I am requesting the addition of an additional official taxonomic rank in the ICN (“series,” https://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/pages/main/art_4.html?zoom_highlight=series) be added to iNaturalist’s taxonomic hierarchy. This will add a finer level of sorting of species, especially in very large genera. In fungi, this will be applicable to genera such as Amanita (amanitaceae.org) and Orbilia (which was recently reorganized: https://www.mnhn.lu/science/monograph-of-orbiliomycetes/?lang=en), but it is useful for vascular plants as well, including the genera Iris (https://doi.org/10.1600/036364409788606316) and Solanum (https://doi.org/10.1600/036364411X553252). Likely, this is applicable to many other genera as well.
Any reason you wouldn’t want “subseries” available at the same time, since that is also a sanctioned botanical rank?
Not really, but I note we don’t have subvarieties or subforms either, and those are accepted ranks, too.
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The use of any or too many other ranks can be counterproductive, specifically in iNaturalist. It takes ages just to find something, especially in large genera were the curation is not yet correctly done. What would be very good if the ranks between genus and species can be collapsed. Would that be possible?
There’s definitely a cost benefit to adding these additional ranks. Benefits being that they can help make groups more tractable and precise. Costs being that they add a lot of complexity to the tree and the rank menus. I don’t think we’re to a point where the size of any of the subsection groups on iNat are big enough that they warrant breaking them up into series. For example, I’ve pasted Amanita below. There is only one subsection (Pantherinae) with any descendants in the tree and it only has 4 species in it. subsection Gemmatae is in the tree but has no children. I’d argue that if the species in a genus would benefit from being further organized into subclades, to prioritize making use of the existing ranks (subsections etc.) first, and if we then have examples where the genus would futher benefit from additional ranks we continue this discussion then
subgenus Amanitina
.section Phalloideae
…species Amanita phalloides
…species Amanita bisporigera
…species Amanita virosa
…species Amanita arocheae
…species Amanita ocreata
…species Amanita fuliginea
…species Amanita verna
…species Amanita suballiacea
…species Amanita hesleri
…species Amanita magnivelaris
…species Amanita virosiformis
…species Amanita tarda
…species Amanita veldiei
…species Amanita hygroscopica
…species Amanita elliptosperma
…species Amanita zangii
…species Amanita subjunquillea
…species Amanita marmorata
…species Amanita herrerae
…species Amanita peltigera
…species Amanita pallidorosea
…species Amanita murinacea
…species Amanita longitibiale
…species Amanita murinaster
…species Amanita alliiodora
.section Validae
…species Amanita flavoconia
…species Amanita brunnescens
…species Amanita rubescens
…species Amanita citrina
…species Amanita porphyria
…species Amanita nothofagi
…species Amanita novinupta
…species Amanita lavendula
…complex Amanita amerirubescens
…species Amanita flavorubens
…species Amanita flavorubescens
…species Amanita excelsa
…species Amanita augusta
…species Amanita grisella
…species Amanita flavipes
…species Amanita franchetii
…species Amanita aestivalis
…species Amanita luteolovelata
…species Amanita fulvaurantia
…species Amanita fritillaria
…species Amanita solaniolens
…species Amanita submaculata
…species Amanita demissa
…species Amanita elongatospora
…species Amanita flavella
…species Amanita sepiacea
…species Amanita orsonii
…species Amanita brunneolocularis
…species Amanita basiorubra
…species Amanita silvicola
…species Amanita canescens
…species Amanita lignophila
…species Amanita morrisii
…species Amanita phaea
…species Amanita australis
…species Amanita media
…complex Mappae
…species Amanita karea
…species Amanita flavivolva
…complex Citrina
…species Amanita erythrocephala
…species Amanita spissacea
…species Amanita radiata
…species Amanita campinaranae
…species Amanita elongata
…species Amanita fraterna
.section Amidella
…species Amanita volvata
…species Amanita peckiana
…species Amanita curtipes
…species Amanita lepiotoides
…species Amanita ponderosa
…species Amanita occidentalis
…species Amanita goossensiae
…species Amanita avellaneosquamosa
…species Amanita valens
…species Amanita pallidogrisea
.section Roanokenses
