Survey of common tree names

[Richard Jensen]

One thing you need to keep in mind is the nomenclatural baggage we all
carry with us.  If we grew up in one part of the country, but now live
elsewhere, the names we provide may not be the same as those a local
native would provide.  For example, I know Quercus ellipsoidalis well
from the area of its range where it is roughly sympatric with Quercus
palustris.  The former I call northern pin oak, the latter pin oak.
However, many of my colleagues in northern Wisconsin/Northern
Michigan/Minnesota, where the latter does not occur, call the former
simply pin oak.  My point is, if I had moved there from here, the name I
use would not necessarily match the local name.  Thus, you need some way
to control for the geographic origins of those reporting the names.

Richard J. Jensen      |   E-MAIL: rjensen at saintmarys.edu
Dept. of Biology       |   TELEPHONE: 219-284-4674
Saint Mary's College   |   FAX: 219-284-4716
Notre Dame, IN  46556  |