An international group of researchers has voted to modify the scientific names of more than 200 plant species whose names carry a derogatory word. Some plant names can be racist. Scientists are ...

Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue. Since ...

The International Botanical Congress voted to change a scientific name belonging to hundreds of plant species because it was offensive in southern Africa. By Clarissa Brincat In July, plant scientists ...

Passiflora incarnata, Nymphaea odorata, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Asclepius incarnata! Sounds like spells from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, doesn’t it? While these words could come ...

Scientific name of pine tree: Why does your Christmas tree smell like a fresh mountain breeze? Or why do some forests stay green all winter long? One of nature's oldest and strongest survivors holds ...

Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life on Earth with scientific names, a two-word moniker like Homo sapiens. But some of these names are weighed down by problematic histories and ...