Scientific Names of Hybrids

KeenTeen17 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 03:45 PM

I was just wondering about hybrid names. For example the name of the hybrid between wood avens and water avens is Geum x Intermedium. Wouldn't it make more sense to have it as Geum Urbanum x Rivale

Its the same with woundworts. Marsh x hedge woundwort is known as Stachys x ambigua rather thab S. palustris x sylvatica.

leifus · #2 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 03:50 PM

i agree it does make more sense the way you put it which happens in orchids e.g Ophrys apifera x insectifera (hope ive got the spellings right

) so why not for all of them?

maybe botanists are just lazy

KeenTeen17 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 03:53 PM

I agree. theres no way to find the ingredients of a hybrid if its Family x sometinhg

aeshna5 · #4 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leifus

i agree it does make more sense the way you put it which happens in orchids e.g Ophrys apifera x insectifera (hope ive got the spellings right

) so why not for all of them?

maybe botanists are just lazy

But that is the convention for naming hybrids + that includes orchids too! eg. Ophrys insectifera x O. sphegodes is O.x hybrida; Dactylorhiza fuchsii x D. praetermissa is O. x grandis. Orchids are not exempt from this code.

Paul mabbott · #5 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeenTeen17

I agree. theres no way to find the ingredients of a hybrid if its Family x sometinhg

Sorry, I'm confused here - where does 'Family' come into this. Hybrids are most commonly interspecific, rarely intergeneric - I'm not aware of interfamiliar ones?

Paul mabbott · #6 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 04:17 PM

Yes the naming of hybrids isn't always helpful but (a) it is the convention and (b) when some hybrids were named, the parents were not both known! I suspect that this latter is the reason for the convention!

It's a minor nuisance ....

Paul mabbott · #7 (**permalink**) 02-02-2009, 04:19 PM

Yes the naming of hybrids isn't always helpful but (a) it is the convention and (b) when some hybrids were named, the parents were not both known! I suspect that this latter is the reason for the convention!

It's a minor nuisance ....

Incidentally, it's not a problem with intergeneric hybrids - the hybrid in effect the hybrid becomes a new genus! For instance the hybrid between Fatsia and Hedera is named Fatshedera ......

KeenTeen17 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-02-2009, 08:16 AM

Wow. I hadn't heard of that happening - Fatshedera,

What I meant by family was genus e.g. Stachys x (hybrid name) etc.

thunder · #9 (**permalink**) 03-02-2009, 08:57 PM

Well, in plants at least, hybrids have two names. In your example the hybrid between the two Geums is Geum rivale x Geum urbanum, and its binomial name is Geum x urbanum. Binomials are shorter (usually!) nad if you are naming using a binomial system, make sense. Most floras will list both, I think, and most botanists will understand either. It gets more complex when you get male x female and female x male hybrids, of course.

henrya

aeshna5 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-02-2009, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thunder

Well, in plants at least, hybrids have two names. In your example the hybrid between the two Geums is Geum rivale x Geum urbanum, and its binomial name is Geum x urbanum. Binomials are shorter (usually!) nad if you are naming using a binomial system, make sense. Most floras will list both, I think, and most botanists will understand either. It gets more complex when you get male x female and female x male hybrids, of course.

henrya

The name for the hybrid Geum is normally given as Geum x intermedium.