Plant Names and Their Scientific Universal Names
Common plant names are often confusing because the same plants might have different common names in different places. Liatris spicata, which we list as gayfeather, is also known as blazing star or button snakeroot.
Common plant names such as blackberry lily, bleeding heart, goatsbeard, and fountain grass offer a glimpse into a plant's personality or appearance. It can also reveal clues about a plant's origin, such as Ozark sundrops, or it can paint a picture of a flower, such as rose turtlehead.
The Scientific Name
It’s the formal name for the plant. The scientific name is supposed to be the formal name universally worldwide. We try to find the one that is the most consistent with the world and still makes sense.
The scientific name is the generic and the specific name together, with the generic name always first and capitalized and the specific name always second (and uncapitalized). Everywhere in the world you may go, the scientific name is (supposed to be) exactly the same: Grevillea
Genus
a group of closely related species - like your last name, the family name: victoriae
Species
Classically, a group of very closely related individuals that will only breed with each other - like your first name. The full species name is Grevillea victoriae. It is in the family Proteaceae.
spp.
This abbreviation means several species, while sp. means one species. So, if I say Acer spp., I mean several species of maples: subsp. nivalis
Variety
Variation of a species, where the individuals have different flower color, or leaf color, or leaf shape, etc.
Cultivar
The cultivar name is always added after a valid scientific name at the genus or species level, is not Latinised, is put in single quotes, and is not italicised: Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon'
The Common Name
It is the commonly used name for the plant. For example, names made up by common people. Fitz instead of Fitzgarald. Liz instead of Elizabeth.
Most plants have several names--minimally an English common name and a scientific name, but possibly several common names in each of several languages. For example, the same plant is called: dandelion (English common name), Taraxacum officinale (scientific name) dent-de-lion, (French common name), achicoria silvestre (Spanish common name) or maskros (Swedish common name).
Many plants do not have common names. When talking about them, people often use the scientific name, and soon the scientific name is turned into a common name.
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