[paul m]

In heraldry, in this case.
Searching for information about Lille and Flanders, I see that it has a fleur de lys on its coat of arms. Wiki has a lot of info on this: Fleur de lys - Wikipédia

I'm surprised that the seaside flower Pancratium maritimum hasn't been incorporated into heraldry:

Especially in Brittany where it seems only to exist on one island:
Lys de Houat - Wildlife Photography

Of course, in Britain roses must be the most commonly used flower in heraldry?

[ericrovve]

Originally Posted by paul m

In heraldry, in this case.
Searching for information about Lille and Flanders, I see that it has a fleur de lys on its coat of arms. Wiki has a lot of info on this: Fleur de lys - Wikipédia

I'm surprised that the seaside flower Pancratium maritimum hasn't been incorporated into heraldry:

Especially in Brittany where it seems only to exist on one island:
Lys de Houat - Wildlife Photography

Of course, in Britain roses must be the most commonly used flower in heraldry?

Well I'm surprised it grows so far north. A typical Med. sea-side plant.
We also have the Plantagenet Kings - Plant a genet

[paul m]

Indeed, most of the literature and the web describe it as purely Mediterranean. Which is why I was disconcerted to see it on the island of Houat. It is clearly regarded as special since it has the title of lys d'Houat.

Okay, what's the significance of the genet (jennet = small horse or donkey)?

Originally Posted by ericrovve

Well I'm surprised it grows so far north. A typical Med. sea-side plant.
We also have the Plantagenet Kings - Plant a genet

[ericrovve]

Sorry.
Genet = Genista = Whin, Broom

(jennet = small horse or donkey) or Bidet, as everybody knows is a...
Small workaday horse

[paul m]

Originally Posted by ericrovve

Sorry.
Genet = Genista = Whin, Broom

(jennet = small horse or donkey) or Bidet, as everybody knows is a...
Small workaday horse

We live and learn, thanks! Mind, I've never needed to discuss Genista in French .....

PS: This is why scientific, Latin names are so useful on sites such as this - there are probably hundreds of vernacular names for Genista worldwide.

[goosey]

Originally Posted by paul m

PS: This is why scientific, Latin names are so useful on sites such as this - there are probably hundreds of vernacular names for Genista worldwide.

I am afraid that using latin names for fungi doesn't work . I was using Latin names on WAB for some fungi only to be told these names didn't exist - I double checked several sources on Dutch sites and the names were there in black and white. To cut a long story short it turns out that the Dutch uses different Latin names than the rest of the world for fungi! (Poor Linnaeus will be turning in his grave .)
I presume fungi is the exception to the rule and other things are united in Latin names?

[paul m]

Originally Posted by goosey

.........To cut a long story short it turns out that the Dutch uses different Latin names than the rest of the world for fungi! (Poor Linnaeus will be turning in his grave .)
I presume fungi is the exception to the rule and other things are united in Latin names?

Yes and no! When names get 'up-dated' the new names tend to be recognised first in the country of the systematist who has changed the names ... it takes time for the new names to spread over the world. This isn't due to people objecting to the change, simply that they don't hear about it or alter their books and websites.

There are, however, some dividing lines - when it comes to lumping and splitting of (e.g.) beetles, north Europeans tend to be more conservative than entomologists in southern Europe. Good example is that UK has only one genus of Carabus (eleven species)
whereas in Italy and the Balkans almost every species which we call Carabus is in a separate genus (Eucarabus, Archicarabus, Hemicarabus, Megodontus etc etc.... what we call sub-genera become genera.

However, back to my original point: most of us would still get a hold on these names whereas we wouldn't necessarily take in French, Russian, Lebanese or English vernacular names ...

[ericrovve]

The thing that annoys me is that although a name can't be used twice:
A plant was named Rosa chinensis, that was found in some Chinese garden, but no-one has found it since. So you can't have another R. chinensis.
(they had to call the obvious contender R. c. spontanea, or something)
However they can change anything already named and do so all the time.
Where have all the Crucifers, Ombellifers or Composites gone? And, by nature, all taxonomists (sp?) are splitters!!

[paul m]

The fleur de lys appears all over Lille, of course, in its stylised form. I found this mosaic above a door more exciting!