As far as naming plants for people it was and still
is commonplace. Normally it is done in the case of a
new species in a group that someone has devoted most
of their botany career to and someone else discovers a
new species within that genus. I almost did that with
a species I am describing, but when I found old
collections of this same thing I nixed that idea and
went with something somewhat descriptive. Botanists
get the honor of their name being affixed to the
species even if they are not allowed to name it for
themselves, which would seem overly vain and not very
botanist like.
As for names being bought or sold, a new Trillium is
being named after the owner of the property who, from
what I was told, was offered the 'honor' for several
thousand dollars. The property owner happens to be a
very wealthy conservationist (in the sense that wild
plants should stay wild).
Aaron Floden
Knoxville, TN
> > > one of the character's claim to fame is that a
> species (or, as his wife
> > > continually reminds him, a subspecies) of
> butterfly has been named for him.
> > > In her view it's evidently not much of an honor.
> > >
> > > It's certainly not in my mind, either.
> > >
> > >
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