I was wondering the name of this plant? Can anyone help out?? http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x43/jroc024/100_2031.jpg
Cheers Jen I didn't know that was the common name as they are sold by cultivar name here and the standard form has been forgotten about.
I do not wish to sound pernicious, but this A. commutatum is not commonly known in North America as a Chinese Evergreen plant However, Aglaonema modestum is used commonly as Chinese Evergreen. I do not want to sound like a know it all, I would like to provide accurate input where confusion may arise...ie which common name when identifying, or purchasing or requesting info. on... etc...
Common names sometimes cause more confusion than expected, they are different to location and I try avoiding them when possible. I am not sure of their common name here as I said they're being sold under names like 'Silver Queen' and 'Emerald Queen' and the standard form doesn't really appear amongst them.
For example, I just purchased a "Cory" variety. Who knows what the actual species is. The problem with common names, is that they are "common" names which often leads to broad generalizations, and mixing and matching species.
That's right bluewing and a classic example was one time I was asked for a Madagascar palm. Once I'd arrived at the Pachypodium I got a strange look and a reply of "That's not a palm"... After a brief description we ended up with a Dypsis lucubensis the other Madagascar palm.... which wasn't the same as the lucubensis palm as we called them.
Ha! Big difference there with "The other Madagascar palm" Funny! I think a lot of people (including myself) have used common names, well, because it's just plain easier to pronounce!
Notice I mentioned the common name after the species had been properly identified with its botanical name. I only gave the common name (well the one I know anyway) so Jason has something manageable to call it when his family/friends ask. Agalonema commutatum is a bit of a mouthful and is bound to be met by blank looks.....chinese evergreen on the other hand could provoke interesting conversations:)
Re confusing common names, Had a pretty computer screen saver once that was listed as "Colorado Wild Flower" after years of "not nowing" found out it was one of the Tradiscantia's, Pink, blue and lavender to purple varieties. That opened up the Wandering Jew family to me. The big one though was "Texas Blue Bonnet" we've all heard about. It's a wild lupin that seems to grow every where in the San Juan Islands, don't know about Texas. I know that Botanical names definitly need to be used but a commom name at the end helps give the rest of us a bit of a clue, and hopefully an interest in finding the "Real" names as we learn and grow. Barbara Lloyd.
Ooooo yeah I can see botanical names will always be the least important bit of info someone normally wants to know about, having common names make it so much easier to remember what that plant was in the neighbour's yard :} And as jenri says mostly when someone sees something they like they don't really want the technical jargon involved.... though it's funny watching the looks on peoples faces as you rattle off the harder ones :}
The Texas state flower is the blue bonnet. :) It's illegal to pick them or disturb them in any way. But I think all wild flowers may be protected there.
Yup, Yup, Yup, Same with the Calif State flower "California Poppy". Grows all over in Wash Sate but don't you dare pick one in Ca. Had a enlightening discussion with a B&B owner in Warwick England years ago. She was planting the large showy Papavers and telling us they were Calif. Poppies. I tried to tell her that the were not the Cal State Flower. She wasn't having anything to do with my explanation. When I arrived back in the States I sent her a packet of Cal Popy seeds, labled and all. Never heard back from her. I will certainly never forget her. She was really deligtful. Had received her drivers license only weeks before and insisted on driving me to the nearest RR Station to go back to London. What a wild ride. Barbara Lloyd
