The Rectification of Oak Names

Roderick Cameron

Published May 2023 in International Oaks No. 34: 71–80

Abstract

The research behind this paper was provoked by a notification that the name Quercus frainetto would change to Q. conferta. Why do oak names change and what are valid reasons for changing them? To answer these questions, a survey of selected changes to oak names that occurred in the past is presented. Sometimes a bad name must be rejected, or a good name must be conserved; mistakes of the past must be corrected; a deeper knowledge of certain oaks requires that new names be applied; some nomenclatural problems have still to be resolved and others may not have been resolved in the best way. Returning to the original issue: if the objective is to avoid confusion and maintain stability of plant names, should we accept the name change for what we have for many years known as Q. frainetto?

Keywords

botanical  nomenclature,  principle  of  priority,  name  changes,  Quercus frainetto, Q. conferta

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