Using botanical names more often?

_MaX_

Yeah... just a tip : use google to search common names, you'll come across pages like this one : http://www.floridata.com/lists/contents.cfm , and you'll find plenty of information about the plant... and it's botanical name.

Max

__________________
"Eternal companions!
The human being appeared
because the tree was already there;
it will disappear when the tree will no longer be."
-Edgar Cayce

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malhomme

To me the greatest value, other than conciseness is that this helps me to identify new plants when I come upon them. I start to notice certain features consistent with a Family or Genus and that assists me in identifying an unknown plant.
Cheers,
Jim

Bart Thomas(deceased)

Understandable and considerate point. However, in some cases the common name leads to confusion.

For example, the New York Stock Exchange was founded under a Buttonwood Tree growing in New York City. Clearly, this was not one of the buttonwoods we know from bonsai, which could not survive that climate.`

In this case, we are encountering another name for sycamore. (I don't know the scientific name )

Joanie

What would seem to be most useful is if someone, hopefully the original poster, would say something like:

"I just bought this fig, (ficus carica) and would like some advice..."

Then everyone can go on and ask why in the world he would try to use this type of fig. And they won't give advice that would be more proper for a ficus retusa, or a ficus pumila. Most of the time, if you buy from a nursery, there will be a nursery stake in the pot with the botanical name. And if not, look in the other pots. Or ask the nursery personnel to find out. If you possibly can, it is useful to know the proper name.

But my other point was about searching... as long as "ficus" is in the thread somewhere, it will come up on a search. So even if someone is asking questions.... as long as they mention the botanical name, it will come up in later searches.

The third point is, of course, that knowing the botanical names can impress your friends and cause their eyes to glaze over as you talk endlessly about your fagus sylvatica and your celtis occidentalis. Even a little twig with a few leaves sounds grander when it is called a styrax japonica.

Joanie

Will_Heath

Me thinks the main problem may well be a fear of Latin?

Quid rides? Mutato nomine de te fabula narratur


Will

Joanie

Perhaps a fear of Latin, but then no one is asking anyone to construct sentences....

How do you say "I think, therefore I kill trees" in Latin, Will?

Joanie, wondering what translator program Will uses....

Will_Heath

You can try this program.

I think, therefore I kill trees = EGO reputo , proinde EGO iuguolo nemus


Will

_MaX_

Very useful program Will! Don't know what latin teachers think of it though...

Max

__________________
"Eternal companions!
The human being appeared
because the tree was already there;
it will disappear when the tree will no longer be."
-Edgar Cayce

jguyett

Okay, here is a question for all of you budding taxonomists out there. Some times the name confusion comes from an individual trying to engender his product with a difference. Such as referring to Japanese Garden Junipers, juniperus procombens nana as a Green Mound Juniper. The list goes on.

My question is this, is there a difference in the Hornbeams between the carpinus turczaninowii and the carpinus coreana(or koreana)? Or is this just another bit of confusion.

jg