I am curious as to how names of varieties of brugs are decided on. I have read some complicated procedures for naming other plants for distribution, how about brugs. Does each distributor just come up with a disignated name and then it becomes accepted? Is there an official registry as there is, for instance, in the African violet world? Just curious.
Names for varieties
Hi gessieviolet,
Brugmansia does have an ICRA (International Cultivation Registration Authority). However, you will see there is a 'Sticky' post here about not mentioning the names of two relevant organisations, so I suggest you do a Google search for it!
I can however, explain a little about the process, which is governed by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (2004) and not actually determined by the ICRA. These are rules relating to all cultivated plants, and they have been developed to assist the management of the millions of cultivar names there are for plants in general.
Under the International rules, cultivar names are not fixed or established until they have been published in print with a description of the plant for which the name is being established. Names that are posted in electronic media such as a forum or website are not established under the international rules, because electronic media are not deemed permanent.
The name does not have to be published by the ICRA, but ICRAs usually provide the service of publishing new names to establish them. The role of the ICRA is to maintain a comprehensive checklist of existing cultivar names, so that they can check for you whether a proposed name has already been used or not, and also whether a proposed name complies with the International rules (only a few don't, by the way). Names are not allowed which are: latin (e.g. 'Alba'), more than 30 characters long (e.g. .... I can't think of one lol), confusingly similar to another (e.g. if there was a Brugmansia 'Alistair', then 'Alisdair' would not be acceptable for another Brugmansia cultivar), and there are some other circumstances - rather obscure and technical - in which names are not acceptable.
There is no enforceable mechanism for reserving cultivar names prior to their being established in print. This means that if, for example, someone has posted a new cultivar on a website, but not published the name in print, and then someone else uses the same name for a different cv but does publish it, the later, published one is the one that stands.
Besides whether or not the name has already been used, it needs to be demonstrated that the features of the new cultivar are stable under propagation - this is to ensure that a new cultivar isn't named and described based on features which are simply the product of environmental circumstances. This generally means waiting for at least 2 growing seasons between the first flower on a new cv and being ready to make the decision to name it (or not). Beyond that, the ICRA has no role in making judgements about whether the cultivar is 'good' or not.
Happy to provide more detail......!
Thanks, I won't even pretend that I really understand but it does answer the question I had in mind that I did not know how to ask. I kind'a had the idea that people just stuck names to a plant (which I guess does happen). I only have 3 plants and 12 sdlg right now, so I won't be trying to register anything new for awhile LOL
Gessie
It certainly does happen that way! All too often. But if you do raise something distinctive and that's a good performer, I'm sure there are plenty of knowledgeable people in this and other forums who'd guide you through the process. Its actually less daunting than it looks, and once you've done it once, you're away!