What's the stance on geographical names that end with a silent e? I'm sure it's stated somewhere, but I haven't found any examples of it in the International Code of Nomenclature. I came across these 2 variations for Hidcote (taking the termination -ense): - Symphytum × hidcotense P.D.Sell - Hypericum × hidcoteense Geerinck ...but which one is the correct way to write?
If there's no guidance in the ICN, then likely both are permissible, just important to stick to the original spelling used in each case by each author.
Just a thought. The second species name "hidcoteense" was named by "Geerink". That surname, I suspect, is Dutch, and Dutch grammar may prefer to have the "ee" to indicate a possessive grammatical case (declension) such as this.
The RHS Horticultural Database is going with the hidcoteense for the shrub. Apparently it is simply a case of for some reason the hidcote part of the name (which stands for Hidcote Manor) being spelled all the way out with the ense being tacked on the end: hidcote-ense. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticultura...sp?id=332179&crit=hidcoteense&genus=Hypericum