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The fundamental value of universal nomenclatural systems in biology is that they enable unambiguous scientific communication. However, the stability of these systems is threatened by recent discussions asking for a fairer nomenclature, raising the possibility of bulk revision processes for "inappropriate" names. It is evident that such proposals come from very deep feelings, but we show how they can irreparably damage the foundation of biological communication and, in turn, the sciences that depend on it. There are four essential consequences of objective codes of nomenclature: universality, stability, neutrality, and transculturality. These codes provide fair and impartial guides to the principles governing biological nomenclature and allow unambiguous universal communication in biology. Accordingly, no subjective proposals should be allowed to undermine them., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences.)

Rhynchosporamesoatlantica sp. nov. (Cyperaceae) is described, illustrated, and compared with morphologically similar species. Rhynchosporamesoatlantica is known only from southern Delaware, southeastern Maryland, and southern New Jersey, all within the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A. It inhabits sunny, wet margins of natural, shallow, nutrient-poor, seasonal ponds of the Coastal Plain. Narrow leaf blades; fruits obpyriform in outline; faces of mature fruits possessing a central, pale, well-demarcated disk; and fruit tubercle margins denticulate for most of their lengths indicate R.mesoatlantica is most similar to R.filifolia and R.harperi . Rhynchosporamesoatlantica is unique in its fruit dimensions, scales intermediate in length between R.filifolia and R.harperi , and relatively long fruit stipe. The NatureServe rank of Critically Imperiled and the IUCN rank of Endangered appear warranted for R.mesoatlantica because only six populations are known to be extant, most quite small and isolated; all populations occur within a small geographic area; populations have declined; and serious threats confront the survival of the species., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Amanda Treher Eberly, Robert F. C. Naczi.)

Extinction rates are expected to increase during the Anthropocene. Current extinction rates of plants and many animals remain unknown. We quantified extinctions among the vascular flora of the continental United States and Canada since European settlement. We compiled data on apparently extinct species by querying plant conservation databases, searching the literature, and vetting the resulting list with botanical experts. Because taxonomic opinion varies widely, we developed an index of taxonomic uncertainty (ITU). The ITU ranges from A to F, with A indicating unanimous taxonomic recognition and F indicating taxonomic recognition by only a single author. The ITU allowed us to rigorously evaluate extinction rates. Our data suggest that 51 species and 14 infraspecific taxa, representing 33 families and 49 genera of vascular plants, have become extinct in our study area since European settlement. Seven of these taxa exist in cultivation but are extinct in the wild. Most extinctions occurred in the west, but this outcome may reflect the timing of botanical exploration relative to settlement. Sixty-four percent of extinct plants were single-site endemics, and many occurred outside recognized biodiversity hotspots. Given the paucity of plant surveys in many areas, particularly prior to European settlement, the actual extinction rate of vascular plants is undoubtedly much higher than indicated here., (© 2020 Society for Conservation Biology.)