The nomenclature of Cycadeoidea (fossil Spermatophyta: Cycadeoideopsida)

Abstract

“Cycadeoidea”, “C. megalophylla”, “C. microphylla” and “Cycadeoideaceae” (as “Cycadeoideae”) were not validly published by Buckland in his works of 1828 because his proposed fossil genus “Cycadeoidea” lacked a separate diagnosis or description. Later in 1828 Brongniart validly published the genus name Mantellia for this fossil taxon with the type being M. nidiformis Brongn., the same taxon represented by Buckland’s “C. megalophylla”. Later Lindley & Hutton (1832) validly published Cycadeoidea but as an illegitimate superfluous replacement name of Mantellia. The confused nomenclatural history of Mantellia (≡ Cycadeoidea) is summarized and corrected with new bibliographic and historical data. Since the illegitimate name Cycadeoidea is widely used in systematic palaeobotany for distinct spermatophyte fossils, its retention is sought through a conservation proposal.