Acronym definitions - Orchid Board

MamaLiberty · #1 01-10-2015, 03:56 PM

Acronyms are very useful and time saving, but someone who is new to a group will probably not know what they mean if they are not defined somewhere. In my professional writing, it was the custom to use all of the words first, then the acronym, so that when the acronym was used later in the body of the text, it would be understood.

On a forum such as this, that would be impractical I'm sure, so it would seem to be a good idea to have some sort of list of these acronyms available for us new folk.

The glossary listed on the menu here does not include them.

Someone mentioned LECA in a discussion of potting media for orchids, and I've spent a considerable time both on line and in my few orchid books trying to figure out what it means. So far, no luck!

Can someone enlighten me? Would someone like to assist me in gathering orchid acronyms to compose a database of these so others can have a ready reference?

jenilee · #2 01-10-2015, 04:01 PM

LECA is Light Expanded Clay Aggregate....they are like little porous pebbles.

I think they are commonly used in semi hydro potting.

MamaLiberty · #3 01-10-2015, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenilee

LECA is Light Expanded Clay Aggregate....they are like little porous pebbles.

I think they are commonly used in semi hydro potting.

Thank you! I will look for that then.

Leafmite · #4 01-10-2015, 05:30 PM

I know what you mean. It took me a while to figure out what they were...maybe I even had to ask, too. The other thing that confused me once was S/H...Shipping and Handling? No, Semi-Hydroponics.

MamaLiberty · #5 01-10-2015, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I know what you mean. It took me a while to figure out what they were...maybe I even had to ask, too. The other thing that confused me once was S/H...Shipping and Handling? No, Semi-Hydroponics.

That's the problem, of course. Even the most common acronyms around us can, and often do mean something else entirely in a most specialized environment. I think we need a list or database of those that apply to growing orchids, probably along with any relating to other horticulture that may be confusing.

I'll be happy to start a database in my own "office" software, just not sure how it would transfer to the forum, so if the mods have a specific form they'd prefer, I hope they'll let me know soon.

I like to have lists and references because I make no bones about the fact that I simply don't remember such things.

Leafmite · #6 01-10-2015, 05:56 PM

Some of the ones used in orchid names are a bit confusing, too. Hopefully, this has already been done and someone can post a link to the list to help us all out.

MamaLiberty · #7 01-10-2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Some of the ones used in orchid names are a bit confusing, too. Hopefully, this has already been done and someone can post a link to the list to help us all out.

Someone sent me a link to another site with all sorts of names and descriptions. He wasn't sure it would be allowed to be posted in the general forum. If the Mods could talk to me about it, maybe we could post it as a sticky.

How does one contact the mods here?

SimJam · #8 01-10-2015, 07:11 PM

funny story ... when I just joined the Board I searched for NOID orchids like there was no tomorrow ... ya know because everyone was mentioning them

... until I saw it written noID ... then I was like

WhiteRabbit · #9 01-10-2015, 09:08 PM

I can only think of three non-orchid specific acronyms that one is likely to come across here - LECA, CHC, S/H. Are there others? We can see about getting them added to the glossary.

As for abbreviations of genera, and intergenerics - the names change pretty often, new ones added - If a list was added, we'd probably be constantly behind

Not to mention the sheer number of orchid genera, many not commonly grown in cultivation ...

A sticky post containing a link to a page with abbreviations is do-able.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaLiberty

Someone sent me a link to another site with all sorts of names and descriptions. He wasn't sure it would be allowed to be posted in the general forum. If the Mods could talk to me about it, maybe we could post it as a sticky.

How does one contact the mods here?

Mods can be contacted by a private message (pm) - this can be done by clicking on their user name, and click 'send a private message'

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #10 01-10-2015, 09:45 PM

There are a few websites that have orchid genera acronyms. I don't think anyone made a sticky because of this.

I'm not familiar enough with the intergeneric names and abbreviations, but I know quite a few of the more commonly grown natural genera and intergenerics. I can start a sticky if you like. It will mostly be abbreviations of natural genera though.

It has been proposed to spell out the entire genus name and then abbreviate afterwards for each thread, but very few people do it.

Since there's apparently a demand, I guess, I can start one.