A computer orientated numerical coding system for algae

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Abstract
An account is given of a system which has been developed for coding freshwater algae numerically in a form suitable for recording and subsequent analysis of data with the use of a computer. The system uses a 6-digit number, in which the first two digits are the “phylum pair”, the second two the “genus pair” and the last two the “species pair”. The 100 species pairs (00–99) available for use with each genus are employed not only to indicate particular binomials, but also to provide various means of “dumping” forms to which it is impossible to give a binomial. A standard set of dimensions, based on the series, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 μm, is recommended for general use when morphological criteria such as filament width are used instead of binomials. The coding system put forward is sufficiently open ended to accommodate many more species and some taxonomic changes. Knowledge of algal systematics is however at present inadequate for any attempt to be made to produce an ideal system, which might be expanded to cope with all future changes.