Orchid naming can be baffling at first, but it really isn't all that complicated and all the little rules are important for keeping all the types straight. There is a remarkable volume and diversity of nomenclature butchery out there on the World Wide We-Are-Clueless, so be aware that these are the rules as they should be, not as they are used by others.
I will give the rules by example:
Cymbidium ensifolium - genus and species, should be italicized but that isn't that important and I will omit the italics below. Genus name should always be capitalized, species name should never be capitalized. These are the orchids that occur naturally in the wild and their genus/species name is part of the general biological naming and classification system first codified by Carl Linnaeus in the early 1700s. Because there is always some genetic diversity within a species, not all plants will appear identical, but they will likely differ only in a few specific traits. For historical reasons, there are often species synonyms. Cymbidium ensifolium has about a dozen other names according to IOSPE (Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia), but it has a particularly long and confused history and thankfully it appears everyone now calls it Cymbidium ensifolium.
Cymbidium ensifolium var. alba - a variety of the species with some particular trait difference, in this case white (or at least whiter) flowers. Not all Cymbidium ensifolium var. alba plants will necessarily look the same - often a similar variation is discovered multiple times. If they are close enough in appearance they may get the same variety name. Sometimes var. is omitted or replaced by subsp., subvar., form, forma, cv. (short for cultivar), or other doodads, all of which have slightly different meanings that we can happily ignore because in essence they all mean "variety". [Apparently botanists would rather squabble about minutiae than spend their time crouched in a dripping wet cloud forest for days on end, picking off slugs, swatting gnats, and watching a flower to see who visits it and how often pollinia get stuck to the visitor. I wonder why.] A species name is always one word (although it can be hyphenated), so if there appear to be two species names then the second word is actually a variety, e.g. Cymbidium ensifolium alba with the "var." omitted.
Cymbidium ensifolium 'Jin Chi' - the single quoted text specifies a named clone of the genus and species. All plants with this name should be genetically nearly identical - either divisions of the original or mericlones derived from meristem cells from the original. This particular clone has variegated leaves and a particular flower form and color. If you want to be certain you will get exactly what you expect, purchase named clones.
Cymbidium Sandy Tiger - a named hybrid (no quotes) between two or more species from the Cymbidium genus. Unlike species names, hybrid names are capitalized, never italicized, and may be more than one word. This particular hybrid is from a cross of two species: Cymbidium sanderae x Cymbidium tigrinum (called a primary hybrid). Other hybrids may be from crosses among other hybrids, but they still get a specific name, such as Cymbidium Autumn Green (a hybrid with more than two Cymbidium species contributing genetic material through a series of crosses). If the hybrid has no registered name, it may be identified by the two parents, e.g. Cymbidium tigrinum x Cymbidium Autumn Green.
Cymbidium Autumn Green 'Geyserland' - a named clone of the hybrid Autumn Green, just as with 'Jin Chi' above, except this clone is a hybrid plant rather than a natural species.
Hybrid names like Sandy Tiger and Autumn Green are registered with the proper authorities (aka the nomenclature nazis) and in the future all hybrids with the same parentage are supposed to get the same name. As with species, hybrid plants with the same name may not all look the same but they will tend to look quite similar.
There are also registered hybrid *genus* names, such as Rhyncattleyanthe, used when a cultivated hybrid involves species from more than one genus. You can think of these as being just like a genus name and not go far wrong. In any case, genus names for the entire orchid family are frequently revised so the hybrid genus names change too.
If you see capitalized acronyms at the end of a name (e.g. AM/AOS) those are awards given to the plant, not part of the name itself.
Those are the main points. There are many finer points, such as using abbreviations for genus names, but most of the differences you will find out there are just people who don't know how to use the names properly. Or don't care. Usually both.
It can be a bit complicated, even annoying at times, but there is some sense to all this. The idea is to keep track of the genetic heritage of all the plants being grown. If this doesn't matter to you, then just call your plants "Big Boy" or "Pretty Girl" (even though all of them are both boy and girl!) and ignore all this stuff. I won't report you to the authorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment