PREFACE 



THE American Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomencla- 

 ture was formed in 1915 by committees of the American 

 Association of Nurserymen and of the Ornamental Growers' 

 Association. Gradually enlarging in scope and representative char- 

 acter, its present make-up is as indicated on page xv. 



Purposes. As first constituted, the stated purpose of the Com- 

 mittee was to "make buying easy" by bringing about, so far as prac- 

 ticable, the consistent use of a single standardized ''scientific" 

 name, and a single standardized "common" name for every tree, 

 shrub, and plant in American commerce. 



Related subjects which the Committee has had under con- 

 sideration are a standard list of plant name abbreviations, and, 

 of far greater importance, a well-organized mechanism for the 

 registration and identification of horticultural varieties and the 

 adoption of standard rules of nomenclature for the guidance of 

 those naming new horticulturaWarieties. 



Statement of the Problem. Included in its first publication in 

 1917 was the following statement by the Committee: 



Practical Importance of Stability in Nomenclature. The confusion of 

 names in the horticultural plant world is at present so great as to clog popular 

 plant knowledge and actually to limit to no small degree the use of certain 

 trees, shrubs, and flowers in our American plantings. The consequent loss to 

 the tradesman and planter is obvious. For example, take the common \'irginia 

 creeper: We find this catalogued in 1916 under no less than six Latin l^ino- 

 mials — Ampelopsis quinquefolia, A. virginica, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, 

 P. virginica, Vitis hederacea, and P seder a quinquefolia, while as common names 

 we have Woodbine, American Woodbine, Virginia Creeper, American Ivy, 

 Common Virginia Creeper, Virginian Creeper, Wild Woodvine, and Five- 

 fingered Ivy. Today both American and foreign nursery catalogues are filled 

 largely with confused and contradictory lists of plant names, while popular 

 books on gardening and horticulture and the horticultural press themselves 

 are at sea, and little if any better off than the tradesman. It is thus often 

 impossible for the buyer to know whether he will get what he has in mind 

 when placing an order, or something entirely different. 



Further, owing to the differing names under which both new and old 

 plants are often catalogued, described, and disseminated, the plantsman and 

 buyer become perplexed and discouraged, and proper interest is not awakened. 

 This often results in the over-use of the commoner and less worthy trees and 

 plants to the exclusion of many beautiful things. 



Causes of Confusion. Even when there is complete and well-established 

 agreement among botanists as to the classification and naming of any given 

 plant, mistakes by nurserymen or dealers in identification and labeling are 

 hable to occur, giving rise to much confusion. When a dealer, either through 



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