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154 Terms used in Bionomenclature
polymorph: a taxonomic unit with many variants.
polymorphic: of a species, one with many “forms”; often used of species
with many infraspecific taxa or morphotypes.
polynomial: (1) a name in the rank of species, consisting of three or more
separate words not hyphenated or separated by terms denoting rank,
employed by most pre-Linnaean authors (e.g. Lichenoides
pulmoneum reticulatum vulgare, marginibus peltiseris Dill., Hist.
Musc.: 212, 1742) and in essence descriptive phrases; not “names”
in the sense of the Codes as not in the binomial (binary) Linnaean
system; see binominal, multinominal, polynominal. (2) (zool.) a
name constructed from an immutable original binomen prefixed or
interleaved with the name of the genus (and when relevant subgenus
and subspecies) in which the organism is now classed, e.g. Benyllus
Togea formosana indicating that Togea formosana is now placed in
the genus Benyllus.
polynominal: see polynomial.
polyonym: (unoff.) a name of quite different and permanently confused
meanings; a nomen ambiguum (q.v. ) or nomen confusum (q.v.).
polyphasic: of taxonomy, the use of a range of radically different
techniques on the same set or organisms in order to produce a
classification.
polyphyletic: (phyl.) a group that has multiple phylogenetic origins and
thus excludes the most recent common ancestor of its members.
polythetic: of a classification, one where the taxa are defined by a
combination of characters any of which might be possessed by other
taxa and any of which may not be possessed a particular member of
that taxon; one in which the organisms with the most shared
chanters are grouped together.
polytypic: (zool., unoff.) of a taxon, one containing two or more taxa in the
immediately subordinate category; cfr monotypic.
population: all individuals of one taxon growing in a particular region or
place (usually considered as a single biological unit).
pornotype: (zool., unoff.) a type based primarily or totally on characters of
the genitalia (!).