19/10/2023
▪️Botanical Nomenclature : Alocasia
➖How to read and write an Alocasias Botanical name correctly.
(Long post ahead, only for serious Enthusiasts)
▪️ INTRODUCTIONS
Botanical Nomenclature is the systematic or scientific naming of plants, we've seen a lot collectors asking for an I.D and as the one answering them, It would be better to understand and at least write the I.D properly.
▪️4 simple Laws by The Paris International Botanical Congress of 1867.
1.) One plant species shall have no more than one name.
2.) No two plant species shall share the same name.
3.) If a plant has two names, the name which is valid shall be that which was the earliest one to be published after 1753.
4.) The author's name shall be cited, after the name of the plant, in order to establish the sense in which the name is used and its priority over other names.
▪️How to write an Alocasias Botanical name correctly in layman's terms.
➖Genus always starts in upper case and italicized but since Facebook don't have that option in mobile, then initial capital letters is fine.
ex: Alocasia scalprum 'Samar Lance'
Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess'
Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic'
Monstera deliciosa 'Thai Constellation'
Caladium praetermissum
You can't put 2 genus side by side (Alocasia Caladium 'Hilo Beauty') this is weird it's like saying Canis Felis lupus or Persian Dog Cat.
➖Species always starts in lowercase there's also a rule to use italic but since Facebook don't have that option especially mobile then just using lower case is ok.
ex : longiloba
sinuata
macrorrhizos
odora
➖ Accepted Cultivar and common hybrid names should be put inside a single quotation mark (' ') and should always start in upper case.
ex : 'Watsoniana'
'Magnifica'
'Green Velvet'
'Silver Dragon'
Alocasia 'Regal Shields'
Alocasia 'Maharani'
➖ Common name, market name, trade name, made up name, and whatever non official name are not strict on what to use or rules to follow but in general it should be put in a double quotation mark (" ").
ex : "Pink Dragon"
'Jacklyn'
"Black Satun"
'Red Secret'
➖There are more rules, like using ( ) for a synonym, using A. If we are sure about what we're talking about or using x for a hybrid. Other abbreviation like sp. cv. spp. cfr. f. Also has it's own meaning. 😄
ex. A. heterophylla 'Dragon's Breath'
Alocasia sp. Sulawesi
Alocasia x portora
Alocasia cfr. clypeolata (simply means, that this specific Alocasias Inflorescences has been compared to the Inflorescences of a clypeolata and they share the same characteristics)
➖For Hybrid names you won't see them putting a species name after the Genus but instead use a single quotation (' ') on the name
ex. Alocasia 'Regal Shields'
Alocasia 'Maharani'
Alocasia 'Amazonica'
Some will use ( x ) but this isn't necessary needed since, in Alocasia they don't ever do cross-breeding of 2 different Genus but instead use 2 different species of Alocasia.
ex. Alocasia x portora
Alocasia 'Portora' is also fine.
𝘈𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘢 'Portora' if you want to italicized. the genus.
▪️ Summary
➖ It's important to understand the differences between a Genus, a species and a cultivar but it's also very important to know, how the professionals write them and so knowing these simple rules can greatly help us not to get confused, in the chaotic world of Alocasias I.D.
➖For example ;
1.) Alocasia baginda 'Silver Dragon'
baginda is written in lower case, to emphasize that it is the species of that I.D while a single quotation mark for the 'Silver Dragon' to emphasize that it's an accepted cultivar of the baginda species.
➖ Here's some example of wrong writings.
1.)❌Alocasia Baginda (silver Dragon)
species had to be in lowercase, so we would know that it's not a genus nor a common name but an accepted species, while an open and close parenthesis is used for a synonym. So the correct way to write it should be.
✔️ Alocasia baginda 'Silver Dragon'
2.)❌Alocasia black velvet
This is a common occurrence, 'Black Velvet' is a known cultivar of a reginula species so the correct botanical name should be.
✔️ Alocasia reginula 'Black Velvet'
▪️Last Remarks
I hope some collectors, would normalize writing the proper botanical names whenever they I.D, as this can greatly help not only the newbies but also those, who knows how to read the I.D correctly. ☺️
"Never stop learning because Knowledge is infinite"
Happy Planting 🌱
If you want to learn more about the Genus Alocasia come and join our group
"Alocasia Enthusiasts"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alocasiaenthusiasts/?ref=share
🖤Understanding rules for Alocasia cultivar and Hybrids by Robert F. Wainblat
https://m.facebook.com/groups/alocasiaenthusiasts/permalink/1410658579353402/?mibextid=Nif5oz
