List of taxa named by anagrams

An animation illustrating the anagram between the Euphorbiaceae genus names Joannesia and Annesijoa Illustration from Adam White's A Popular History of British Crustacea, 1857, showing the crustacean genera Conilera and Rocinela named by Leach using taxonomic anagrams

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

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Initial taxon name | Initial authority | Taxonomic anagram | Anagram authority | Etymology or namesake | Reference

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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

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

## References

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1. ^ 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.
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.
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.
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.
5. ^ Hyam, R.; Pankhurst, R.J. (1995). Plants and their names : a concise dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-866189-4.
6. ^ Robinson, George L.; Wunderlin, Richard P. (2005). "Revision of Siolmatra (Cucurbitaceae: Zanonieae)". SIDA, Contributions to Botany. 21 (4): 1961–1969\. ISSN 0036-1488.