Plant Names

Enlarge cover

A Guide to Botanical Nomenclature

Fourth Edition By: Roger Spencer, Rob Cross

eBook - March 2020 - eRetailers

An introduction to the world of plant names and how to write, pronounce and remember them.

Plant Names is an invaluable guide to the use of scientific, commercial and common names for plants and the conventions for writing them. Written by horticultural botanists at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, this book covers the naming of wild plants, plants modified by humans, why plant names change, their pronunciation and hints to help remember them, along with updated sections on trademarks and plant breeder's rights. The final section provides a detailed guide to resources useful to people using plant names. + Full description

This fourth edition is based on the recently updated International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants. It makes this technical information readily understandable to a range of readers, including botanists, publishers, professional horticulturists, nursery workers, hobby gardeners and anyone interested in plant names.

- Short description

Reviews

"This book is extremely aesthetically pleasing, as the authors harness their knowledge of the wonderful flora of Australia to highlight plant names and features stunning photographs of some of these iconic plants."
Nora Mitchell, Plant Science Bulletin 66(3), 2020

"I found it engaging and informative; and I've actually learned quite a few things from it, which is a good thing!"
Glenn Leiper, Native Plants Queensland 59(1), June 2020

Details

Paperback | March 2020 | $ 44.99
ISBN: 9781486311446 | 168 pages | 215 x 148 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour photographs, Illustrations

ePDF | March 2020
ISBN: 9781486311453
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

ePUB | March 2020
ISBN: 9781486311460
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

Features

Introduces the reader to the world of plant names in an easy-to-read style
Introduces and explains the naming of wild plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants
Introduces and explains the naming of human-modified plants and the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
Explains how to use plant names, including how to write, pronounce and remember them
Provides a recommended format for plant labels that avoids confusion
Provides an extensive resource list of books and websites to help with plant names

Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Codes of plant nomenclature

Part 1 – Wild plants
Common names
Latin names, the binomial system and plant classification
The International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (ICN)
The botanical hierarchy
Name changes

Part 2 – Cultivated plants and cultigens
The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants
Marketing names (trade designations)

Part 3 – Using plant names
Writing plant names
Pronunciation
Remembering names
Recommended format for nursery plant labels

Part 4 – Plant name resources
Books and websites to help with plant names

Appendix
Glossary and abbreviations
References
Index

View the full table of contents (PDF, 174 KB)

Authors

Roger Spencer (BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, Cert, Gard.) is Senior Horticultural Botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in the Plant Identification Service. He has written many popular and scientific articles on horticultural topics and books on Elms, Grey and Silver Foliage Plants, and a recent 5-volume Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia.

Rob Cross (BSc, BAppSci(Hort)) is passionate about plants, their use and their conservation. He is a horticultural botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria where he deals with plant names on a daily basis, ensuring that plants in the Gardens’ Living Plant Collection have the current correct name applied to them. Rob has written scientific papers, a booklet on Japanese Flowering Cherries and contributed to other horticultural books.