Terminology, nomenclature and accessibility

[scared55]

OK, this has been bugging me for ages.

Even gardening programmes that are supposed to be aimed at non-gardeners, novices and experts (as well as a lot of people on this forum) use taxonomic names for plants and sometimes, as an afterthought, say something like "also known as St John's Wort". Most unhelpful.


Yet if I refer to birds or animals by their taxonomic names I am told I am a nerd and for goodness' sake use the common names. I might, for instance, in writing, refer to the European Buzzard (Buteo buteo) but never to Buteo buteo also known as European Buzzard.

Any comments?

KK

[zazen999]

Are you a nerd in any other aspect/s???

[Alison C]

I agree, its very annoying. Im OK with the more common species i.e. Calluna vulgaris (heather) bar that I dont have a clue what they are talking about. I wonder if the purpose sometimes is to make themselves sound smart, the regular gardener realy does not know what genus the plant comes from they just want to know what its regular name is.

[scared55]

I agree, its very annoying. Im OK with the more common species i.e. Calluna vulgaris (heather) bar that I dont have a clue what they are talking about. I wonder if the purpose sometimes is to make themselves sound smart, the regular gardener realy does not know what genus the plant comes from they just want to know what its regular name is.

I think that is a lot of it, Alison - self-aggrandisement.

It has always seemed to me that the use of taxonomic names is fine as an alternative in order to avoid the problems one has in an international setting when the same common name can mean different things to different people (I shan't give examples so as not to give some people an excuse to call me a nerd), but the taxonomic name should, outside of learned papers, be the alternative, such as heather (Calluna vulgaris) rather than Calluna vulgaris (heather). The difference? The one in brackets is optional for clarification and the sentence can be understood by the target audience without it.

KK

[fiveravens]

I absolutely agree. It is nothing but self-aggrandisement. To hear a jackanapes with only a rudimentary acquaintance with the English language calling an oak tree "Quercus" or a hawthorn "Crataegus" is extremely annoying.

[Two_Sheds]

I hadn't thought about this before. I just use the name that I'm more familiar with.
For instance, I say Limnanthes instead of Poached Egg, because someone might think I'm talking about food instead of flowers.

To be honest, I have never ever heard/seen on here anybody using the names Quercus, Crataegus or Calluna.

[jacob marley]

It is the same as newsreaders reading out a long list of letters meaning the name of some Quassi Quango and then telling you what it all means one or the other but not both it do's my head in jacob

[Snadger]

The latin names of plants were given to them to differntiate species and sub species. If you are a professional gardener you would be taught the latin name first with the common name afterwards. I can fully understand television or radio gardeners using the latin names of plants ONLY because to them it is easier to learn and is more accurate. To us it may sound like they are being clever clogs, but to them they are only doing as THEY have been taught and being more precise by using the latin name!

[heebiejeebie]

Also I think some plants have more than one common name so giving the latin name first might avoid confusion. Personally, I like to be told the latin name so that if I want that plant I can check I have exactly the right thing.

[Two_Sheds]

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) Horsetail, recognition and eradication
and Marestail (Hippuris vulgaris) are different plants, and no relation to each other

A good example of when it is useful to have Latin names, as the common name is often wrong, or used wrongly.