Excerpt from Standardized Plant Names: A Catalogue of Approved Scientific and Common Names of Plants in American Commerce

Statement of the Problem. Included in its first publication in 1917 was the following statement by the Committee: Practical Importance of Stability in Nomenclature. The confusion of names in the horticultural plant world is at present so great as to clog popular plant knowledge and actually to limit to no small degree the use of certain trees, shrubs, and flowers in our American plantings. The consequent loss to the tradesman and planter is obvious. For example, take the common Virginia creeper: We find this catalogued in 1916 under no less than six Latin bino mials - Ampelopsis quinquefolia, A. Virginica, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, P. Virginica, Vitis hederacea, and Psedera quinquefolia, while as common names we have Woodbine, American Woodbine, Virginia Creeper, American Ivy, Common Virginia Creeper, Virginian Creeper, Wild Woodvine, and Five fingered Ivy. Today both American and foreign nursery catalogues are filled largely with confused and contradictory lists Of plant names, while popular books on gardening and horticulture and the horticultural press themselves are at sea, and little if any better off than the tradesman. It is thus Often impossible for the buyer to know whether he will get what he has In mind when placing an order, or something entirely different.

Further, owing to the differing names under which both new and old plants are Often catalogued, described, and disseminated, the plantsman and buyer become perplexed and discouraged, and proper interest is not awakened. This Often results in the over-use of the commoner and less worthy trees and plants to the exclusion of many beautiful things.

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