Hello all, A very enlightening discussion! My bottom-line is this: It's not being informed of correct pronunciation or the origin of plant names that irritate. In fact, I have a great interest in them (thank you Jane). It is being forcibly corrected in mid-sentence that inflames me. My feelings are coloured by being witness to an incident at a plant show where a panel of experts were answering questions 'on air' to an audience. A lady got up - clearly very nervous - and hesitantly began her question. She was so nervous that she dissolved entirely when a member of the panel shot her out of the sky over Latin pronunciation and she could not bring herself to finish her question. At the time, I felt like very loudly and deliberately mis-pronouncing a few good, old-fashioned, Anglo-Saxon words of my own. It cured me completely of ever attempting to correct anothers pronunciation unless asked. Even then, I can never be absolutely certain I am correct. In common with Jim, I always understood that botanical Latin was a written language deliberately and intentionally used to avoid ambiguity and overcome language barriers. In that context, pronunciation is not an issue and does not matter. Jane's excellent posting prompts me to ask if it is wise to attempt to absorb (or borrow) botanical Latin names into native language - where pronunciation problems begin to arise and ambiguities re-emerge - or is my question naive? Den Wilson Isle of Wight UK.