Jeff Favelle November 4th, 2022
Common names or scientific names? What are they and how are they different? All of our favorite vegetable crops have one of each, sometimes more than that! What gives?
Every living thing on the planet that has been discovered, categorized, and classified has been given a name. Its how we describe these plants and animals to each other and how we organize them into their related groups. Even with our backyard veggie crops though, we’ve decided that there’s two ways to do it!
Common names are names given in the language of every day life (ie English) and are usually descriptive in nature are often the most used. These would be names like “tomato” or “cauliflower”. Everyday names of crops that we all know and are familiar with. They can be capitalized for specific varieties or lower case when referred to in general.
Scientific names are a pair of names given to an organism once it has been discovered. They are Latinized and use the Binomial Classification system of naming. The first name is the genus to which the organism belongs and the second name is the specific species name. When written, scientific names are italicized and only the genus name is capitalized.
Only one scientific name is given to an organism at one time. For example, Allium cepa. Common names however, can be one or more. Using Allium cepa as an example, it refers to the common Green Onions. Green Onions however are also called scallions or spring onions.
Same with Zucchinis. Scientifically known as Cucurbita pepo, they are commonly also referred to as courgettes, baby marrows, or summer squash!
So next time you refer to a crop by a name you’ve known all your life, don’t assume that the other person knows what you are talking about!