botanical latin

>From: "rachel" <Rachel@haasjr.org>
>Organization: Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund
>To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:51:15 PST
>Subject: how you learn(ed) botanical latin
>Priority: normal
>X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v2.42a)
>Reply-To: Rachel@haasjr.org
>Sender: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
>

snip...

>I must say that one place I have learned far less botanical
>nomenclature is botanical gardens and arboreta (is that the correct
>plural :)?)  I frequently encounter attractive or intriguing
>specimins in the botanical gardens that are unmarked.  Why is this? 
>I would think these gardens are the very best resource for interested
>gardens to continue to expand their knowledge of plant nomenclature. 
>I find this to be the case at both the Strybing and UC Berkeley
>botanical gardens, for example.  I'm sure that budget restrictions
>play a role, but it seems a shame.
>
snip

>Rachel Baker
>Berkeley, CA
>

I'm responding to the note above regarding labeling at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley.

At the garden we strive to have a label with the botanical Latin name and its family affiliation (also in Latin) for every plant or grouping of plants.  We also put a common name on the same label when we can find one (an enormous task for over 13,000 species from all over the world!).  This effort depends on our over-worked horticulturists (to inform me when a label is needed or has gone missing) and on volunteers and student help to make the labels.   In the last two years we have also had to replace over 200 labels due to chewing by roof rats (they always ate off the accession number first!).

I, too, find it frustrating to find plants in a garden without a label.  While labeling at the UC Botanical Garden is not perfect, I don't think you will find another garden with more complete labeling of its plants.

More volunteers are always welcome!

Sincerely,

Holly Forbes

*****************************************************************************
Holly Forbes, Curator
University of California
Botanical Garden
200 Centennial Drive, #5045
Berkeley, CA 94720-5045

http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/

Phone: 510-643-8040
FAX:  510-642-5045
hforbes@uclink4.berkeley.edu
*****************************************************************************
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