A good practice: why we should suggest vernacular names for new plant species

Abstract

Here we discuss the importance of vernacular names and encourage authors of new plant species to propose “suggested vernacular names” along with the new species description in cases that there are no vernacular names known. It is not our intention to propose new rules, but we provide recommendations to ensure inclusion of local peoples and dissemination of scientific knowledge when suggesting a vernacular name. We believe that the suggestion of vernacular names in the original publication of a new species would help in [1] minimizing proliferation of common names in the same language when knowledge on the species becomes widely publicized; [2] communicating with lay audience inside and outside the country, where linguistic variations could be applied, but starting from a reference, i.e., the taxonomist’s suggestion; [3] disseminating important information about the new species and the work of the taxonomist; [4] raising awareness about the conservation of the species and its habitat, when the image of this species is widely linked to non-academic media; and [5] promoting inclusion in and popularization of science.

Turnera carolina (Turneraceae, Passifloraceae s.l.): A New Species from Chapada das Mesas, Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil

“…For general morphological terminology, we followed Radford et al (1974), except for the indumentum, for which we followed Hewson (1988) and Gonzalez and Arbo (2004). For the suggested vernacular name, we followed the recommendations proposed by Marinho and Scatigna (2022). For the pro-visionary conservation status assessment, we followed the IUCN Red List categories and criteria (IUCN 2012) and its subsequent guidelines (IUCN 2022); the extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) were estimated with GeoCAT (Bachman et al 2011), using a 2 km wide cell, and based on the coordinates provided in all examined specimens' labels.…”

Towards a Treatment for the Cactus Family (Cactaceae) on Hispaniola: Generic Key, Species Checklist, Nomenclature Assessments and Distribution Notes.

“…These were taken from personal communication with field guides, experiences of Dominican and Haitian botanists, and supplemented by the Diccionario botánico de nombres vulgares de La Española (Liogier 1974) and Bwa yo (Timyan 1996). Also, for conservation purposes and posterior science communication, we designated common names for endemic taxa that are often unknown by local communities, based on the criteria suggested by Marinho and Scatigna (2022).…”

“…These compilations are the most used references for the diversity of Cactaceae on this island. However, no updated species list based on recent systematic advances and field research (Franck et al 2013, 2016, 2019, Majure and Clase 2018; Barrios et al 2020; Majure et al 2021a, b; Majure et al 2022) or field observations (Hoxey et al 2021, 2022) have been incorporated into a revised checklist for the family.…”