Re: Cimicifuga -> Actaea rename?

Good luck, Chris...the world of taxonomy can drive you nuts!  It
seems to me that, while the name change is being adopted by some, it
has yet to really hit the boards....am assuming it will be years
before it is universally adopted...meaning that every "new" name
needs to be accompanied by the "old" name so people have a clue what
you're talking about:-)

Dr. James A. Compton from the University of Reading is one of the
team (I guess they were working together) who published the findings
that changed Cimicifuga to Actea.  I do not know him, but when I
posted my query about this on Alpine-L a couple of years ago, Adolf
Ceska, who puts out BEN, and who does know him or at least his email
address, sent my query to him and then posted his response on the
list.  So, if you email Adolf, I bet he could put you in touch with
Dr. Compton and if anybody ought to know who is now what in this
genus, it ought to be him!

Adolf's email (aceska@VICTORIA.TC.CA).

Another taxonomist on Alpine-L is Walter Kittredge
(kittredg@OEB.HARVARD.EDU) if you can't contact the above, you might
try him.  He was, initially, skeptical about the changes...may have
changed his mind by now.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: Christopher P. Lindsey <lindsey@mallorn.com>
> 
> Hi everybody,
> 
>    I'm wading through the 2003-2004 RHS Plant Finder to correct the

>    nomenclature for plants in the hort.net image gallery.
> 
>    I'm up to Cimicifuga now and am not sure what to do.  I've known
>    for a while that Cimicifuga was renamed to Actaea based on DNA 
>    evidence at Kew, but I wasn't aware that the plants didn't just
>    have their genus renamed.  In some cases the specific epithet
was
>    changed as well.
> 
>    For example, Cimicifuga rubifolia is now called Actaea
cordifolia,
>    but Cimcifuga racemosa is called Actaea racemosa.  And it
appears
>    that C. acerina is now Actaea japonica var. acerina.
> 
>    Does anyone know what the new names are for
> 
>       Cimicifuga japonica
>       Cimicifuga simplex 'White Pearl'
> 
>    I *think* that these are now
> 
>       Actaea japonica
>       Actaea matsumurae 'White Pearl'
> 
>    Or better yet, does anyone have a copy of the original paper
that they
>    could send me?
> 
>    And to confuse things even further, the ePIC database at Kew
still
>    refers to them as Cimificuga in some cases.  :)
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Chris

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