The botanist who first validly publishes the scientific name of a plant is the author of that name. In technical botanical publications, the scientific author of botanical names is always given to serve as a link to the earlier botanical literature. The author’s name is usually abbreviated, but not italicized, and follows the name itself. For example, in the scientific name of the Silver Maple, Acer saccharinum L., the “L.” refers to Linnaeus, 18th century Swedish botanist whose work forms the basis for much of modern systematics. The rules surrounding the publication of scientific names in botany and the rules concerning the naming of plant groups are quite complex. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is the official internationally accepted standard for the rules governing plant nomenclature.