Uniform nomenclature for woody crops and perennial plants
It is difficult to talk about a plant when grower, trade partner and consumer are using different names. Applied Plant Research (PPO) is therefore regularly preparing lists of names with uniform nomenclature for woody crops and perennial plants.
Countries are often using different names for the same shrub, tree or perennial plant. Exporters must know precisely which plant is required. Scientific, Latin, names are available for this purpose. But even these scientific names are not always the same.
Scientific nomenclature
The rules for laying down a scientific name are clear. Names are getting more similar when more species are related. But how do you know whether species are related? Many were given their name in the time that names could only be based on external characteristics.
It is now found that plant classification is not always correct. DNA analyses show that some plants are less related than thought whereas the opposite is true for others. This means that families are split or conversely combined which means that the scientific names may change as well. And the frequently appearing new cultivars require a new name as well.
Catalogues and labels
Reclassification means that plants are sometimes given new names. Botanical gardens are often first in adopting new names, followed by Wikipedia and consumers. Growers will then have to follow although such changes only mean extra costs to them. They often have voluminous catalogues and many labels that need to be changed.
But when they change names growers want to be sure they are using the correct ones. PPO’s researchers are therefore every five years preparing a new list with scientific names; one for woody crops and one for perennial plants. Major changes, such as different generic name, splitting or combining of plant species, are made once every ten years. This makes the newest names freely available to anyone whereas the growers have time to implement the changes.
Wide interest in the listsThe lists are an outcome, not only for Dutch growers bur also for growers abroad and trade partners in other European countries and America. The scientists are turning the lists into booklets, write articles about changes, and publish all information on the website www.internationalplantnames.com.