‘The naming of cats is a curious matter,” said T.S. Eliot. So is the naming of plants. The school year hasn’t started yet, but I thought it might be a good time for a primer in botanical names in the garden.
The proliferation of plant names can be confusing to home gardeners. It certainly is to me! Here’s how it works:
The family classification system was developed by Carl Linnaeus (1707-78), a Swedish zoologist and botanist to classify all living organisms. He designated a hierarchy of eight levels of classification, starting with the largest, domain.
All plants belong to a specific domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order and family. But for practical purposes, plants are commonly identified by genus and species only. In scientific labeling parlance, the two names are known as a “binomial.” For example, Heuchera sanguinea is the botanical name for “coral bells.” The first part of the binomial (always capitalized) refer to the plant’s genus. The second part (never capitalized) is the specific epithet, a term that always makes me smile when I see it in print.
More complicated formulations are necessary sometimes, such as subgenuses or subspecies. But if you stick with genus and species you will not embarrass yourself in a roomful of botanical name droppers.
The genus is a broad group of plants that share similar attributes. Some genuses are very large, containing hundreds of different species. Others are smaller. There are even monotypic genuses, which have only one species. An example is Cryptomeria japonica, a conifer commonly known as Japanese red cedar.
To confuse things, plants are sometimes moved from one family or genus to another when new genetic research shows that one classification is more appropriate than another.
Heuchera happens to be a broad genus, with around 55 species in North America, including Heuchera americana, Heuchera villosa and Heuchera micanthus, to name just a few of the better-known ones. The genus is named for Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677-1747), physician, botanist and medicinal plant expert at Wittenberg University in Germany.
The specific epithets can be descriptive, such as elegans or cylindrica. Or they can refer to a geographic location, such as caroliniana or novomexicana. A species can also be named in honor of the person who discovered it. Heuchera parishii, for example, is named for Samuel Bonsall Parish (1838-1928), curator of the Stanford University herbarium; wootonii, is named for Elmer Otis Wooton (1865-1945), professor of chemistry and botany at New Mexico State College.
Beyond species designations, there are cultivars and varieties, which refer to smaller differences among the species. These can get complicated, too. Consider the genus Echinacea, commonly known as cone flower because of large seed cone at the center of the flower. Echinacea purpurea is the botanical name for the species we think of as “purple coneflower.” But there are dozens of variations within that species, which is sometimes abbreviated as “E. p.” There is E. p. Cone-fectionsTM, a trademarked series hybridized in Holland that includes cultivars such as ‘Butterfly Kisses,’ ‘Pink Bonbon’ and ‘Coconut Lime.’
Plant breeders sometimes patent a particular variety of plant. Acquiring a patent, an expensive and time-consuming process, means that no one except the patent holder is allowed to propagate that plant without a license from the patent holder. This limits the availability of the plant and protects the breeder’s exclusive right to sell it. The initials “PPAF” after the cultivar name mean “plant patent applied for.” The initials “PVR” mean “plant variety rights.”
A cheaper and easier way for plant breeders to protect their own brands is to trademark or register its name. A “TM” after the cultivar name means that the breeder has acquired a trademark for the name, which lasts for 10 years and is renewable. R means that the breeder has trademarked the plant and registered the mark, another layer of legal protection. While another breeder is permitted to propagate that TM or R cultivar, he is not allowed to sell the plant under the trademarked name. This prevents other breeders from stealing the brand name and making money on it. Think: Coca-Cola, that former plant product.
Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Animals in August series continues. On Aug. 24, from10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a workshop and demonstration of wet felting with sheep wool. This is a great way to learn about the importance of wool and the animals that wear it.
In this workshop for all ages, participants will card sheep wool and create a felted project to take home.
On Aug. 25, from 10 to 11 a.m., participants can learn about the snakes of Berkshire County with Tom Tyning, professor of environmental science at Berkshire Community College.
This lecture and demonstration is designed for all ages and highlights some of the least known and most fascinating animals of our backyard. The illustrated talk will include methods of identifying snakes, a bit about their biology, interesting tidbits about their behaviors and the methods that snakes use to protect themselves and reproduce.
On Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a workshop and demonstration featuring bee houses. Participants will learn about honey bees and how they thrive in their homes, and look into an observation box to see up close what honey bees do inside the hive. Participants will also make small bee condos out of wood for native bees.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at foxglover8@gmail.com.