Spelling of plant names

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:40:27 PST
Hi,

It's so easy to make a spelling error when you post to this list. We 
have many members of this list whose first language is not English 
and we appreciate their posts even if there are mistakes so hopefully 
no one will stop posting for fear someone is going to criticize their spelling.

On the other hand, a lot of people find us through a Google search as 
our archives are searchable as is the wiki. So if a plant name is 
misspelled in a post, information about that plant probably won't be 
found unless you use that same spelling in the search. So it is very 
helpful to make an effort to spell the botanical name correctly. And 
it is good to correct the spelling in the subject when a mistake is 
made rather than click on reply. For example:
Subject: Moraea, was Morea

By the way just for fun I searched on Google for Morea:
4,310,000 results

Searching for Moraea generated:
614,000 results

And the results were very different.

It can be very challenging discovering the correct spelling of a 
plant name. I am very familiar with this since I check what people 
add to the wiki and searches give me lots of choices. Once someone 
makes a mistake it can be repeated hundreds of times. Seed in seed 
exchanges is misnamed and misspelled and the mistake is passed on 
under the assumption that the donor knew the correct name. I see 
incorrect names in our BX and am torn about whether to call it to the 
group's attention. I usually don't, but perhaps I should so the 
recipient won't start out with the wrong name.

Mary Sue








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