…species Amanita grossa
…species Amanita cokeri
…species Amanita pseudoporphyria
…species Amanita virgineoides
…species Amanita abrupta
…species Amanita chlorinosma
…species Amanita solitaria
…species Amanita magniverrucata
…species Amanita cylindrisporiformis
…species Amanita atkinsoniana
…species Amanita mutabilis
…species Amanita smithiana
…species Amanita rhopalopus
…species Amanita echinocephala
…species Amanita effusa
…species Amanita pagetodes
…species Amanita ovoidea
…species Amanita proxima
…species Amanita subsolitaria
…species Amanita longipes
…species Amanita clelandii
…species Amanita ochrophylloides
…species Amanita austrostraminea
…species Amanita polypyramis
…species Amanita ananiceps
…species Amanita cinerascens
…species Amanita castanopsidis
…species Amanita onusta
…species Amanita ochroterrea
…species Amanita flaviphylla
…species Amanita limbatula
…species Amanita macrocarpa
…species Amanita boudieri
…species Amanita sublutea
…species Amanita cylindrispora
…species Amanita oberwinklerana
…species Amanita alboflavescens
…species Amanita rosea
…species Amanita pareparina
…species Amanita allostraminea
…species Amanita psammolimbata
…species Amanita rhoadsii
…species Amanita eijii
…species Amanita yenii
…species Amanita westii
…species Amanita inodora
…species Amanita sculpta
…species Amanita austroviridis
…species Amanita timida
…species Amanita baccata
…species Amanita pyramidifera
…species Amanita pumatona
…species Amanita pulverulenta
…species Amanita daucipes
…species Amanita ochrophylla
…species Amanita ochraceobulbosa
…species Amanita mumura
…species Amanita microlepis
…species Amanita neo-ovoidea
…species Amanita farinacea
…species Amanita gracilior
…species Amanita lanosa
…species Amanita roanokensis
…species Amanita kotohiraensis
…species Amanita pelioma
…species Amanita perpasta
…species Amanita hongoi
…species Amanita gymnopus
…species Amanita griseofarinosa
.section Arenariae
…species Amanita arenaria
…species Amanita wadjukiorum
.section Strobiliformes
…species Amanita strobiliformis
…species Amanita griseoverrucosa
…species Amanita ravenelii
…species Amanita cinereoconia
…species Amanita cinereopannosa
subgenus Amanita
.section Amanita
…species Amanita gemmata
…species Amanita muscaria
…species Amanita persicina
…species Amanita pantherina
…species Amanita aprica
…species Amanita parcivolvata
…subsection Pantherinae
…species Amanita multisquamosa
…species Amanita alpinicola
…species Amanita albocreata
…species Amanita velatipes
…species Amanita toxica
…species Amanita xanthocephala
…species Amanita breckonii
…species Amanita gioiosa
…species Amanita rufoferruginea
…species Amanita roseotincta
…species Amanita junquillea
…species Amanita xylinivolva
…species Amanita eliae
…species Amanita pantherinoides
…species Amanita rubrovolvata
…species Amanita chrysoblema
…species Amanita russuloides
…species Amanita wellsii
…species Amanita crenulata
…species Amanita sinensis
…species Amanita armeniaca
…species Amanita subparvipantherina
…species Amanita frostiana
…species Amanita cruzii
…species Amanita melleiceps
…species Amanita taiepa
…species Amanita xerocybe
…species Amanita viscidolutea
…species Amanita aurantiovelata
…species Amanita regalis
…species Amanita sulcatissima
…species Amanita pubescens
…species Amanita diemii
…species Amanita agglutinata
…species Amanita umbrinidisca
…species Amanita silvatica
…species Amanita lanivolva
…species Amanita pseudoregalis
…species Amanita stranella
…species Amanita siamensis
…species Amanita robusta
…species Amanita sychnopyramis
…species Amanita subvaginata
…subsection Gemmatae
…species Amanita subglobosa
…species Amanita farinosa
…species Amanita pudica
…species Amanita orientigemmata
…species Amanita petalinivolva
…species Amanita nehuta
…species Amanita chrysoleuca
…species Amanita levistriata
…species Amanita ibotengutake
.section Caesareae
…species Amanita caesarea
…species Amanita jacksonii
…species Amanita basii
…species Amanita yema
…species Amanita calyptroderma
…species Amanita chepangiana
…species Amanita esculenta
…species Amanita banningianna
…species Amanita egregia
…species Amanita aporema
…species Amanita laurae
…species Amanita vernicoccora
…species Amanita spreta
…species Amanita caesareoides
…species Amanita cokeriana
…species Amanita calyptratoides
…species Amanita similis
…species Amanita javanica
…species Amanita murrilliana
…species Amanita virginiana
…species Amanita hayalyuy
…species Amanita ristichii
