When strolling through a garden center or flipping through a plant catalog, you’ll often notice two distinct names on each tag: a common name and a botanical name. While the common name feels friendly ...

For almost 300 years, researchers have classified life on Earth with scientific names — two-word monikers like Homo sapiens that become a kind of permanent label. But there are those who argue that ...

The International Botanical Congress voted to change a scientific name belonging to hundreds of plant species because it was offensive in southern Africa. By Clarissa Brincat In July, plant scientists ...

The Kei apple tree (Dovyalis caffra) is native to southern Africa. It is one of the species that will have its scientific name changed after a recent vote. Public Domain After six days of heated ...

Plant names might sound like a chaotic mix of Latin, local legend, and old-school guesswork, but there’s actually a pretty logical system behind most of them. From scientific labels that tell you ...

Update: On 18 July, the International Botanical Congress voted to rename plants that contain caffra and its derivatives, and to create a committee that will address problematic taxonomic designations.