In botanical nomenclature, a valid name is a name that meets the requirements in the ICBN for valid publication. Valid publication of a name represents the minimum requirements for a botanical name to exist: therefore a botanical name inescapably is always valid. If a name is not validly published then it is not a botanical name. Thus an invalid name in the botanical sense is not a scientific name at all: as far as the ICBN is concerned, it has the same status as a common name, a vernacular name, etc.

Nevertheless, invalid names are somewhat in use, this may occur when a taxonomists finds and recognises a taxon and thinks of a name, but delays in publishing this in an adequate manner. A common reason for this is that a taxonomist intends to write a magnum opus that provides an overview of the group he is working on, rather than a series of small papers. In practice this causes problems.

See also

• Valid name (zoology)
• Correct name (botany), the botanical equivalent of a "valid name" in zoology
• Available name, the zoological equivalent of a "valid name" in botany
• Nomen nudum, a particular kind of invalid name in zoology and botany