Re: apogon

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Lest I be misunderstood; Apogon was an old term used for those plants we now include in the Section Limniris by Mathew’s, Rodionenko’s, and Zhao’s systems of classification. There is nothing wrong with using the term which everyone knows simply translates as beardless Iris. Of course it may be pretentious to use an outdated scientific term when beardless would say the same thing. But isn’t Iris jargon out there so that we sound like we know something? Of course the other common jargon from about the same period is Evansia. Mathew used the name Section Lophiris which agreed does not have the same ring to it. But both would be more clear if one simply used, crested, instead of old jargon. Since the taxonomy of the crested group has been a catch all of convenience for relatively unrelated plants it would seem that it might be better left without the scientific sounding effect of making one believe some inner truth is being revealed. Of course I will continue to use both apogon and evansia in my everyday language just because I am used to them. But then again I have also been known to use profanities when excited. As long as meanings are clear to ones listeners I am not for banning any words.

Bob Pries wrote on the iris-hort list:

 

>>> Apogon has degenerated into a bit of jargon for beardless Iris. It no longer has any
scientific standing although it was once a scientific term. <<<

 

I wrote:

 

> I guess I will break the news to my Region since we have an annual Apogon Auction here

in Region One.  But being New Englanders, we will probably keep it just the way it is. :-) <

 

Is the term 'apogon' used extensively in other parts of the country? I thought it was used

quite a bit in Michigan...

 

Ellen (thanks Sibrob for getting a thread going that I can use in 'The Siberian Iris'  on soil,etc.)

 

 

 

Ellen Gallagher / ellengalla@yahoo.com / Editor, The Siberian Iris

Berlin, New Hampshire - USDA Zone 3

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