To National Registrars of New Camellia Cultivars
I have been appointed International Camellia Registrar since 2015, by the International Camellia Society, which has designated resposibility from the International Commission for the Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants for publication of valid and accepted names. Our publication obligations require the use of the first valid publication, i.e. containing sufficient information for identification, of any new cultivar. The registration systems in place in most major camellia growing countries are invaluable in being able to pick up most of these publications in an orderly and controlled way. Publications outside the registrations systems, e.g books and nursery cataloges, I will have to pick up by whatever means possible, again as Tom and Neville did.
The following are points which I like to include in the International Camellia Register entry, and therfore appreciate seeing in your first publication. I have include a few DOs and DON'Ts from the International Commission's Code in case you are not aware of these:
CULTIVAR NAME
- Must not have been used previously, no matter the name was accepted or just a synonym. The entire International Camellia Register has been online ralready, so checking is very easy.
- Use of Latin is barred. This is reserved for Species.
- Use of the common names of other plants is barred, except where it the name of a person, or even possibly a place. e.g. Rambling Rose was invalid, but rose Smith would be valid.
- Names should be no more than 10 syllables and 30 letters total.
- Use of words such as Cross, Strain, Hybrid, Sport, Improved and Selection are barred.
- Should be sufficiently different from existing names, so as not to cause confusions. e.g. Snowcloud was refected as being too close to Snow Cloud.
- Honorifics such as Doctor, Professor, Senator etc. are required to be written in full. However I propose an eception in case of Doctor. The vast majority of publicatinos have been of Dr rather than Doctor, and I will accept the abbreviation as valid in future to keep them together in alphabetical lists.
- The word Variegated should be spelt in full to avoid confusion with variety.
- Names may be invented words or acronyms, e.g. Lasca Beauty (Lasca = Los Angeles State & County Arboretum), but most not be offensive.
- No names with offensive connotations may be used.
