THE USE OF COMMON NAMES FOR PLANTS 
B. SHIMEK 
A plea is frequently made by lovers or amateur students of 
plants for the use of so-called common (or vernacular) names for 
our species. Sometimes it is voiced also by secondary school 
teachers of botany, and last year it was included in one of the 
official reports of this Academy. The writer has received a num- 
ber of written and verbal complaints aimed at the use of scientific 
names only, in papers treating of the plants of our state, and 
every other botanist in the state undoubtedly has had similar 
experience. 
In view of these circumstances it seems worth while to note 
some of the difficulties which lie in the way of the general use of 
common names. 
No question can successfully be raised against the use of 
scientific names where accurate designation is demanded. This 
is especially true in scientific records, and in the naming of plants 
which possess special properties or qualities making them of 
value for medicinal, industrial, or other special purposes. 
Scientific names possess two great advantages: First, they are 
universal. Botanists of all countries recognize them, and employ 
them consistently. No matter in what language a scientific botan- 
ical paper is written, the plants are designated by scientific names 
which will be recognized everywhere, at least by systematic botan- 
ists. 
Second, they are accurate and specific. Even in those cases in 
which, for various reasons, several scientific names have been ap- 
plied to the same species the botanist has little difficulty in deter- 
mining the identity of the species ; and the cases in which the same 
scientific name has been applied to more than one species are so 
few that they cause but little trouble, and even here the use of the 
author’s name practically removes all doubt. 
Common names possess neither of these qualities. From the 
very circumstance that they are vernacular, there must be at least 
as many groups of them as there are languages. The common 
names in one language can mean nothing to people using another, 
and there would be the same objection to the acceptance of the 
common names from another language that is made now to the 
use of the Latinized scientific name. If, then, common names 
