And then there are those plant names that honor people and have been incorporated into the botanical name. Fine Gardening - Issue 197 Traveling Plants | Letter from the Editor. How to pronounce plant. Great article, Adande. Most plant names that contain a person’s name are usually straightforward to pronounce. It is best to pronounce names so that they are understood where you are. Unfortunately, though, being able to spell a plant’s name doesn’t guarantee that you will automatically pronounce it correctly. I sometimes get asked about correct pronunciations of plant names. The various names have nothing in common. But we’d have a hard time understanding one another if we each made up our own pronunciations, so guidelines have evolved. Alexander cites William Stearn’s ‘Botanical Latin’ as a primary source. http://www.finegardening.com/pronunciation-guide-, http://overplanted.com/resources/latin.php#B-, Citrus Greening (HLB) Detected In Riverside, CA Master Gardener Handbook - UC ANR Giveaway, Spring Miniature Floral Arrangements Series - Part 1. Learn how to pronounce Plants This is the *English* pronunciation of the word Plants. Consequently, I could recognize the names of quite a few plants, but hesitated to pronounce any of them. No one knows how it sounded in ancient Rome. Pronunciation of Scientific Names. Blog how to pronounce plant names. In this case, there are no clear rules on how to pronounce them. This systematic process for naming plants and animals is still the universally recognized system. Moreover, Botanical Latin is fundamentally a written language – there is no universally agreed upon pronunciation of the words. Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California. Latin words can confuse even the most seasoned of gardeners and chamaecyparis is no exception. How it works. That made it difficult for me to talk about my plants, or even remember them for that matter! Other names for this timber are yellow pine and Weymouth pine, the last name originating in the fact that the earl of Weymouth first introduced it into England. A word of advice is to not expand on what is present. BioNTech: learn how to pronounce BioNTech in English with the correct pronunciation approved by native linguists. It’s easy to find guides to pronounce common, usually outdoor, plant names, such as hydrangea or clematis. In addition, Latin names tell you the following about a plant: WHERE IT’S FROM: Canadensis (Canada), chenesis (China), japonica (Japan), ITS COLOR: Alba (white), nigra (black) purpurea (purple), WHERE IT GROWS: Sylvatica (growing in the woods), nivalis (growing near snow), ITS SHAPE OR HABIT: Compacta (dense) procumbens (low-growing) dendron (tree-like) gracilis (slender). Before Linnaeus, formal plant names used a polynomial structure that consisted of a generic name combined with a secondary descriptive phrase. However, the German consonant ‘w’ is pronounced like an English ‘v’, which would make the true pronunciation VIE-gee-lah. Again, the pronunciation of scientific names is not universal and will vary based on the local language. A botanical name is made up of two or more parts. Pronunciations are given for both genus names and where listed after a genus species names too. I have a habit of inadvertently misstating colloquial phrases: it was larger than a mole hole, hindsight is 50/50, or she wasn’t the smartest hoe in the shed. It is known by many local names throughout the world. And then there are those plant names that honor people and have been incorporated into the botanical name. Knowing the botanical name of a plant allows us to converse about a specific plant throughout the world. In the 1700s, he developed a system for classifying plants according to genus and species. How the heck am I supposed to pronounce these words? Very informative and gives me some more resources. Generally, all plants throughout the world have only one correct scientific name. View Full Issue; View Issue Archive; Subscribe; Renew; Fine Gardening - Issue 196 A Fool and His Garden | Letter from the Editor . The binomial name being Brassica oleracea. 0 rating rating ratings . We have the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus to thank for assigning Latin names to plants. Stearn says ”One common approach is to pronounce botanical names according to classical Latin. In both series are minute and simple forms and others of great size and complexity. BRUN-er-ah and brun–NAIR-uh are two pronunciations I encounter often in Maryland. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. The list of common names throughout the world for this popular plant is numerous. There are hierarchal levels of classification above and below the genus and species. It's often asked why plants have difficult to remember Latin names when their common name is far easier to recall. Including Scientific Names of Plants and Animals: by Peter Ommundsen Latin biological names in English speech are usually pronounced with English letter sounds. Sure enough, in one of the central beds, a group of plants had recently given up the ghost on a prominent corner. I guess it depends what side of the Atlantic you’re on. It is known by many local names throughout the world. 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