Ficus Info

Bart Thomas(deceased)

In a recent post on the IBC Galleries, I learned that the correct name for the ficus we know as nerifolia or salicifolia is:.....

Ficus subulata

(Jerry: Aren't you glad to have committed to hard copy?)

A Google on that name turned up the following interesting site (among others):

Ficus for the subtropical landscape

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Tobias

"It has been sold as Ficus salicifolia, Ficus neriifolia, Ficus subulata and even Ficus mexicana among other names. Some of these are suitable epithets to describe the plant's narrow leaves, but, unfortunately the names belong to other species"

Derek Burch sais that subulata is already taken and sais that salicaria is now the proper name. Honestly i find this news irritating. This is similar to the reason that i previously didn't like to use common names; there are numerous names out there, people don't agree on names, plants in completely different families have the same name. It's a mess. Now i find that Ficus nerifolia/salicifolia is, not only not the name of the 'willow leaf ficus', but that both of those names belong to other plants! Shouldn't somebody have picked up on this sooner?

Oh well. At least we can still agree on the genus. Maybe now that this is out of the way we can work on adding a third genus to 'fukien tea'

Really good info here Bart. Thanks for sharing.

~Tobias

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~Self-proclaimed dendrophile!

Adam_MA

Damn no I have to learn to call my nerifolia by it's new name salicaria.. At least I only have one of them to remember though.

Thanks for the info Bart

Adam

RonMartin(deceased)

I wouldn't be to quick to forget the old names. Most nurseries will still be using them for a long time. You might just try to order something and have them tell you that they don't carry it.They may have thousands of them but not by the new name ;o)
A good example of this is can be found with junipers. Almost 10 years ago the scientific community changed the specific name for the family from juniperous to X-media. Bet it would be hard to find a nursery that carries X-media but most of them will carry junipers of all kinds.
Go figure

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Yeah. These things get name changes faster than Elizabeth Taylor!

Keep 'em about as long, too!!

RonMartin(deceased)

Bart
They are just messing with us old guys.
We can't remember squat so they change the name and then try to convince us we are buying an entirely different plant.

Jerry Meislik

Yup, its now got yet another name. Wonder how long this one will last before another scientist says this is incorrect and gives it yet another name!

As Ron already stated the old names will be with us for many years and as long as we, in the bonsai community, know what it is that we are talking about the "real" name doesn't matter.

It sure would be nice to get one true name eventually.

Jerry

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Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

Jerry Meislik

PS the new name is salicaria.
Jerry

__________________
Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
Zone 4-5
http://www.bonsaihunk.us/

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Is that pronounced "salikaria" or "salisaria" ?