Is there a resource that has a digital verbal Pronunciation of botanical names and a cross reference of common names to Lain names?
The pronunciation guides I've come across offer such abysmally bad pronunciation that they're not worth listing. For a cross-ref common to Latin names, the BSBI list is definitive for European species: http://www.bsbi.org.uk/BSBI2007.xls (xls spreadsheet version) http://www.bsbi.org.uk/LIST2007.txt (text format)
However, if you speak Spanish you can use the same pronunciation of most vowel and consonant sounds of Latin, and you'll be quite close with a very few small exceptions.
Please, see also this thread: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=27417 Cheers, Harri Harmaja http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/harmaja/index.htm
i have a site and it's a good/accurate one...it's in the favs on my computer at home, so, i'll have to post the link later (i'm at work).
I find it's always helpful to remember Winston Churchill's dictum on matters of this kind: When you aren't sure how to pronounce something, just say it loudly. Seriously: most plant folks -- who are the only folks with whom you are likely to use this kind of language -- will know what you mean whether you say "sim-is-IF-foo-ga" or "sim-is-i-FOO-ga." Just don't leave any syllables out and you'll be fine.
