International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (St. Louis Code): Adopted by the 16th International Botanical Congress, St. Louis, August 1999 (Regnum Vegetabile Series Volume 138)

Since the early times of Linnaeus it has been necessary to have a system to name plants . The Botanical Congress is held every 5 years and part of the duties is to address Botanical Nomenclature since the World is using computers and the internet to bring about many changes . The International Botanical Congress held in Tokyo made some far reaching changes to the code. The St. Louis meeting in the USA reversed and stepped back from the Tokyo Code and is therefor know as the Black Code hence the color of the Cover is Black. the editors had the lettering on the cover and spine done in silver to show that there might be a silver light a glimmer of hope to reinstate some of the Tokyo changes in the future.