Re: Botanical names (was Agastache)
- To:
- Subject: Re: Botanical names (was Agastache)
- From: M* T*
- Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 02:15:13 -0400
Hear! Hear! Anelle - very well put. Agree with you 100%.
And Susan and Pat, you both had me LOL!
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Anelle Kloski <akloski@jps.net>
> Date: Thursday, June 22, 2000 12:59 AM
>
> 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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