Nhu wrote, "For certain questions, it's important to have a higher >classification, but for the end user (gardeners and non-taxonomists alike), >the species unit is the least artificial. I was asking about Merendera/Colchicum not so much as a gardener, but as an editor with a responsibility to provide readers with the "most valid" names for the plants people write about. I sometimes have drawn a line in the sand -- you will not find "Cistanthe tweedyi" in the Rock Garden Quarterly -- but I do try to offer synonyms where there is controversy, and where I know about it. I have also thrown up my hands in despair on certain issues, such as the genus Narcissus, and just go with whatever name an author wants, perhaps with a disclaimer where it is not too tactless. And this is why I don't think the web will replace print publication too soon: believe it or not, editors do a lot of work for you, and if they are any good, they are constantly trying to anticipate the needs of the audience. Jane McGary