TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ... then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

could it be that she thinks that only place you would find genus is at a
Mensa meeting.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ...
then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so
all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult
words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!
Kay Easton

And she obviously does not read URG - she's still wearing the bloody
cardigan round the bum.........
Jenny

I still call them species and I like gardening. It's not that I'm not
intelligent, it's just what I grew up with.

Charlie.

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ... then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kay Easton" wrote
TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ...
then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so
all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult
words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!
Kay Easton

The Webster dictionary
(http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/...h?WORD=species) has the
following.........

3. In zoölogy and botany, a species is an ideal group of individuals
which are believed to have descended from common ancestors, which
agree in essential characteristics, and are capable of indefinitely
continued fertile reproduction through the sexes. A species, as thus
defined, differs from a variety or subspecies only in the greater
stability of its characters and in the absence of individuals
intermediate between the related groups.

4. A sort; a kind; a variety; as, a species of low cunning; a species
of generosity; a species of cloth.

I like that - "a species of low cunning" - they probably mean
knotweed, marestail etc :~))
Jenny

In article , David Hill david@abacus
nurseries.freeserve.co.uk writes
could it be that she thinks that only place you would find genus is at a
Mensa meeting.

Right.
Dumbing down.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , Charlie news@lowfidelit
y.NOSPAMorg.uk writes
I still call them species and I like gardening. It's not that I'm not
intelligent, it's just what I grew up with.

Yes, but *what* do you call species? Crocus sativus, Crocus vernus as
two species of crocus, and 'species crocus' to distinguish between them
and the large flowered hybrids

Or do you refer to Crocus as one species and snowdrop as another
species, and heather as a third species, as did Rachel de T?

Do people just not care that the botanical names are an attempt to
encapsulate the evolutionary history of each plant? Do they just regard
them as names given on a whim, rather like a 'name the teddy bear'
competition at a local fete?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article , JennyC
writes


3. In zoölogy and botany, a species is an ideal group of individuals
which are believed to have descended from common ancestors, which
agree in essential characteristics, and are capable of indefinitely
continued fertile reproduction through the sexes. A species, as thus
defined, differs from a variety or subspecies only in the greater
stability of its characters and in the absence of individuals
intermediate between the related groups.

So even Webster understands the difference!
A genus is a group of species descended from the same ancestors, which
agree in essential characteristics. BUT - the different species within a
genus may or may not be capable of fertile reproduction with each other
(and if they are, then in the wild they are separated by niche or
habitat so such reproduction does not normally occur). And if
reproduction between two species occurs, the result is a hybrid. Still
in the same genus, but not the same as any of the existing species.


--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...

Or do you refer to Crocus as one species and snowdrop as another
species, and heather as a third species, as did Rachel de T?

Yeah, I do that. Although usually I just say "That's one type, and that's
another".


Do people just not care that the botanical names are an attempt to
encapsulate the evolutionary history of each plant? Do they just regard
them as names given on a whim, rather like a 'name the teddy bear'
competition at a local fete?

I care about how the names apply to the evolution, I just don't call them
different "Genus", they're different types.

Charlie.

In article , Kay Easton
writes
TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ... then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!

In one of the earlier programmes in the series, she visited the new
Yorkshire RHS garden and both she and one of the gardeners there used
the name Mare's Tail when looking at a border full of Horsetail and
saying that it would have to be eradicated by spraying. OK, Equisetum
is, sometimes, called Mare's Tail, though I'm not alone in thinking it
shouldn't be, but the error was doubly confounded by the entry in the
Radio Times which not only mentioned that they would discuss a problem
with Mare's Tail but used the Latin name Hippuris vulgaris :-(

If only all my Horsetail could be replaced by Mare's Tail.....!

--
Malcolm

In article , JennyC
writes

"Kay Easton" wrote
TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ...
then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so
all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult
words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!
Kay Easton

The Webster dictionary
(http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/...h?WORD=species) has the
following.........

3. In zoölogy and botany, a species is an ideal group of individuals
which are believed to have descended from common ancestors, which
agree in essential characteristics, and are capable of indefinitely
continued fertile reproduction through the sexes. A species, as thus
defined, differs from a variety or subspecies only in the greater
stability of its characters and in the absence of individuals
intermediate between the related groups.

4. A sort; a kind; a variety; as, a species of low cunning; a species
of generosity; a species of cloth.

I like that - "a species of low cunning" - they probably mean
knotweed, marestail etc :~))

I think you mean "horsetail". See my other post :-)

--
Malcolm

In article , Kay Easton
writes
In article , Charlie news@lowfidelit
y.NOSPAMorg.uk writes
I still call them species and I like gardening. It's not that I'm not
intelligent, it's just what I grew up with.

Yes, but *what* do you call species? Crocus sativus, Crocus vernus as
two species of crocus, and 'species crocus' to distinguish between them
and the large flowered hybrids

Or do you refer to Crocus as one species and snowdrop as another
species, and heather as a third species, as did Rachel de T?

Do people just not care that the botanical names are an attempt to
encapsulate the evolutionary history of each plant? Do they just regard
them as names given on a whim, rather like a 'name the teddy bear'
competition at a local fete?

When I'm in doubt as to what word to use I play safe and resort to that
excellent word taxa (sing. taxon) which covers all possible descriptors
from form to kingdoms!

--
Malcolm

Malcolm wrote:

In one of the earlier programmes in the series, she visited the new
Yorkshire RHS garden and both she and one of the gardeners there used
the name Mare's Tail when looking at a border full of Horsetail and
saying that it would have to be eradicated by spraying. OK, Equisetum
is, sometimes, called Mare's Tail, though I'm not alone in thinking it
shouldn't be, but the error was doubly confounded by the entry in the
Radio Times which not only mentioned that they would discuss a problem
with Mare's Tail but used the Latin name Hippuris vulgaris :-(

If only all my Horsetail could be replaced by Mare's Tail.....!


The danger of common epithets!-)

Eg bluebells are not always bluebells;-)
//
Jim

Kay Easton wrote:

TV tonight - Rachel de Thame
'a national Collection is a collection of a single *species*' ... then
almost in the same breath 'the National collection of Crocus' ... so all
crocus are the same species, are they?

Doh!-)

Can we make a looped tape of this and post it back to the BBC?!-) And
this after she just visited the NCCPG London Fair at Kenwood.. I didn't
see last nights programme (will have to watch the repeat) but she was
buying crates of plants like there was no tomorrow-)
//
Jim

Is this TV dumbing down and protecting its viewers from difficult words
like 'genus' which they don't understand?
It surely can't be Rachel de T herself who doesn't understand the
difference?

This sort of thing does get me cross!

Do people just not care that the botanical names are an attempt to
encapsulate the evolutionary history of each plant?

Hurrah!

(but I do wish I could remember - I have to look it up in 20,000 Leagues
under the Sea when I need to know!)

Mary