While we can take the specific geographical epithet of most plants to be an accurate statement of their origins this is not always to be relied upon. There are many anomalies.

Scilla peruviana does not originate from Peru. The ship that brought it to the UK bore the name Peru and it was thought that is where the plants came from.

Prunus persica does not come from Persia but from China.

Our much grown Hibiscus syriacus is also from China and did not originate in Syria.

Many plants having the epithet 'indica' are not from India simply because when named much of Asia was accepted as India.

Azalea indica (Rhododendron indica) , long cultivated in Japan is native to China.

Its natural spread did not extend to the Indian sub-continent.

Lagerstroemia indica the Crepe Mytle originates from China.

The well known Kerria japonica is a native of China.

So while we are taking pride in learning our botanical names, perhaps we should be just a little questioning as to the accuracy of the geographical epithet that makes up the specific name of many.

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