In preparing our paper introducing the new generic name Calongia for a lichenicolous fungus growing on soredia of Cladonia and Flavoparmelia (Hawksworth & Etayo Reference Hawksworth and Etayo2010), we were unaware that a similar generic name, Calongea, was also being proposed for a truffle (Healey et al. Reference Healy, Bonito and Trappe2009). Both names were coined in honour of Francisco ‘Paco’ de Diego Calonge, on the occasion of his retirement from the Real Jardín Botánico in Madrid. Just how similar names have to be in order to be recognized as homonyms that must be rejected is often a matter for debate. Consequently such cases should be referred to the appropriate Permanent Committee established by the last International Botanical Congress as prescribed in Art. 53.5 of the Code (McNeill et al. Reference McNeill, Barrie, Burdet, Demoulin, Hawksworth, Marhold, Nicolson, Prado, Silva and Skog2006). The case of Calongea was particularly debatable because in the flowering plants such pairs as Baumia Engl. & Gilg. 1903 and Baumea Gaudich. 1829, and Malania Chun & S. K. Lee 1980 and Malanea Aubl. 1775 have been ruled as not confusable. Also, the fungal generic name Otidea (Pers.) Bonord. 1851, was not regarded by the Committee for Fungi as confusable with the plant generic name Otidia Lindley ex Sweet 1822, but the latter was no longer in use.
We consequently referred the Calongea/Calongia case to the Permanent Committee for Fungi as soon as we became aware of the problem. The members of the Committee voted by an overwhelming majority (93 %) that the names should be regarded as homonyms under Art. 53.3. Calongia is thus to be treated as an illegitimate name under Art. 53.1, and has to be replaced. The new generic name Calongeomyces is therefore proposed here as a replacement name for Calongia and the necessary new combination of the species epithet made.
Calongeomyces D. Hawksw. & Etayo, nom. nov
MycoBank no.: MB 519339
Replaced name: Calongia D. Hawksw. & Etayo, Lichenologist 42: 355 (July 2010); nom. illegit. (Arts 53.1 and 53.3).
Type species: Calongia gibelluloides D. Hawksw. & Etayo Reference Hawksworth and Etayo2010.
Non Calongea Healy et al., Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 66 (S1): 27 (15 Dec. 2009).
Type species: Calongea prieguensis (Mor.-Arr. et al.) Healey et al. Reference Healy, Bonito and Trappe2009.
Calongeomyces gibelluloides (D. Hawksw. & Etayo) D. Hawksw. & Etayo, comb. nov
MycoBank no.: MB 519340
Basionym: Calongia gibelluloides D. Hawksw. & Etayo, Lichenologist 42: 356 (July 2010).
We had decided to use the termination “ia” in Calongia as the person being honoured was male, but as Calongea conforms to Rec. 60B.1(a) of the Code, we decided to be more conventional here and adopt the latter spelling as the stem of the replacement generic name now proposed.
This problem might have been averted had data on Calongea been deposited in MycoBank prior to publication, as when Calongia had been input the database would then have drawn attention to that proposed name. Hopefully the proposals currently under consideration, which will make the deposit of key nomenclatural information a mandatory requirement for the valid publication of new fungal (including lichen-fungal) names, will prevent such situations arising in the future (Hawksworth et al. Reference Hawksworth, Cooper, Crous, Hyde, Iturriaga, Kirk, Lumbsch, May, Minter and Misra2010); these proposals are strongly supported by the mycological community (Norvell et al. Reference Norvell, Hawksworth, Petersen and Redhead2010).
Calongeomyces gibelluloides was originally described from Spain, but it has subsequently been recognized on Cladonia cf. polydactyla and Pertusaria amara in Germany (von Brackel Reference von Brackel2010). It may consequently prove to be widespread, at least in continental Europe.
We are indebted to John McNeill for appraising us of the practice in flowering plants, and to Lorelei Norvell for expediting a decision from the Permanent Committee for Fungi. Support received by DLH from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación in Spain (project CGL 2008-01600) is gratefully acknowledged.