…species Amanita arkansana
…species Amanita subvirginiana
…species Amanita annulatovaginata
…species Amanita cinereoannulosa
…species Amanita egreginus
…species Amanita mafingensis
…species Amanita tuza
…species Amanita zambiana
…species Amanita torrendii
…species Amanita longistriata
…species Amanita loosii
…species Amanita hemibapha
…species Amanita masasiensis
…species Amanita tanzanica
…species Amanita incarnatifolia
…species Amanita imazekii
…species Amanita hunanensis
…species Amanita ochracea
.section Vaginatae
…species Amanita ceciliae
…species Amanita liquii
…species Amanita fulvoides
…species Amanita velosa
…species Amanita constricta
…species Amanita lividopallescens
…species Amanita amerifulva
…species Amanita fuscostriata
…species Amanita variicolor
…species Amanita submembranacea
…species Amanita drummondii
…species Amanita badia
…species Amanita mairei
…species Amanita fuligineodisca
…species Amanita pekeoides
…species Amanita sinicoflava
…species Amanita albovolvata
…species Amanita subnudipes
…species Amanita huijsmanii
…species Amanita pallidocarnea
…species Amanita spadicea
…species Amanita brunneofuliginea
…species Amanita craseoderma
…species Amanita coacta
…species Amanita praelongipes
…species Amanita umbrinolutea
…species Amanita sororcula
…species Amanita lignitincta
…species Amanita populiphila
…species Amanita protecta
…species Amanita friabilis
…species Amanita ochraceomaculata
…species Amanita pachyvolvata
…species Amanita battarrae
…species Amanita angustilamellata
…species Amanita argentea
…species Amanita yucatanensis
…species Amanita violettae
…species Amanita hyperborea
…species Amanita malleata
…species Amanita romagnesiana
…species Amanita supravolvata
…species Amanita ovalispora
…species Amanita orientifulva
…species Amanita olivaceogrisea
…species Amanita dunicola
…species Amanita magnivolvata
…species Amanita pallidofumosa
…species Amanita arenicola
…species Amanita mansehraensis
…species Amanita simulans
…species Amanita crebresulcata
…species Amanita rhacopus
…species Amanita pachycolea
…species Amanita vaginata
…species Amanita fulva
…species Amanita nivalis
…species Amanita crocea
…species Amanita cistetorum
…species Amanita atrofusca
…species Amanita punctata
…species Amanita lippiae
…species Amanita islandica
…species Amanita flavescens
…species Amanita humboldtii
…species Amanita hamadae
…species Amanita griseofolia
.section Amarrendiae
…species Amanita nouhrae
…species Amanita morenoi
…species Amanita merxmuelleri
…species Amanita umbrinella
…species Amanita muriniflammea
…species Amanita nigrescens
section Lepidella
species Amanita guzmanii
species Amanita pachysperma
species Amanita griseostrobilacea
species Amanita princeps
species Amanita asteropus
species Amanita garabitoana
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This solution presupposes that the other, already implemented ranks are in use in this genus; they largely are not. For some reason, people have skipped over the rank of subsection and preferred Series and “stirpes” in Amanita. The same is true in Orbilia, where the latest monograph separates the genus into subgenera, sections, and series only, and uses a lot of old anamorph genus names at series rank only.
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Then my preference would be to reappropriate existing ranks like complex or subsection for the purpose of series. I realize that theres a cost of misappropriating a familiar grouping as 'Series Soandso" as “Subsection Soandso” but IMO that is less than the cost of having such a complex list of ranks and their application in the tree.
I also think that the most important thing is the utility of the group to help wrap our heads around and distinguish parts of the tree rather than what the group is called. If curation of Amanita into smaller groupings made it more tractable and intuitive (I’d argue that’s not the case now) then we’d have a more compelling case to rename useful nodes such as “Subsection Soandso” more correctly as “Series Soandso”.
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Okay. That is fine by me. I have been avoiding doing things like that because it is “technically” incorrect.
The use of subsections on that copied list of Amanita above are relatively new. I added the subsections of Gemmatae & Pantherinae to my observations to help build the tree.
I started growing the tree with section Amanita because that is the only section that uses subsections to my knowledge.
