Plant Name Variations

As inconvenient as it can be, sometimes plant names change.  Plant taxonomy is constantly evolving, as is our understanding of how plants relate to one another.  Whether scientists decide that a particular species should be renamed or different regions have assigned different names for the same plant, shifts happen.  Whatever the case, these adjustments can make things difficult if you're trying to track down a plant that is suddenly going by a new genus.

We've compiled a guide to many of the scientific names that have undergone changes, highlighting the versions used by the USDA (which is how the plants are listed in this database).

Scientific Name Variations

Alcea rosea

• Alcea ficifolia
• Althaea rosea

 

Aloe vera

• Aloe barbadensis
• Aloe indica
• Aloe perfoliata var. vera
• Aloe vulgaris

 

Alternanthera brasiliana

• Alternanthera dentata
• Achyranthes brasiliana
• Alternanthera jacquinii
• Gomphrena brasiliana

 

Althaea officinalis

• Althaea sublobata
• Althaea taurinensis
• Althaea vulgaris
• Malva officinalis

 

Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii

• Anisacanthus wrightii
• Drejera wrightii

 

Canna x generalis

• Canna neglecta
• Canna x orchiodes

 

Capsicum annuum

• Capsicum frutescens

 

Catharanthus roseus

• Ammocallis rosea
• Lochnera rosea
• Vinca rosea

 

Celosia argentea

• Celosia cristata
• Celosia margaritacea

 

Chasmanthium latifolium

• Uniola latifolia

 

Chrysanthemum x morifolium

• Dendranthema morifolium

  

Dieffenbachia seguine

• Dieffenbachia maculata
• Dieffenbachia picta

 

Epipremnum pinnatum

• Epipremnum aureum
• Philodendron nechodomii
• Pothos aurea
• Rhaphidophora aurea
• Scindapsus aureus

 

Eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum

• Eustoma grandiflorum
• Eustoma russellianum

 

Ficus benjamina

• Ficus nitida

 

Foeniculum vulgare

• Foeniculum foeniculum

 

Gazania rigens

• Gazania splendens

 

Glandularia bipinnatifida

• Verbena bipinnatifida

 

Glandularia x hybrida

• Verbena hybrida

 

Helianthus annuus

• Helianthus aridus
• Helianthus lenticularis

 

Helianthus maximiliani

• Helianthus dalyi

 

Hibiscus moscheutos

• Hibiscus incanus
• Hibiscus oculiroseus
• Hibiscus opulifolius
• Hibiscus palustris
• Hibiscus pinetorum

 

Hylotelephium spectabile

• Sedum spectabile

 

Impatiens walleriana

• Impatiens petersiana
• Impatiens sultani

 

Ipomoea purpurea

• Convolvulus purpureus
• Ipomoea hirsutula
• Pharbitis purpurea

 

Ipomoea x batatas

• Convolvulus batatas
• Convolvulus tiliaceus
• Ipomoea fastigiata
• Ipomoea tiliacea
• Ipomoea triloba

 

Lantana camara

• Lantana aculeata
• Lantana strigocamara
• Lantana tiliifolia

 

Lantana montevidensis

• Lantana sellowiana
• Lippia montevidensis

 

Leucanthemum x superbum

• Chrysanthemum x superbum

 

Lobelia erinus

• Lobelia erinoides

 

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia

• Aster tanacetifolius
• Machaeranthera coronopifolia
• Machaeranthera parthenium

 

Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii

• Malvaviscus drummondii

 

Mentha spicata

• Mentha cordifolia
• Mentha longifolia
• Mentha sylvestris
• Mentha viridis

 

Mirabilis jalapa

• Mirabilis lindheimeri

 

Monstera deliciosa

• Philodendron pertusum

 

Nassella tenuissima

• Stipa tenuissima

 

Ocimum basilicum

• Ocimum americanum

 

Oenothera lindheimeri

• Gaura lindheimeri

 

Pennisetum alopecuroides

• Panicum alopecuroides

 

Pennisetum purpureum

• Cenchrus purpureus

 

Petunia x atkinsiana

• Petunia x hybrida

 

Platycodon grandiflorus

• Platycodon grandiflorum

 

Plumbago auriculata

• Plumbago capensis

 

Portulaca umbraticola

• Portulaca neglecta
• Portulaca oleracea
• Portulaca retusa

 

Ratibida columnifera

• Lepachys columnaris
• Lepachys columnifera
• Ratibida columnaris
• Rudbeckia columnaris
• Rudbeckia columnifera

 

Ruellia caerulea

• Ruellia brittoniana
• Ruellia malacosperma
• Ruellia simplex
• Ruellia tweediana

 

Salvia farinacea

• Salvia earlei

 

Schlumbergia truncatus

• Epiphyllum truncatum
• Zygocactus truncatus

 

Sedum reflexum

• Petrosedum reflexum
• Sedum rupestre

 

Senecio cineraria

• Senecio bicolor
• Jacobaea maritima

 

Solenostemon scutellarioides

• Coleus blumei
• Coleus pumilus
• Coleus scutellarioides
• Plectranthus blumei
• Plectranthus scutellarioides

 

Stachys byzantina

• Stachys olympica

 

Tagetes patula

• Tagetes corymbosa
• Tagetes remotiflora
• Tagetes signata
• Tagetes tenuifolia

 

Tradescantia pallida

• Setcreasea purpurea

 

Zinnia grandiflora

• Crassina grandiflora

 

Zinnia violacea

• Crassina elegans
• Zinnia elegans

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