T he P lant K ingdom
Plant naming and common names Plant naming and the use of botanical Latin can be daunting to beginner gardeners. Nonetheless, the science of classifying living things—taxonomy—is essential to our understanding of the natural world. How else can you be entirely sure of which plant you are referring to and which plants you are growing and buying? Aquilegia vulgaris,
Taxonomy is the encyclopedia for biology, but living things constantly defy the artificial rules that scientists
columbine, granny’s bonnet, American bluebell, granny’s nightcap
try to impose on them, and so any system of naming must allow for constant revision. Gardeners may be frustrated when the names of plants change, but as more is learned and more species are discovered, the
rhododendron as common names, yet these are also
system must adapt.
the botanical names of these plants—they are far better known by their botanical name. When was
Common names The use of common or vernacular names seems an
the last time you heard someone referring to “plantain lilies”—the common name of Hosta? Common names can be misleading in other ways.
attractive proposition, as they are often easier to
For example, creeping zinnia is not a Zinnia (it is
remember and pronounce. However, common names
Sanvitalia procumbens), flowering maple (Abutilon) is
are often misapplied, misunderstood, or get lost in
not a maple (Acer), and evening primrose (Oenothera)
translation from one language to another, which leads
is not a primrose (Primula). The scope for confusion
to great confusion and duplication. One problem is
is enormous, which is why we have botanical Latin.
that common names differ from country to country, and even in different locations within the same country. Further complication arises when names are
Botanical names
transliterated from non-Roman scripts, such as
The application of scientific names to plants is
Japanese and Hebrew. The common name “bluebell,”
governed by a single set of rules, accepted and followed
for example, might refer to species of Mertensia in
throughout the world: the International Code of
North America, Hyacinthoides non-scripta in England,
Nomenclature for Algae, fungi, and plants (ICN). Rules
Campanula rotundifolia in Scotland, and Sollya
were also formulated for cultivated plants, resulting in
heterophylla in Australia.
the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated
Most people do not think twice about using the names clematis, fuchsia, hosta, hydrangea, and
Plants (ICNCP), which governs the additional names sometimes given to plants in cultivation. All plant names must ideally conform to these two codes. 29