Question about Naked Ladies
Mark BROWN (Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:52:25 PST)

Dear John,
you have read my mind! This morning all these naked ladies in my e-mails were well acompanied.Since Wanadoo became Orange there seems to be no filter here at all.
A propos of common versus scientific names is the old chestnut to bring out is of Ipheion uniflorum.How many synonyms has this in past literature and often still cited?Are botanists ever really settled on a name ever?And why should they be ?Science is part of a living culture that evolves as well as the vernacular does but I would easily say we have much greater stability in scientific names and they are universal.Vernacular names can't hope to compare with them ever.I am often asked what is the common name of such and such a plant.I many times can't reply simply because the plant is not knon to the general public here.Am I then bound to give it's local turkish or chinese ,or whatever, common name?What is wrong with one name for everyone? I fully agree that a thistle is a delghtful name but don't forget that it is used generically and not for just one plant whereas celandine or naked lady is,hence the confusion.I know of some people who still insist that an eryngium be a thistle of sorts...
Happy Christmas to all,
Mark.