Understanding Scientific Plant Names (Latin)
Resources are provided to help you understand scientific (Latin) plant names and why we use them. The use of common plant names, paradoxically, breeds confusion, in spite of their charm. And you don't need to know Latin to learn scientific plant names. They were designed with consistency in mind, so they conform to a pattern easy to learn.
Common Plant Names and Linnaeus' Naming Convention
To combat the confusion caused when everyone refers to a specimen by its various common plant names, the naturalist Carl Linnaeus developed the binomial system. The binomial classification is the "scientific" way of referring to a specimen, so everyone knows what you're talking about. The common plant names may seem easier but, in reality, present insurmountable difficulties.
To combat the confusion caused when everyone refers to a specimen by its various common plant names, the naturalist Carl Linnaeus developed the binomial system. The binomial classification is the "scientific" way of referring to a specimen, so everyone knows what you're talking about. The common plant names may seem easier but, in reality, present insurmountable difficulties.
Latin vs Common Plant Names - Hints for Gardeners
How do common plant names fail us? "Knowing what the Latin (and sometimes Greek) words mean can help gardeners with their planning and maintenance chores," writes N. S. Gill. E.g, "if the available area is cramped, a plant with arboreum (tree-like) or altissimum (very tall) in its name, might not be the best choice." Their common plant names may conceal this fact.
How do common plant names fail us? "Knowing what the Latin (and sometimes Greek) words mean can help gardeners with their planning and maintenance chores," writes N. S. Gill. E.g, "if the available area is cramped, a plant with arboreum (tree-like) or altissimum (very tall) in its name, might not be the best choice." Their common plant names may conceal this fact.