spectabolis...

[dtje2000]

I've got two Dendrobiums with the species name spectabalis. Recently, I've seen this species name behind some other genera, at the moment a Miltonia.

Is there a logical reason that two (or more) different genera would have the same species name? I thought the first time I saw it I was suffering from some memory issues, but I just ran across it while trying to find me a warm-growing Miltonia...

[solay]

Good question. Of course I don't have an answer being new to orchids but I think Kevin or Jerry might come a long and enlighten us.

[kmarch]

Orchids of different genera (and even non-orchids) can and do have the same species name. The examples you've cited, dtje2000, do not actually have the same species name:
Dendrobium spectabile
Miltonia spectabilis
Note the difference in spelling as well as pronunciation. Your tags may have some misspellings on them.

But there are some orchids that do have the exact same species name:
Bulbophyllum rothschildianum
Paphiopedilum rothschildianum
You'd never confuse these two plants because even though they have the same species names (specific epithet), they belong to different genera (generic ephitet). Orchid species are sometimes named after important figures in the orchid world. In this case the species was named after a person, Baron von Rothschild, who was a rich guy that did a lot for orchids a long time ago (sorry for the gross over simplification of that but it's a little off topic).

Most other species names describe something about the orchid, for example the species name "bicolor" which means "2 colors". There are lots of orchids that are predominantly 2-colored:
Cattleya bicolor
Leptotes bicolor,
Cymbidium bicolor,
just to name a few and there are even non-orchids that have 2-colored flowers and carry a species name of bicolor like Acidanthera bicolor which is a type of Gladiolus. As whit the previous example you never confuse these orchids because they each have a different genus.

So there are logical reasons behind species names, some are descriptive and some are in honour of a person but two different orchids that happen to have the same species names are not necessarily related in any way and using this system of of having 2 names for each species (called binomial nomenclature) both a generic ephitet (genus) and a specific ephitet (species) means that no 2 orchid species will ever have the exact same name.

Does that make sense? Questions?

[solay]

It makes perfect sense. That's a very clear explanation of it. Thank you so much. I keep learning here and it's wonderful!

[delphiguy]

wow kmarch that's a good read and very informative, thanks.

[phalaephila]

It's just like someone I know from work, her name is Michele. And my sister-in-law, her name is also Michele. But they have different surnames!

[Plucky Purcell]

I'm jotting down notes as quick as I can! Must learn more!

[dtje2000]

Kevin, very clear and resolves all of my questions about the subject (except for the memory issues thing...no one can help me with that one). And you are spot-on, as always, about the spelling...I trotted right out and rechecked my Den tags...sure enough, spectabile. The added information about the colors helps, too, as I have a mounted Gongora with tricolor on the tag. I just figured someone got lazy with the tag!

Funny...I'm buying them faster than I can absorb the names so when I walk around and re-examine tags it's like I find a new orchid in my bunch every time. FUN! If I ever get myself organized I'll stick my whole list out for folks to view...as well as what's blooming right now. While it's true most of what's blooming is what I bought in January and March, I've got one Onc. Space Race 'cocoa' that is a re-bloomer and has rewarded me with THREE spikes! I'm beside myself with joy...