Tom,
in general, if a latin description of the plant exists, then this
spelling would be accepted as correct (precedence), regardless of
'correctness' or not. If there is no formal description available,
which would mean it was never properly published or since lost, then
there is no precedence! As the spelling of his name is apparently
incorrect, having spellt it with two 'e's, although the word, which
is Dutch, is spelt in general with but one 'e', (swert) and means
sword. This could be the source of the original (mis)spelling.
As to the two 'i's, this was traditional for honourifics, but, as I
understand the newest rules of nomencalture, this must not be so. A
single 'i' would suffice (or 'ae' for the feminine). It gets
confusing as, in most European countries, the double 'i' is
pronounced ee-ee, not ee-eye, as in English. A single 'i' would
remain ee. In the end, I find understanding each other of greater
importance, although it is too late for most spellings, as the first
published takes precedence.
of course, most literature seems to list I. swertii as a synonym of
an I. pallida. Kind of makes the question moot. Unless it can be
defined as a specific clone. Then we can start from square one.
Are we confused, yet? Fortunately, I do not grow the plant!
Jamie
Am 23.10.2011 16:45, schrieb Tom Waters:
Hello all,
A question for those into bearded species and historics. The cultivar 'Swerti' or 'Swertii' - which is the preferred spelling? My understanding of the conventions of Latinizing non-Latin names says it should be 'Swertii', but perhaps there is a tradition of usage behind the other spelling, which seems quite prevalent. Do earliest references favor one over the other? Any comments welcome.
Thanks, Tom
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