TAXONOMY SKILLS IN HIGH DEMAND

Plant taxonomy can be defined as a scientific system of identifying characteristics as a basis of classifying, then identifying plants, in order to differentiate them from each other.

Identifying plants accurately is critical in many ways for one simple reason. Choosing and using the wrong plant in any situation can be catastrophic in so many ways.  For example:

Any attempt to select, grow, and use plants in any context without taxonomic skill is at best foolhardy, and at worst simply dangerous.

Identifying plants is an essential skill for anyone working with plants, from farmers and nurserymen to gardeners and landscapers.

Specific plant cultivars can vary in their economic value because of the very specific characteristics they have. Even within the same species, there can be significant variations in the taste of edible plants or flower quality of different cut flowers. Anyone who develops a new cultivar needs an ability to prove their commercial rights in order to obtain a fair remuneration for their investment. That process has to start with an ability to identify the variety being dealt with.

A common name is a common or local name given to plants, most commonly used by amateur gardeners. There are some advantages to these vernacular names.  For example, they are in the local language and thus easier to remember. They are also often descriptive with the description often indicating its appearance, a use, or danger. However, there are also drawbacks with common names.  They can be very localised, and the same plant can have more than one common name. For example, the White Waterlily (Nymphaea alba) has many other common names, such as European White Waterlily, Waterlily, and White Lotus. Further confusion is created when the same common name is applied to different plants. For example, Nymphaea lotus is also called White Lotus and White Waterlily, along with other names like Egyptian Lotus, Egyptian Waterlily and White Egyptian Lotus. Another example is the common name Quince which is used for both Cydonia oblonga and Chaenomeles species. 

Some common names are the same as the Latin name. For example, plants in the genus Euphorbia are often referred to by gardeners simply as euphorbias, although they can also be called spurges.  Likewise, species in the genus Rhododendron are called rhododendrons, but some of them are called azaleas even though they are in the genus Rhododendron!  Extreme confusion can result from the fact that “fritillary” is a common name for both a bulbous plant and a butterfly.

Scientific names on the other hand are all written in the Latin language. They can therefore be understood equally by anyone, anywhere, regardless of their native language. The Latin name ensures that people are referring to the exact same plant.

See our Plant Taxonomy Courses:

20 hr course - https://www.hortcourses.com/courses/plant-taxonomy--791.aspx

100 hr course - https://www.hortcourses.com/courses/plant-taxonomy-2836.aspx

100 hr course - Heavily focussed on taxonomy of Flowering Shrubs  - https://www.hortcourses.com/courses/flowering-shrubs-4868.aspx