Botanical names (was Agastache)

As a retired medical librarian, I know the value of using precise names
for things when one can.  And that is not always easy, either in
gardening or in medicine.  And what to use really is determined by who
you are talking to, and why.  If I went to a doctor saying I had an
ague, or dropsy, that wouldnt help him much. Common names in medicine
change, as do technical names also. It would be better to describe my
problem in general terms, and let him put a name to it, which might be
something like "a cold".  If I really need to tell him of a particular
diagnosis, I should use an exact term, if I know it.

It is fine to use common names when one is talking to a person of the
same community, who probably uses the same name.  But on these lists, we
are talking to people from all around the world, and the only way to
idenify any plant exactly is to use botanical names, when we can.  And
even then, varieties can mix us up.  And it is also fine to say "I
really like petunias" when the exact plant is not of real importance. 
But if you are talking about some edible herb, for instance, you really
have to be careful.  I recently looked up some common name (I forget
what) and found four totally different species of plants!

I dont  think it is a matter of being "snooty" or down to earth (no pun
intended).  It is just a matter of what you are doing, and why.  When we
were married, my husband called all flowers "petunias".  Now, he calls
things "rhododendrons" and "acanthus" and other proper names!  But since
he doesnt go onto gardens lists on the internet, he doesnt get too
technical (yet).

Anelle

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