There are more described species to apply, I see more than 4 members of subsection Pantherinae already on that copylist. Subsection Gemmatae is a more precise ID for any North American observation of ‘Amanita gemmata’. There is more work to be done.
Other sections don’t have the benefit of using subsections and go right to stirps or series. Substituting any ranking on the hierarchy here will be confusing when looking at the genus as a whole.
Using the rank of ‘complex’ in substitute of ‘series’ or ‘stirps’ will have negative impacts when the tree is stronger.
‘Complex’ is best used for those groupings/clades that are distinct within a stirps.
It was incorrectly applied as ‘complex Mappae’ & ‘complex Citrina’ (on the copy list) as an attempt to substitute series Mappae & stirps Citrina.
(these need to be stackable by rank)
It IS correctly applied to the ‘Complex Amanita amerirubescens group’
Ideally the use of series & stirps is to distinguish the smaller groupings of known sister species that are difficult to suggest a species ID confidently. This is beneficial with global identification on other continents.
Some Amanita cannot be IDed to species level by picture, but can be IDed to stirps or Series easily… which could narrow down the ID to 3-8 species by suggesting what stirps it is in.
Currently we often have to give an incorrect species as an ID, or suggest what section it is in (which could be over hundereds of species).
I support adding the rank of Series to the hierarchy, it is one step closer to a better organized Genus.
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Hi folks,
Can we add the taxonomic rank of ‘Series’ as a necessary classification to properly organize species within Genus Amanita?
I have some added free time being the offseason to address issues regarding the taxonomic hierarchy in Genus Amanita.
I have begun documenting my 2020 collection before adding to my Amanitarum (Herbarium) and have run into a snag with iNaturalist being able to give the most finite level of taxonomy possible. This has come to light with my very first addition of past seasons collection.
The last conversation I was involved with in this curator forum we were discussing the possibility of adding the taxonomic rank of ‘Series’ (which is a recognized level of taxa). I see this push never happened, so I would like to continue bringing this up as it will help fine tune the ‘seemingly complicated’ structure of how we view the Genus Amanita.
I will use my observation linked here as an example:
so, Section Vaginatae has over 400 described species under it’s umbrella.
Within Section Vaginatae we have 6 ‘Series’ and 12 ‘Stirps’ (we do not use ‘Subsection’ in this ‘Section’).
Of those 6 ‘Series’, they are also broken down into ‘Stirps’
Involving my linked observation above, ‘Series Penetratrices’ has 9 ‘Stirps’ under that umbrella, which all house a small handful of species. ‘Series Penetratrices’ has over 60 species which it houses (6 of which are nomen acceptum, the rest are provisional or have temporary codes)
Involving my linked observation above, ‘Stirps Glenosomma’ houses 2 species.
Involving my linked observation above, this is ‘Species’ Amanita albemarlensis.
I am content with the iNat policy of not using provisional names (although a few more well known species have slipped through that crack).
I would be more content (for now) if I could list this as a penetrator (Series Penetratrices) within the accepted iNat taxonomy, which by macroscopic characteristics alone can be placed with user observations.
I cannot bring myself to use a ‘substitute taxa rank’ being that other sections of Amanita already use rankings that may not be used in others.
For starters, being able to use the rank of ‘Series’ would resolve a lot of issues. In this case, being able to use iNat and place this in a group of 60 species is much better than only being able to place this in a group of 400 species.
I want to revive this thread, because we REALLY do need the taxonomic rank of series added as an option. According to Art 4.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, this is an officially accepted rank and anyone knowledgeable about fungi will tell you that we frequently have observations that are being IDd to much larger ranks, when they could be narrowed down much more if we had the option to do so. @seditious provided some great examples above. I really don’t feel like there is a good argument against adding it. Being able to sort out these fungi into smaller groups gives us more information about what is occurring where and makes the data generated by iNaturalist much more useful and valuable.
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This is another revival of this thread. I’ve come across two big genera that would benefit from the addition of the new series rank: Penicillium (> 350 species) and Aspergillus (> 180 species). Almost every species of those two genera is now classified up to the series level (including subgenera and sections). I have tentatively classified the section Exilicaulis with complexes (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1148246-Exilicaulis). In this case it could work fairly well but some series are monospecific and it wouldn’t make any sense to have monospecific complexes such as Section Aspergillus (https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1148135-Aspergillus). Another problem is that now literature has refined its definition of complexes to be more precise. Now most publications agree on series even though we can still find others that refers to the old Penicillium sp.-clade way.
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