What Publications Does IAPT Produce? Taxon, Regnum Vegetabile, and the Code

Updated

The International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) produces three core publications: Taxon, its leading international journal for the systematics, phylogeny, and taxonomy of algae, fungi, and plants; the Regnum Vegetabile book series; and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (the Code), for which IAPT is the publisher and custodian. If you are deciding where to publish nomenclatural proposals or where to read them, the key fact is that Taxon is the only venue that accepts proposals to amend the Code or other nomenclatural proposals.

Taxon: the journal

Taxon is described by IAPT as the leading international journal devoted to systematics, phylogeny, and taxonomy of algae, fungi, and plants. Its scope is broader than pure taxonomy:

  • Research papers on systematics, phylogeny, and taxonomy
  • Methodology papers
  • Botanical history, biography, and bibliography
  • Related subjects
  • Opinion pieces, commentaries, and new perspectives

The decisive detail for many authors: Taxon is the only place to publish proposals to amend the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, or nomenclatural proposals. If your work involves changing or formally proposing nomenclatural rules, this is the required outlet rather than a matter of preference.

Regnum Vegetabile: the book series

Regnum Vegetabile is a book series devoted to systematic and evolutionary biology, with emphasis on plants, algae, and fungi. IAPT states that works published in it are of broad scope and general importance for taxonomists, systematists, and other biologists. In practice, this is the series to consider for book-length or monograph-style treatments that sit alongside the journal literature rather than short articles.

The Code

The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants is the internationally agreed set of rules and recommendations governing botanical, phycological, and mycological nomenclature. IAPT is its publisher and custodian. This matters because the Code is not just a reference text — it is the governance document that Taxon's nomenclatural proposals feed into.

Choosing between them

Publication Type Best suited for Key constraint
Taxon Journal Research papers, methodology, history, opinion pieces, nomenclatural proposals Only venue for Code amendment and nomenclatural proposals
Regnum Vegetabile Book series Broad-scope systematic and evolutionary biology works Book-length rather than article-length
The Code Rules and recommendations Nomenclature governance and reference Published and maintained by IAPT

Practical notes

  • If your goal is to formally change nomenclature, plan for Taxon; no alternative venue is described for that purpose.
  • If your goal is a longer systematic or evolutionary treatment, Regnum Vegetabile is the relevant series.
  • IAPT also publishes news, views, and reviews, and maintains links to key online resources for members. Current news items include the 21st International Botanical Congress in Cape Town in 2029, a French translation of the Madrid Code (Code de Madrid), and a nomenclature workshop in 2026.

For membership and publication access details, including any plans and pricing, check the IAPT site directly, since access terms are not specified in the material summarized here.