Some fundamental problems of taxonomy and phylogenetics

Abstract

When asked by the editors of The Botanical Review to contribute an article on "Taxonomy or phytogeography of northern Europe," it seemed very natural to deal principally with those phytogeographical investigations of the Scandinavian' flora which have attracted so much attention during recent years. However, I have also wanted to include investigations on some of the fundamental concepts of taxonomy, for the phytogeographical reasonings are naturally much influenced by these fundamental concepts. This article is to be considered, therefore, as a theoretical introduction to the problems with which I shall deal in my next contribution. This is the reason why I shall be concerned primarily with the opinions of Scandinavian authors, though these problems are, of course, of a general nature and though much work has been done on the samne subject in other countries.