What is type spesimen?

A type specimen is a specimen selected to serve as a reference point when a plant species is first named. As a result, these specimens are extremely important to botanists who are attempting to determine the correct application of a name. They are often specially curated in herbaria, such as at the New York Botanic Garden or the Sandakan Herbarium. There are several different categories of types; the most common are:

• Holotype : The single specimen designated as the type of a species by the original author at the time the species name and description was published.
• Isotype : A duplicate specimen of the holotype.
• Syntype : Any of two or more specimens listed in the original description of a taxon when a holotype was not designated.
• Isosyntype : A duplicate of a syntype.
• Paratype : A specimen not formally designated as a type but cited along with the type collection in the original description of a taxon.
• Lectotype : A specimen chosen by a later researcher to serve as if it were the holotype. It is chosen from among the specimens available to the original publishing author (the isotypes, syntypes and/or paratypes) of a scientific name when the holotype was either lost or destroyed, or when no holotype was designated.
• Neotype : A specimen chosen by a later researcher to serve in place of a holotype when all specimens available to the original publishing author of a scientific name have been lost or destroyed.
• Topotype : A specimen of a plant collected from the same locality as the holotype and usually on a different date. A topotype has no formal standing. = locotype
• Generitype : The type specimen of a genus. It is designated by using the type for the name of a particular species within that genus. For example, the generitype for Pinus is the type for Pinus sylvestris Linnaeus .

Type Spesimen collected from Kebun Cina Forest Reserve

The forest is the locality of about 110 type specimens. Click below to view the list of type spesimen collected.