Having personally written Rec. H.3A.1, I do not see that it offers
scope for being misread: the placement of the multiplication sign
is a matter of style (and insight). As background information, the
ICBN-preferred style is to put it directly in front of the name or
epithet (no space whatsoever: ×Agropogon littoralis): just keep
it nice together, so as to give computers no chance to mess it
up (after all, at a line break, a computer is likely to separate
these over more than one line).

Rec. H.3A Note 1 has been put in there (redundantly) for those who
are careless readers, just to make sure the matter could not
possibly be misunderstood by even the most whimsical. So, in a
formula, the parents are separated by: space, multiplication sign,
space;
     Agrostis stolonifera × Polypogon monspeliensis.

Paul van Rijckevorsel

* * *
-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: tdwg-content-bounces@lists.tdwg.org namens Bob Morris
Verzonden: wo 8-12-2010 20:12
Aan: Markus Döring (GBIF)
CC: tdwg-content@lists.tdwg.org List
Onderwerp: Re: [tdwg-content] canonical name for named hybrid & infragenericnames

Your placement of the multiplication sign ×  does not seem code
compliant. It looks too close. Maybe.  Also there might be a question
about whether a TDWG requirement to use the multiplication sign can be
easily implemented by all providers.

On these subjects The Appendix on Hybrid Names of ICBN seems
contradictory in that H.3A.1
(http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/frameset/0071AppendixINoHa003.htm, quoted
below)  seems to allow your placement, but Note 1. there seems to
require space. Note 1. would, with H.3A.1 imply that there must be
more white space to the left than right of the multiplication sign or
its surrogate. One spacing that seems to violate all interpretations
of A.3A.1 is equal white space around the multiplication sign. My
guess is that the overwhelming fraction of printed hybrid names are
thereby noncompliant unless something elsewhere resolves the issue).
Making the amount of white space significant in a parsed string  is a
horrifying thought.

--Bob Morris

"Recommendation H.3A

H.3A.1. The multiplication sign ×, indicating the hybrid nature of a
taxon, should be placed so as to express that it belongs with the name
or epithet but is not actually part of it. The exact amount of space,
if any, between the multiplication sign and the initial letter of the
name or epithet should depend on what best serves readability.

Note 1. The multiplication sign × in a hybrid formula is always placed
between, and separate from, the names of the parents.
H.3A.2. If the multiplication sign is not available it should be
approximated by a lower case letter "x" (not italicized)."
http://ibot.sav.sk/icbn/frameset/0071AppendixINoHa003.htm


======================



On Wed, Dec 8, 2010 at 1:14 PM, "Markus Döring (GBIF)"
<mdoering@gbif.org> wrote:
> talking about canonical names again I want to use the oppertunity and get rid of another question I have.
> What is the code compliant canonical version of named hybrids (not formulas) and infrageneric names?
>
>
> Are these examples correct?
>
> Botanical section:
> verbatim: Maxillaria sect. Multiflorae Christenson
> canonical:  Maxillaria sect. Multiflorae
>
> Botanical subgenus:
> verbatim: Anthemis subgen. Maruta (Cass.) Tzvelev
> canonical:  Anthemis subgen. Maruta
>
> Botanical series:
> verbatim: Artemisia ser. Codonocephalae (Pamp.) Y.R.Ling
> canonical:  Artemisia ser. Codonocephalae
>
> Zoological subgenus:
> verbatim: Murex (Promurex) Ponder & Vokes, 1988
> canonical:  Murex subgen. Promurex
> # if we use parenthesis to indicate the subgenus we can only guess if its an author or subgenus name
>
> Zoological species
> verbatim: Leptochilus (Neoleptochilus) beaumonti Giordani Soika 1953
> canonical: Leptochilus beaumonti
>
>
>
> Botanical named genus hybrid:
> verbatim: ×Agropogon littoralis (Sm.) C. E. Hubb.
> canonical: ×Agropogon littoralis
>
> Botanical named infrageneric hybrid:
> verbatim: Eryngium nothosect. Alpestria Burdet & Miège
> canonical: Eryngium nothosect. Alpestria
>
> Botanical named species hybrid:
> verbatim: Salix ×capreola Andersson (1867)
> canonical: Salix ×capreola Andersson (1867)
>
> Botanical variety, named species hybrid:
> verbatim: Populus ×canadensis var. serotina (R. Hartig) Rehder
> canonical: Populus ×canadensis var. serotina
>
> Botanical named infraspecific hybrid:
> verbatim: Polypodium vulgare nothosubsp. mantoniae(Rothm.) Schidlay
> canonical: Polypodium vulgare nothosubsp. mantoniae
>
>
>