Standard Nomenclature - How to Learn What's Proper

[Mountaineer370]

This was posted by Ray in another thread:

"PLEASE use standard nomenclature when discussing and describing plants. Folks around here are getting sloppy about that, and doing it properly can avoid all sorts of confusion.

The two most common mistakes I've seen recently are capitalizing species names and not capitalizing hybrids, and not using single quotes to indicate cultivars.

For example, in this thread, the plant is properly described as Cattleya percivaliana ('Henrique' x 'Summit').

It may seem that I'm being "picky", but these conventions are in place for a reason, a name is a name, and to take it even further off base in the wrong direction, we might simply refer to our plants as "orchids", which would confuse everyone."

As a relative beginner to the orchid hobby, and as someone who has an appreciation for proper language usage, grammar, and punctuation (though I confess to being sloppy sometimes), I would like very much to use the proper nomenclature when referring to my orchids.

The problem is I don't know where to go to learn what is standard and proper. I have picked up a few things here and there, but I don't always know if the source is correct, and there are always frustrating contradictions.

Is there reference material on this board or elsewhere where beginners like me can go to learn what is proper and accepted? Links would be appreciated.

I've posted this in "Beginner Discussion," since it is beginners that are probably most in need of this type of information. Mods, please move it if it is more appropriate to another section of the forum.

[MrHappyRotter]

Check the AOS page on this.

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The first part of the name that we use for identification purposes is the genus (plural form genera). This should be capitalized. Technically that's true even if we're abbreviating.

Paphiopedilum, Oncidium, Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis

Paph., Onc., Cymb., Phal.



The second part of the name denotes the hybrid name or species name, if known. This part should be lowercase if and only if the plant is a species, otherwise this part should also be capitalized to indicate it is a hybrid.

Phalaenopsis amabilis = SPECIES

Brassavola Little Stars = HYBRID


Sometimes there are additional parts of the name, though.

The most common things you see are clonal names & orchid society awards. The clonal name is the name of a specific plant and divisions, keikis, or clones of it. You can give any seed grown plant your own clonal name as long as it doesn't already have one. Clonal names go in quotes, like Phalaenopsis schilleriana 'Pink Butterfly' AM/AOS. That last part, the AM/AOS part, is an award of merit from the AOS. Awarded plants should have a clonal name and you should list the award as well, as it indicates flower quality. Clonal names should be written like hybrid names, the first letter of the words are capitalized. Awards are to my knowledge always all caps.

Sometimes you'll also see variety and form used in names. These are indicated with lower case and the indicator (variety, var., v. or form., fma., f.) is often abbreviated.

Phalaenopsis bellina var. caerulea

Phragmipedium besseae var. flavum

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Something to consider is that you really don't have to spend much time thinking about what's right. It's extremely easy to google the name of your plant, and generally that's going to get you the correct capitalization on at least the genus & species. Look at what the nurseries are calling it, they generally care about all this stuff, and while they may not always be up on the latest nomenclature, they'll at least have the names capitalized and quoted correctly.

Another common problem that people have is they mention their plants by species or hybrid name only. Things like "Sanderiana In Full Bloom". In the right context, you can probably get away with this. For instance if you're having a conversation about Phals and you mention sanderiana, it's clear from context what you're talking about (though still preferable to include the genus). In a post title or absent context, it's a really bad practice to get into.

[estación seca]

Before botanists enacted the current nomenclature conventions, species named after people were written with capitalized specifics. (The first word of a binomial Latin plant name is called the generic; the second word is called the specific.)

As an example, in the old days, the Latin binomial name now written as Vanda sanderiana was written as Vanda Sanderiana. The hybrid now written as Phalaenopsis wiganiae was written as Phalaenopsis Wiganiae.

Most of the original orchid species descriptions were written like this. English-literature gardening publications used this scheme of capitalization through the late 1800s, and beyond. It can become confusing when beginners read old literature unless the reader remembers the convention was different then.

This confusion is avoided by the current convention of capitalized generic, uncapitalized specific, capitalized grex (hybrid) names and capitalized clonal names in single quotes:
Genus species Grex Name 'Clonal Name'