Can someone with a good knowledge of Latin help me with the correct spelling
of this species.

The Kew monocot database spells it "odoratum".

The Missouri Tropicos database spells it "odorata".

Which is correct?

Cheers

John

I have always heard (and read) Aer. odorata.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"John Varigos" wrote in message
...
Can someone with a good knowledge of Latin help me with the correct
spelling of this species.

The Kew monocot database spells it "odoratum".

The Missouri Tropicos database spells it "odorata".

Which is correct?

Cheers

John

John Varigos schreef:
Can someone with a good knowledge of Latin help me with the correct spelling
of this species.

The Kew monocot database spells it "odoratum".

The Missouri Tropicos database spells it "odorata".

Which is correct?

Cheers

John








There is a problem with the name Aerides. According to the suffix -es it
belongs to what is called the third declination of nouns in Latin. And
ther are (as far as I know) no rules that say which words are male and
wich are female. You would have to look them up in a dictionary (or as
an ancient Roman, you would have known it by intuition?). And here is
the problem: The ancient Romans didn't know the Aerides. So in classical
Latin dictionaries you won't find the gender of this genus. If male it
would be odoratum, if female it would be odorata.

I have taken a look at what the RHS does and they spell odoratum. Jays
orchid species encyclopedia on the other hand says odorata (and has
odoratum as synonym)

So ?????

Niek Hanckmann schreef:
John Varigos schreef:

Can someone with a good knowledge of Latin help me with the correct
spelling of this species.

The Kew monocot database spells it "odoratum".

The Missouri Tropicos database spells it "odorata".

Which is correct?

Cheers

John








There is a problem with the name Aerides. According to the suffix -es it
belongs to what is called the third declination of nouns in Latin. And
ther are (as far as I know) no rules that say which words are male and
wich are female. You would have to look them up in a dictionary (or as
an ancient Roman, you would have known it by intuition?). And here is
the problem: The ancient Romans didn't know the Aerides. So in classical
Latin dictionaries you won't find the gender of this genus. If male it
would be odoratum, if female it would be odorata.

I have taken a look at what the RHS does and they spell odoratum. Jays
orchid species encyclopedia on the other hand says odorata (and has
odoratum as synonym)

So ?????

Have been looking a bit further. The IPNI (International Plant Names
Index) says odoratum. It is even noted twice in this database. Once
described by a botanist with the abbreviation 'Lour.' and teh other
described by Reichenbach and Blume.
The IPNI is a product of Kew, Harvard and the Australian National
Herbarium. Sounds solid to me, so I go for the male!

Greets, Niek

" There is a problem with the name Aerides. According to the suffix -es it
belongs to what is called the third declination of nouns in Latin. And
ther are (as far as I know) no rules that say which words are male and
wich are female. You would have to look them up in a dictionary (or as an
ancient Roman, you would have known it by intuition?). And here is the
problem: The ancient Romans didn't know the Aerides. So in classical Latin
dictionaries you won't find the gender of this genus. If male it would be
odoratum, if female it would be odorata.

I have taken a look at what the RHS does and they spell odoratum. Jays
orchid species encyclopedia on the other hand says odorata (and has
odoratum as synonym)

So ?????
Aerides is Greek
Odoratum isLatin
It is a no-no for linguists to mix two languages
but Taxonomists can't be experts in everything.
Yet it causes difficulties.
That is why someone opted for the neuter: odoratum.
Ed Cormier

Much obliged gentelmen for your input on this one. I will accept
"odoratum".

I now have another conudrum:

Back in June I e-mailed the RHS regarding the spelling of Vanda coerulea and
Vanda coerulescens in their monocot database
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/monocotChecklist/default.jsp

I wrote: "You might want to check the spelling of Vanda coerulea and Vanda
coerulescens. These are spelt "caerulea" and "caerulescens" respectively in
the data base." I had never seen them spelt this way.

The reply I got was:

"Blue is spelled caerulea not with an "o" as people used to do."

Implying that Kew were correct.

I have again checked the data base and they are now spelt Vanda coerulea and
Vanda caerulescens.

Why has one reverted back to "o" and not the other if blue is spelt with
an"a"? It would seem that I was right on at least one!

Cheers

John

" There is a problem with the name Aerides. According to the suffix -es
it
belongs to what is called the third declination of nouns in Latin. And
ther are (as far as I know) no rules that say which words are male and
wich are female. You would have to look them up in a dictionary (or as an
ancient Roman, you would have known it by intuition?). And here is the
problem: The ancient Romans didn't know the Aerides. So in classical
Latin
dictionaries you won't find the gender of this genus. If male it would be
odoratum, if female it would be odorata.

I have taken a look at what the RHS does and they spell odoratum. Jays
orchid species encyclopedia on the other hand says odorata (and has
odoratum as synonym)

So ?????
Aerides is Greek
Odoratum isLatin
It is a no-no for linguists to mix two languages
but Taxonomists can't be experts in everything.
Yet it causes difficulties.
That is why someone opted for the neuter: odoratum.
Ed Cormier

In article ,
says...
Much obliged gentelmen for your input on this one. I will accept
"odoratum".

I now have another conudrum:

Back in June I e-mailed the RHS regarding the spelling of Vanda coerulea and
Vanda coerulescens in their monocot database
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/monocotChecklist/default.jsp

I wrote: "You might want to check the spelling of Vanda coerulea and Vanda
coerulescens. These are spelt "caerulea" and "caerulescens" respectively in
the data base." I had never seen them spelt this way.

The reply I got was:

"Blue is spelled caerulea not with an "o" as people used to do."

Implying that Kew were correct.

I have again checked the data base and they are now spelt Vanda coerulea and
Vanda caerulescens.

Why has one reverted back to "o" and not the other if blue is spelt with
an"a"? It would seem that I was right on at least one!
Now for what is accepted by the RHS, I cannot vouch, but this handy
link:
http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary.html
says that they synonomous, but neither is listed with the ending "-
scens". This suffix apparently has the meaning of "becoming". There is,
for example, "cyanascens" meaning "bluish".
--
--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

Hi Reka

Thanks for directing me to this site.

Looks like I'll have to go back to the RHS for an answer on this one.

John



"Reka" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
says...
Much obliged gentelmen for your input on this one. I will accept
"odoratum".

I now have another conudrum:

Back in June I e-mailed the RHS regarding the spelling of Vanda coerulea
and
Vanda coerulescens in their monocot database
http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/monocotChecklist/default.jsp

I wrote: "You might want to check the spelling of Vanda coerulea and
Vanda
coerulescens. These are spelt "caerulea" and "caerulescens" respectively
in
the data base." I had never seen them spelt this way.

The reply I got was:

"Blue is spelled caerulea not with an "o" as people used to do."

Implying that Kew were correct.

I have again checked the data base and they are now spelt Vanda coerulea
and
Vanda caerulescens.

Why has one reverted back to "o" and not the other if blue is spelt with
an"a"? It would seem that I was right on at least one!
Now for what is accepted by the RHS, I cannot vouch, but this handy
link:
http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary.html
says that they synonomous, but neither is listed with the ending "-
scens". This suffix apparently has the meaning of "becoming". There is,
for example, "cyanascens" meaning "bluish".
--
--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html