This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hesperian (talk | contribs) at 02:27, 4 August 2009 (It works). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 02:27, 4 August 2009 by Hesperian (talk | contribs) (It works)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| “ | It works. There is only one valid scientific name for any given plant, and botanists from China to Peru will communicate accurately by using this name. Popular names can be confusing. Some plants have more than one popular name, and some popular names are used of more than one plant. The Chinese and Peruvian botanists might have trouble with 'sweet William' and 'lad's love', but not with Dianthus barbatus and Artemisia abrotanum. What is worst, some 'popular' names in Australia are factitious, coined by botanists rather than arising naturally from popular culture. No one refers in popular speech to gold wreath wattle (Acacia saligna) nor to summer scented wattle (A. rostellifera). Genuinely popular names are often evocative, like cockie's tongue (Templetonia retusa), blackbutt (Eucalyptus patens) and paperback, although the last two refer to several species. Some names that have arisen naturally from popular culture present other problems, like snottygobble (Persoonia elliptica) and blackboy (Xanthorrhoea preissii). One is forced to ask of a 'popular' name like 'blackboy', 'popular with whom?' 'Blackboy' has now been replaced with 'grasstree'. | ” |
| — George Seddon, The Old Country | ||
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