Re: Info on Epipremnum spp.

From: "Wilbert Hetterscheid" hetter at worldonline.nl> on 2001.07.04 at 05:57:30(6951) Denis, So here we are on the borderline between doing it right and doing it the practical way. First off, I would agree with anyone who would oppose the use of "pothos" for this material. Here I am a hardliner. I think it is HIGH time that "nursery"-names of more than 2 centuries old, should be eradicated (what about Arum cornutum for Typh. venosum etc.). The term Golden Pothos is even worse, since there is a cultivar of E. moorense named 'Golden Pothos' and the fools of the Dutch Plant Breeder's Right Bureau have accepted that name and registered it legally. It is an all-yellow form selected from 'Aureum', but the name 'Golden Pothos' thus has gotten a new status in UPOV countries......(I suppose this is something you DIDN'T want to know.......). Now to writing a proper cultivar name. There is no way to escape from using a binomial. Thus the name of cultivar 'Aureum' and all cultivars of Epipremnum must at LEAST be tagged Epipremnum 'cultivar name'. The species "name" is less relevant in correct use because by default a cultivar name may not exist twice in one and the same genus, irrespective under what species of that genus the names may have been established. I suppose a binomial on a tag would be surmountable, right (unless you cultivate palms like Johannesteysmannia..............). There is allowance however for using the common name instead of the genus name or crop name and then add the cultivar. Thus one might say Sunflower 'Dark Medal' instead of Helianthus (annuus) 'Dark Medal'. But then we run into the problem, that the "common name" for Epipremnum would seem to be Pothos, and that is hardly acceptable. I must confess though that by now the common name Calla(-lily) for Zantedeschia has been firmly established as well and that is not a pretty one either. I am sure this does not solve all of your problems, like the use of the term "pothos" as a sort of common name denoting all Epipremnums. But then this: what do you call Epipremnum-like plants like true Rhaphidophora and like? I guess you may have to start teaching your customers some basic use of correct names, step by step..... Look e.g. at a catalogue like that of our esteemed Aroid-l member Tony Avent. THERE's a catalogue you may want to learn from. Cheerio, Wilbert +More ----- Original Message ----- To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L Sent: dinsdag 3 juli 2001 7:50 Subject: Re: Info on Epipremnum spp. > Wilbert: > > I wholeheartedly agree with the need for exact taxanomic nomenclature in > the case of Epipremnum mooreense'Aureum'(or is it E. aureum 'Aureum'). > My problem is that as a Wholesale producer of tropical foliage plants I > can not always fit the whole correct name into the slot provided in my > computerized inventory software and in the the foliage business Aureum > isn't the whole name. 99% of the people in my business know Epipremnum > aureum by the goofy common name of "Golden Pothos" and there are three > recognized cultivars, 'Golden" with golden yellow variation on a green > leaf, 'Marble Queen' with white variegation on dark green leaf and > 'Jade' with just a dark green leaf. Now there is a new cultivated form, > an improved form of the golden called 'Hawaiian' which has thicker > substance to the leaf and better color. Does it really matter whether I > refer to it as Epipremnum aureum or Epipremnum mooreense 'Aureum' or > just Marble Queen, Jade or Golden Pothos except when I am talking to a > Taxonomist such as yourself, Peter or Simon who get all upset when I > call it a "Pothos". As it is I have to post it on my price list as > "Pothos" because my customers couldn't find it on my price list in > alphabetical order as Epipremnum aureum. They would look in the > greenhouse and ask why they could not find a price for it on the > listing. So a practical solution for you, Wilbert the taxonomist, is > different from practical solution for me the horticulturist. > > Denis at Silver Krome Gardens > > Wilbert Hetterscheid wrote: > > > > And now some hardcore cultonomy to try and solve this problem: > > > > In order to maintain the well-known cultivarname Epipremnum 'Aureum' > > (whether this belongs to E. pinnatum or not is actually not essential in the > > nomenclature of cultivars!!!), we could urge Peter to conserve the name E. > > mooreense against E. aureum, so that the cultivar name 'Aureum' may keep on > > keeping its well-known status. Howse zat for a practical solution? > > > > Another "solution" would be to have the species E. aurem AND a cultivar > > 'Aureum' of that same species..... Somehow that doesn't sound ideal. > > > > Wilbert (sticking his nose in climbing aroids for the first > > time........auch!!!!) > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Peter Boyce > > To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L > > Sent: woensdag 20 juni 2001 21:51 > > Subject: Re: Info on Epipremnum spp. > > > > Laura > > > > Then it is still only a rumor as far as you know? I mean, if aureum is a > > cultivar of E. pinnatum, then it's the same plant basically? > > > > Not quite that straightforward (is it ever!). For a long time the status of > > E. aureum was problematic. It was eventually laid to rest by being made a > > cv. of the widespread and highly polymorphic E. pinnatum. This is the stance > > (with the caveats that you have now read) I took when I published my account > > of Epipremnum in West and Central Malesia a few years back. However, since > > then I have been working on Epipremnum in East Malesia and the Pacific. > > There is a plant, E. mooreense, describe from the Pacific that was long > > considered to be a distinct species. During a visit to Paris Herbarium late > > in 1998 I came across the type specimen on E. mooreense (collected from a > > remote island mountain, not in a cultivated place) and lo and behold, it is > > identical with the thing we call cv. Aureum. In my opinion E. mooreense is > > the same species as E. aureum and is DIFFERENT from E. pinnatum on the > > characters I outline in my paper. The earliest name for the species is E. > > aureum. > > > > Pete >

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