The most important point, perhaps, concerning the names of cultivars is that they should not be in Latin, but in any modern language using the so-called Roman alphabet (i.e. the alphabet in which English, French, German, etc., are written). The reason for this is, of course, to distinguish, at a glance, names of cultivars from names of wild varieties, which are in Latin. In the future, Latin names for cultivars will definitely not be allowed by the Code, but we are faced with the fait accompli of hundreds of existing Latin names which have been widely used for many years. For example: the dwarf conifers abound with cultivars called 'nana,' 'prostrata,' 'compacta' and the like, and such names as 'albus,' 'variegatus,' and 'plenus' occur in almost every cultivated genus. It would clearly be foolish to try to alter all these, and the Code accepts such legacies from the past as permanently with us. (As we shall see, however, a distinction is made between the writing of Latin cultivar-names and Latin varietal-names.)
The vast majority, then, of cultivar-names are vernacular or "fancy" names like 'Winston Churchill.' How should the full name of a cultivar be written? The complete and technically correct form, including the Latin name of the species from which the cultivar has been derived, is illustrated in the following example: Sedum spectabile Boreau, cv. 'Brilliant,' but I hasten to add that this lengthy designation is for use only on full-dress occasions! In the example, Sedum is the name of the genus, spectabile the name of the species (technically called the "specific epithet"), Boreau the name of the man who first described the species under that name (technically called "the authority" for the name), cv. the abbreviation of cultivar, and 'Brilliant' the cultivar-name for the particular cultivar concerned. It should be noted (1) that the generic name and specific epithet are printed in italics, (2) that the cultivar-name begins with a capital letter, is printed in ordinary Roman type, and is enclosed in single quotation marks, and (3) that there is no "authority" after the cultivar-name. These three points are important, and apply to the writing of all names of cultivars. If we wish to cut down this rather formidable string of words for every-day use, the authority can be omitted in all except very technical writing. Secondly, the abbreviation cv. can normally be left out, as the vernacular form, single quotes, and Roman type of 'Brilliant' indicate quite clearly that it is a cultivar-name, and not the name of a wild variety. In this shortened form, therefore, the name would read simply:
Sedum spectabile 'Brilliant'
and this is the normal method of writing the names of cultivars.
There are, however, two additional refinements that should be mentioned—apart from the special case of cultivars derived from hybrids, which I will deal with later. The first concerns those Latin cultivar-names which are left over from the past. These should be printed in Roman type and enclosed in single quotes to distinguish them from Latin varietal names; thus one would write Thuja orientalis 'elegantissima,' where 'elegantissima' is a cultivar-name, but Aesculus octandra var. vestita, where vestita is the name of a wild variety.
The second point refers to the omission of any authority after a cultivar-name. Many cultivars are first described in reports of trials, in catalogues, and other anonymous publications; this makes the quoting of an authority impractical, but there is provision in the Code for writing the raiser's or introducer's name in brackets after the cultivar-name if so desired, thus: Weigela 'Avalanche' (Lemoine).
2. Naming New Cultivars
General
Let us suppose that a nurseryman, park superintendent, or amateur gardener has just flowered a batch of seedlings of, say, Helenium, and that he spots one as being of a new type and worthy of propagation. In due course he shows the plant at a fortnightly show, under a number, and an Award of Merit is given to it. He must now find a cultivar-name for his new plant. His first problem, of course, is to choose a name that has not been used before in the genus Helenium. If he picks on a very unusual personal name he can be fairly certain that he is the first to use it. If, however, he prefers a more general name, like 'Innocence' or 'Venus,' there is a danger that it has been used before. If there existed a registration authority for Helenium names, as there does, for example, for names of Daffodils, he could, of course, consult this authority, but in its absence he must do his best to comb the likely literature—for example the Index to this JOURNAL, nurserymen's catalogues, etc.—and to assure himself that his chosen name has not already been used. His next step is to make certain that the name is in accordance with the best practice for coining such names. Here is where the Code will help him. In it he will find (under Section F) a series of rules for his guidance, based on the accumulated experience of horticulturists of many nations. I will not repeat these rules here—they can be read in the Code—but perhaps the most important, apart from the rule already quoted that the name must not be in Latin, is that it should be short (not more than two words), should avoid forms of address liable to be confused (e.g. Mr., Mrs. and Miss) and, as far as possible, should be easily pronounceable by all nationalities. As the Code says, 'Centenaire de Rozain-Bourcharlat,' 'Diplomagartenbauinspektor,' and 'Eldwyth Cholmondeley' are not looked upon with favour as cultivar-names! Having chosen a name, it is essential to ensure that it is published, together with an adequate description, since the Code does not recognize names that are not published, or are published with no description. The Code lays down what is meant by publication, and by adequate description. The names of plants which receive an Award at Vincent Square are automatically published, with a description, in this JOURNAL, but for other methods of publication the Code should be consulted.
Hybrids