Contributor guidelines
Submission of accounts for publication
24.1 Accounts should be submitted as a Word document including all sections as they appear in printed volumes of the Flora. Descriptions must be formatted as described in Sections 12 and 13 of these Guidelines.
24.2 Descriptions should also be submitted in an Excel spreadsheet with each species in a separate row and each character in a different column. This makes it easier to check that the descriptions are parallel. It is recommended that authors compile their descriptions in a spreadsheet from the start.
24.3 Before submitting the account the author should carry out the following checks:
- Check the word order of each character follows the standard FoN order of colour, shape, dimensions, base, apex, margin, texture, surface characteristics, venation.
- Ensure that all descriptions are fully parallel with all character states for all species.
- Check that all dimensions and units are properly formatted (see Section 12).
- Check that the keys are formatted with each character in a separate sentence.
- Ensure there are no double spaces.
24.4 Do not use right justification, nor centre any words or lines.
24.5 Do not hyphenate words when they are too long to fit on a line.
24.6 Use only one space after any punctuation mark and between any words or abbreviations.
24.7 Keys should not be indented in the manuscripts. There should be a hard return before the beginning of each lead of a key, and alternate leads are to be labelled "a" and "b" after the number of the lead.
24.8 Paragraphs are not indented. There should be two hard carriage returns (i.e. one blank line) at the end of each paragraph.
24.9 Two question marks "??" should be placed in the manuscript wherever data are missing if these data are expected to be added to the manuscript before publication (i.e., page numbers for manuscripts that are in press).
24.10 -ize is used instead of -ise.
24.11 The combination of adverb adjective usually has no hyphen, eg densely tufted, not densely-tufted, but if there is any ambiguity the hyphen will be kept.
24.12 Do not use ‘ca. as long as…’ etc., change to ‘about as long as’.
24.13 Disk refers to the floral structure and disc refers to shape of organ.
24.14 The words in the following list are to use the first spelling or formatting
Equalling, not equaling
Midvein, not mid-vein
Leaf lobes, not leaf-lobes
Short-shoot, not short shoot
Broad-leaved, not broadleaved
Monothecal, not mono-thecal
centre, not center
foetid, not fetid
Leaf tips, not leaf-tips
Rootstock, not root stock
Drupelet, not druplet
Length:width ratio, not length : width ratio
See also Miscellaneous Abbreviations and Symbols
Equalling, not equaling
Midvein, not mid-vein
Leaf lobes, not leaf-lobes
Short-shoot, not short shoot
Broad-leaved, not broadleaved
Monothecal, not mono-thecal
centre, not center
foetid, not fetid
Leaf tips, not leaf-tips
Rootstock, not root stock
Drupelet, not druplet
Length:width ratio, not length : width ratio
See also Miscellaneous Abbreviations and Symbols
24.15 Numbers up to ten should be in words, above that in figures, and both can appear in a sentence.
24.16 Numbers at the start of a sentence are spelled out in full.
24.17 Question marks before a word or number indicate uncertainty.
25.18 There is no space between the title of a subheading and the colon which separates it from the information.
24.19 En dashes between number ranges and months have no space before or after them.
24.20 A hyphen not used in reddish green etc.
24.21 There is no hyphen between sub and adjective (ie subacute, subopposite etc).
24.22 Words ending in ‘-like’ always have a hyphen (eg scale-like).
24.23 The names of doubtful taxa in taxonomic notes are in italics but not in bold.
24.24 Specimens cited in taxonomic notes are in italics.