Vernacular concepts

[Jeremy Bruhl]

Dear All

An extract on the topic from my BOTY 211 unit handbook (I am sure you all
have your own pet examples):

"Despite Shakespeare's words, common names often lead to confusion. Consider
the following:
.       Dog Rose, _Rosa canina_ (Rosaceae; native to Europe, naturalised in
Australia)
.       Sturt's Desert Rose, _Gossypium sturtuanum_ (Malvaceae; Australian
native)
.       Rose Campion, _Silene coronaria_ (Caryophyllaceae; native to
Eurasia)
.       Native Rose or Rose Boronia, _Boronia serrulata_ (Rutaceae; native
to NSW)...[so] Is Gertrude Stein justified in her statement [quoted below by
Herb] below?"

No doubt, 'ignorance is bliss'.

Cheers
Jeremy


-----Original Message-----
From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU] On Behalf
Of HJJACOBSON at AOL.COM
Sent: Wednesday, 2 March 2005 12:45 PM
To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
Subject: Re: Vernacular concepts

One advantage to colloquial names is that they are free from the "strict
cladists," "phylocoders" and all the rest of us.

A rose is a rose is a rose. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Herb