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5. S2CID 187926901.

[Hyam1995-7] Hyam, R.; Pankhurst, R.J. (1995). Plants and their names : a concise dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866189-4.

[Robinson2005-8] Robinson, George L.; Wunderlin, Richard P. (2005). "Revision of Siolmatra (Cucurbitaceae: Zanonieae)". SIDA, Contributions to Botany. 21 (4): 1961–1969. ISSN 0036-1488.

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