Re: Agastache names

On Wed, 21 Jun 2000 20:32:57 +0100 "Valerie-Anne Mullett"
<valerie-anne@lineone.net> writes:
>but knowing the botanical name helps in identifying 
> plants
> correctly - between one country and another and, in Great Britain, 
> between
> different Counties who use their own 'local' names.   Does not the 
> same
> happen in America between States?

Valerie --

That is, as they say, exactly correct.  That's been the whole point of
binomial nomenclature from the beginning, so that people from anywhere in
the world can discuss a certain plant or animal and know what they're
talking about.

Here in the U.S. every region has their own set of common names, often
based on the original nationality of the colonists of that area (for
example, my grandparents in central Tennessee refer to plants using names
of Middle German and Cherokee, not British, origin).  With the mobility
of the past century, one can now join a local gardening group and easily
hear four or five -- or more! -- different common names for the same
plant AND quite often it's the case that NONE of those common names are
the actual recorded common name for that particular plant.

So keep on using those botanical names!  ;-)

Dean Sliger
Warren, Michigan, USA
Zone 6B

PS -- Speaking of having no idea what someone's talking about, whoever
came up with the phrase "That's exactly correct?"  What other kind of
"correct" is there?


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