PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF COMMON NAMES IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF POISONOUS PLANTS

Barriers in communication among professional botanists, physicians and the general populous developed from a disparity in the use of botanic al nomenclature. Universally accepted scientific names from plants aff ords a common ground of understanding among botanists throughout the w orld. A general phobia with unfamiliar latinized scientific nomenclatu re has proliferated the use of common or trivial names. These names, h owever, can vary with geographic region, language, or individual prefe rence often and thus, can lead to misidentification or a delay in the proper identification of a toxic plant.