Hippeastrum vs. Amaryllis and subject listings

Mary Sue Ittner msittner@mcn.org
Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:36:40 PDT
Hi,

For the most part members of this group are good about using botanical 
names when we discuss our bulbs. This is really helpful since we have 
members from all over the world and using these names ensures that we are 
all talking about the same thing. (Well at least it used to before the 
taxonomists started changing the names faster than we can learn them.) 
Using the scientific name also helps in searching our archives. Believe me, 
posts to this list turn up regularly on Google searches.  But we have an 
ongoing problem when it comes to discussing Hippeastrum hybrids that people 
often call Amaryllis. Since there is a genus Amaryllis, when someone asks 
for help with Amaryllis, some people are going to assume that the bulb in 
question was Amaryllis belladonna instead of  Hippeastrum hybrids. It would 
be helpful to use the word Hippeastrum, but it's always possible to note, 
often sold as Amaryllis, or something like this to explain what you are 
talking about.

Also I see we have picked up from Jim McKenney a new heading for our 
discussion:
  [SPAM] Re:  Source of Eremurus spp.
People responded to his note and now that is the label for this subject in 
the archives. Some of our members do a quick search of the subjects to 
decide whether or not to read the message and if you saw this subject 
heading, you might wonder if it was a response you wanted to read because 
of the [Spam] preface.

Please change subject headings when you change the topic too so people who 
scan the subjects won't miss something that they might want to read about 
that is labeled under a subject that was being discussed but has now changed.

Many thanks.

Mary Sue
PBS list administrator


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