editorial

Drosera spatulata was first described by Jacques Labillardière in his 1805 publication Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen. In 1820 D.spathulata was included in Schultes, J.A. (1820), Systema Vegetabilium Edn. 16, 6: 762 but misprinted as “Drosera spathulata”, an incorrect spelling that is still common today. De Candolle, A.P. 1824: Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis. 1: 318 also used the spelling "spathulata".The spelling “spathulata” seems to come from the similarly named Nepenthes spathulata. The Drosera species is “spatulata”. In almost all other botanical names for "spoon shaped", the spelling is "spathulata" (like Nepenthes spathulata). But for some reason when D. spatulata was first described they spelt it without the "h". Since botanical names always go back to the first to describe the species, the correct version is D. spatulata. The Latin (originally Greek) expressions "spatulata" and "spathulata" are both valid, and they can be used alternatively in an original description (protologue). But once published, it is the “original” spelling (in the line that continues of this particular word) that has to be retained. Therefore, the name Nepenthes spathulata is as valid and correct as Drosera spatulata. Any alteration in these cases (e.g. "Nepenthes spatulata” or “Drosera spathulata") is to be treated like an orthographic error and to be corrected automatically (any nomenclaturally relevant text containing the wrong spelling has to be treated as if it were spelled correctly).