Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

Inventorying food plants in France
At the end of this enumeration, the conclusion is that quite all the plants marketed in
Europe, and most of those marketed in North America, are actually included. With the
trend of globalisation, it can be said that most of the plants which are available with
commercial standards on the world market are considered. In total, they comprise 770
species, including algae and fungi.
Structure of an entry by species
Heading
The scientific name is followed by common synonyms and the basionym, with author
and date of publication. This allows the reader knowing the basic rules of botanical nomenclature
to understand why a name is considered as correct, which is always a kind
of mystery for most people. When the nomenclatural situation is more complex, a particular
paragraph deals with it under “description”.
The number of chromosomes and the genome formula (if relevant) are given.
Popular names are systematically given in French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish,
Portuguese and Italian, with details if necessary. In addition, names in the major languages
of the area of diversity of the plant may be given here, or mentioned in the text
under “history”.
Description
This section presents a short description of the species, with some biological features
of interest for the common reader.
Cultivars and cultivar-groups
This section gives a summary of the genetic and morphological diversity within the species.
The emphasis is on what can be perceived by the reader. Only the outstanding
cultivars are mentioned.
History
This is perhaps the most important and original section. It considers first what is known
about the centre of origin, and then follows the diffusion and diversification of the species
through space and time. Full attention is given to the history of popular names, and
to the social events that influenced the spread of the crop. A selection of landmark historical
texts is used through quotations, with plant names in the original language. This
allows the reader first to enjoy having direct access to old authors, but more important,
to check the context and feel free to reinterpret the meaning. I have always been frustrated
with short statements such as “Pliny the Elder mentioned this species”. Too many
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