Remember why experienced plantsmen (and plantswomen) told us "neophytes" it was important to ditch those common names and learn the botanical name? They told us there may be many common names associated with the various regions and countries where a certain species grows --- but there is only ONE botanical name. I now teach "budding" gardeners. I have learned the botanical names as instructed. I find it hard in good conscience to advise my students to use them in place of the familiar, easy-to-spell and pronounce common names because it is simply not true that there is only ONE botanical name per species. If I spend more time, I could come up with a voluminous list of botanical synonyms, even before all this recent renaming and genus- and family-splitting. But here is one quick example: the common fireweed. I learned it as Epilobium angustifolium. Now it's Chamerion angustifolium. Not as bad as the Cornus change. But wait. That's not the whole story. According to http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CHANA2, here are some more botanical names for this plant: Synonyms: Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub ssp. angustifolium Chamaenerion angustifolium (L.) Scop. Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub var. angustifolium Chamerion spicatum (Lam.) Gray Epilobium angustifolium L. Epilobium angustifolium L. var. intermedium (Lange) Fernald Epilobium spicatum Lam. The common names listed are few, and the regions associated with them are vast, so there is little chance of overlap of two common names for this same species: Fireweed (mainly in North America), Great Willow-herb (Canada) or Rosebay Willowherb (mainly in Britain). The botanical names were already a formidable barrier to learning flowering species for neophytes. Splitting genera and families, the two more general areas where students could feel confident placing a new species, are making those learning barriers insurmountable. The genus Senecio comes to mind here. In the case of the ubiquitous fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium formerly Epilobium angustifolium is harder to keep in a student's mind than "fireweed", "great willow-herb" or "rosebay willowherb". If this splitting and renaming of botanical names continues at this rate, we may have to revert to those cursed common names in order to be able to converse with the majority of gardeners and wildflower enthusiasts in the "outside world". Jane HendrixMountain View Experimental GardensPeak 7 Area - Breckenridge, Colorado U.S.A.Elevation: 10,000 feetUSDA Zone: 4Website: http://www.picturetrail.com/hendrix
---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Fern Hill" <[email protected]> To: "Kyle Baker" <[email protected]>, "Alpine-L, the ElectronicRock Garden Society; postings copyright by authors." <[email protected]> Subject: [Alpine-l] Name Changes - was - Rock Garden Conifers Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:27:30 -0500 Names are applied to persons, places, or things for identification in communication between individuals. Once they are familiar to people who use them - say in conversation - they are perfectly effective identifiers and changes are, except in rare instances, unnecessary. Accpetance of current taxonomic nomenclatural gyrations is fine for those who are intimately involved with their choreography, but are optional for those who want to grow the plants they have known all their lives. It seems to me that botanical taxonomy should be conducted by a numerical system that the statistical machinery can easily understand and by which the machines that create these systems can communicate directly. Such a mumerical system would allow frequent rejuggling of evolutionary trees without creating confusion or worse in those who actually work with the plants and enjoy them for their individually appealing traits. The needs of the gardening public and the professional taxonomists are different and I see no need for the communication system of one to be forced on the other. Though I find the evolutionary studies of the taxonomists interesting, I see no need to alter the names of my friends in the garden. I will continue to enjoy my Cornus each spring when it flowers and in the fall when the leaves turn lovely. John Gyer Clarksboro NJ USA ----- Original Message -----From: Kyle BakerTo: Alpine-L, the Electronic Rock Garden Society;postings copyright by authors.Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 9:50 AMSubject: Re: [Alpine-l] Rock Garden Conifers I had to refer to my copy of Botanical Latin by William T. Sterns to figure this one out...Picea I could see, but ab - i - es,.......that one took me some figuring out...but then of course I'm struggling to keep up with all the new nomenclature....first hit me with orchids, then with the asters...then I discovered Chaemepericlymenem canadense to a local arboretum....for those that have not run into this yet this last one is Cornus canadense...all Cornus in the New world are no longer Cornus......oh my head Mr. Kyle Fletcher Baker, MCN Maine Zone 5From: penstemon <[email protected]> To: Jim McKenney <[email protected]>; "Alpine-L, the ElectronicRock Garden Society; postings copyright by authors." <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 9:36 AM Subject: Re: [Alpine-l] Rock Garden Conifers >Your first statement is true for Latin; those three words ARE three syllable >words. The words are three syllable in Latin, two in English.There is no >linguistic—or social—justification for pronouncing botanical >names as though they were Latin. Bob NoldDenver, Colorado, USA _______________________________________________ Alpine-l mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.science.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/alpine-l _______________________________________________ Alpine-l mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.science.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/alpine-l
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