THE NAME OF THE ROSE: A REVIEW OF IDEAS ON THE EUROPEAN BIAS IN ANGIOSPERM CLASSIFICATION

This 'Tansley Review' paper takes as its starting point a paper of mine published in 1961, which explored the shape and size of modern Angiosperm families and genera as a product of taxonomic practice over centuries. It considers how far the conclusion - that our existing scientific classification, based on Linnaeus' masterly standardization in the eighteenth century, is very markedly 'Eurocentric'- has been criticized, accepted or modified by subsequent writers. In particular, it assesses the important contribution made in recent years by ethnobiologists using expert knowledge from social anthropology, linguistics and other disciplines. Finally, the paper considers briefly the broader aspects of current controversies about the nature and purpose of taxonomic activity, including the argument about its relevance to evolutionary knowledge and speculation. It concludes that, to a remarkable degree, practising taxonomists ignore conceptual or philosophical difficulties and are able to co-operate, although their leisurely and arcane procedures may not measure up to the'information explosion'. Contents Summary 527 I. Introduction 528 II. The age and size of Angiosperm families and genera 530 III. Recognition of the European bias in classification 539 IV. Conclusions 542 References 544.