Re: Taxonomy -Chrysanthemum-Dendranthema was: taxonomy for Corydalis lutea etc.

Gail,

You're welcome....not a scientist, either, by a long shot, tho' I do
find aspects of botany and taxonomy fascinating.

Dendranthema hasn't been 'dropped' as it is still a valid genus.
TROPICOS lists it as a subsection of Chrysanthemum, along with about
12 or 13 other sections or subsections.

GRIN lists all Chrysanths as synonyms for Dendranthema or other
genera like Leucanthemum and Tanacetum.

RHS Plant Finder, 1998-9 hardcopy lists most species as Chrysanths
and only a few under Dendranthema.

ING also lists Chrysanthemum and Dendranthema.   Been trying to
locate some actual facts on this name change and reversal so I didn't
get this reply all screwed up, but after substantial web searching,
have only found the following interesting clue in GRIN under one of
the Dendranthema species:

"[correct name becomes Chrysanthemum ×morifolium Ramat. if
conservation proposal adopted in 1999]"

Under the Genus citation for Chrysanthemum listed below from GRIN is
the note of the proposal to conserve Chrysanthemum L.


GRIN

Chrysanthemum L., nom. cons. prop.
Family: Asteraceae
Altfamily: Compositae
Common name: chrysanthemum.
Genus number: 2563.
Last updated: 07-Sep-1998.
Genus citations:
-P. Trehane. 1995. Proposal to conserve Chrysanthemum L. with a
conserved type (Compositae). In: Taxon 44:439-441. [proposal for new
type equivalent to Dendranthema].
-R. K. Brummitt. 1998. Taxon 47:443-444. [Committee for Spermatophyta
recommends conservation with new type].

It appears that the proposal for conservation was passed or accepted
or whatever.  My understanding is that there was a proposal to merge
Chrysanthemum into Dendranthema which was accepted by enough of the
taxonomic community to start to move into the mainstream of
gardening.  I assume this change was because of some new discovery
concerning the relationships of the genera.  But, this was one case
where the commonly accepted usage won out  - and I wish I could tell
the story, but I can't find it.

I have noticed that web searches for Chrysanthemum bring up reams of
situations where the older Chrysanth name is followed by the change
to Dendranthema or vice versa.  I would imagine that the confusion
created by this switch and switch back will haunt gardening
publications and nursery catalogs for many years to come.

Since I could never bring myself to say Dendranthema instead of
Chrysanthemum, I don't have the problem of unlearning it:-)  (I will
likely remain as name stubborn with Cimicifuga which is now
considered to be Actaea).

I would expect that since these two genus names are synonyms for each
other, using either is correct, tho' I have also read fairly strong
posts on both sides of the synonym issue.  if you're searching for
information on a specific species and don't find any with one genus
name, you can try the other.

The thing that's hard on gardeners, writers and those who make out
plant labels is that plant names aren't fixed for all time.  They
have changed in the past and will continue to do so in the future as
more information becomes available about the relationship of plants
to each other.  I've seen posts alluding to several other major
changes that are coming along.  Whether these sift down to us plain
old 'dirt gardeners' is another matter.    Personally, whether I will
use a new name or not when I talk about plants or think about them, I
like to know what is happening so that I can find information when
I'm looking for it and so that I can be as accurate as possible when
I write articles about a plant....

I am sure there are people on this list who know a whale of a lot
more about taxonomy than I do and who may know the actual story
behind this name change and reversal.  If they do, sure wish they'd
post it as I've gotten fairly frustrated trying to find it....had
thought I'd seen a post about it and saved it, but cannot, for the
life of me, find it, if I did.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
current article :What's in a Name? Taxonomy
http://suite101.com/welcome.cfm/222
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----------
> From: Gail Korn <gkorn@BLOOMNET.COM>
> Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 8:04 PM>

Marge, thanks for clarifying the Corydalis--Pseudofumaria question.
I'm
> not a scientists-just a grower.  I'd personally rather call them
corydalis.
>
> But I wasn't aware that Dendranthema had been dropped and we all
should go
> back to Chrysanthemum.  Is that what you were saying?  The first
word I
> learned to spell was Chrysanthemum.  My aunt got a kick out of
teaching me
> to do so.
>
> Gail Korn
> Wayne, Nebr. Zone 4
>
> g*@bloomnet.com
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