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 ...

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 ...

Botanical names might look like a jumble of Latin, but they’re actually more useful (and less scary) than most people think. Unlike common names, which can change from place to place, botanical names ...

Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue. Since ...

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 ...

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 ...

Holly has a degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Leicester. Her scientific interests include genomics, personalized medicine, and bioethics.View full profile Holly has a degree in ...

Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life on Earth with scientific names, a two-word moniker like Homo sapiens. But some of these names are weighed down by problematic histories and ...