Botanical Latin

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• To: s*@eskimo.com
• Subject: Botanical Latin
• From: p*@shadow.net (Dewey Fisk)
• Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 21:45:47 +0100
• Resent-Date: Thu, 16 Jul 1998 18:44:35 -0700
• Resent-From: seeds-list@eskimo.com
• Resent-Message-ID: <"mnbu92.0.KO5.2oghr"@mx1>
• Resent-Sender: seeds-list-request@eskimo.com

I once asked Dr. Michael Madison....  "Is it Rha-PHID-0-phora or
Raphi-DOPH-ra?"....(This is a genus in Araceae)....  Mike, a noted
Taxonomist in Araceae, smiled and said "Yes."  then he added.... "It does
not matter how you pronounce a botanical name as long as the person to whom
you are directing your comments understands which plant you are
discussing....  Both, latin and greek are basically dead languages and the
only reason we need them is for people all over the world to understand
conversations about a particular plant."

So, use the Latin or Greek for communication but don't get excited about
the spelling or pronounciation....

Dr. Tom Croat of the Missouri Botanical Garden says that I mispronounc and
misspell everything....  "But", he adds, "we all know what he is talking
about..."

Hope this helps.....
Dewey

Dewey E. Fisk, Plant Nut
THE PHILODENDRON PHREAQUE
Your Source for Tropical Araceae

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