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Topic: Balm of Gilead

One of our vc plant recorders has just pointed out that Salix lapponum x lanata is given a common name of Balm-Of-Gilead.

However Balm-Of-Gilead is Populus x jackii.

Is this an error?

Phil

CPERC

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Re: Balm of Gilead

Hi Phil,

I have checked a BSBI website and they seem to be in agreement with our database:

"Balm-of-Gilead" is "Populus balsamifera x deltoides = P. x jackii Sarg."

"Salix lapponum x lanata" has a synonym of "Populus gileadensis  auct., non Rouleau" but doesn't have a common name of "Balm-of-Gilead".

Do you have a source for your plant recorder's use of Balm-of-Gilead for the Salix hybrid? Is it a local use of the name perhaps?

Thanks, Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)

3

Re: Balm of Gilead

In the Vascular Plant BSBI checklist in Recorder (on our version anyway!) is the following entry -

Salix lapponum x lanata [SppHyb]

Balm-Of-Gilead

List Synonyms

Populus balsamifera auct., non L. [Spp]
Populus gileadensis [Spp]
Salix x stuartii nom. nud. hort. [SppHyb]

Other Synonyms
Populus balsamifera auct., non L. [Spp]
Populus tacamahacca auct., non Mill. [Spp]
Salix lanata x lapponum [SppHyb]
Salix lapponum x lanata [SppHyb]

The common name therefore comes from records we have exported from Recorder. However maybe again this is an issue with the synonymy in our checklists only?

Populus x jackii is also given this common name.

Phil

4 (edited by Gordon Barker 29-05-2013 11:54:46)

Re: Balm of Gilead

Using Dictionary 1N we have both:

Populus balsamifera x deltoides = P. x jackii Sarg. [SppHyb]

Balm-of-Gilead
List Synonyms

Populus x candicans [SppHyb]
Populus x gileadensis Rouleau [SppHyb]
Populus x jackii Sarg. [SppHyb]
Populus x tacamahacca [SppHyb]

Other Synonyms
Populus x jackii Sarg. [SppHyb]

Code: 61/1/bal x del

Taxon Key: NHMSYS0001754479

Taxon Version Key: NHMSYS0001754479

Taxon List Item Key: NHMSYS0001753856



and

Salix lapponum x lanata [SppHyb]

Balm-Of-Gilead
List Synonyms

Populus balsamifera auct., non L. [Spp]
Populus gileadensis [Spp]
Salix x stuartii nom. nud. hort. [SppHyb]

Other Synonyms
Populus balsamifera auct., non L. [Spp]
Populus tacamahacca auct., non Mill. [Spp]
Salix lanata x lapponum [SppHyb]
Salix lapponum x lanata [SppHyb]

Code: 61/2/17 x 18
Other Checklists

NBN Gateway Vascular Plant Dataset

Taxon Key: NHMSYS0100002825

Taxon Version Key: NHMSYS0100002825

Taxon List Item Key: NHMSYS0000451408

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

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Re: Balm of Gilead

Hi Phil

This is really odd. I have checked my source data and in my database's version for the BSBI list "Balm-of-Gilead" [TVK NHMSYS0000456397] is only pointing at "Populus balsamifera x deltoides = P. x jackii" [NHMSYS0001754479]. The Salix has synonyms but only scientific ones - no vernaculars.

But there is another, ill-formed version "Balm-Of-Gilead" [TVK NBNSYS0000164981], which is only used on the Recorder3.3 list and "NBN Gateway Vascular Plant Dataset" list. On the latter it is pointed to both "Populus x jackii" and "Salix lapponum x lanata". The NBN list is not recommended so I'm not sure why the ill-formed name from that might be being confused with the version on the BSBI list.

I know the data we supply is processed and adjusted before it goes into the Recorder6 software so it might be worth Mike Weideli checking it out at his end. I will get in touch with him.

Cheers
Chris R.

Chris Raper, Manager of the UK Species Inventory, Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity,
Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD.  (tel: 020 7942 5894)
also Tachinid Recording Scheme (http://tachinidae.org.uk/)