Talk:Epidendrum

Trivial Names

As explained in the article, there is much disagreement about exactly what Epidendrum means. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that there is no trivial name with exactly the same meaning as Epidendrum. Thus, I have removed the attribution "Star Orchid" from the Taxobox and replaced it with "Epidendrum." I have also removed the comments I made earlier in the lead sentence for the article, together with any reference to a common name—these tendentious statements belong under "discussion," not "article."
Jay L09 (talk) 12:47, 10 October 2008 (UTC)
English-Language Conventions for Naming Orchids
When explorers began bringing orchids to England and Europe from the Tropics, there were no English trivial names already in existence for these various plants. They were expensive to obtain and maintain. The wealthy kept them as a means of conspicuous consumption, and used the Linnaean binomials almost exclusively. Thus, with very few exceptions, there are still no common trivial names for these orchids. In almost all circumstances, the most common name is the Linnaean binomial, or perhaps a binomial which has been reduced to synonymy (such as Epidendrum nemoralis instead of the currently accepted Encyclia adenocaule).
Jay L09 (talk) 12:47, 10 October 2008 (UTC)
I would suggest that editors should refrain from inserting trivial names for tropical orchids unless there is a very good reason, such as the trivial name being widely used, or a "correct" name for the taxon not being widely used.Jay L09 (talk) 12:47, 10 October 2008 (UTC)