08/01/2024

Some Plant Names Can be Racist

Thus, scientists are looking to rename them

For almost 300 years, researchers have classified life on Earth with scientific names — two-word monikers like Homo sapiens that become a kind of permanent label. But there are those who argue that some of these names are problematic, demeaning or even racist.

That’s why the community of plant, algae and fungi researchers took a series of steps to start tackling these issues — including voting to rename more than 200 plants to strike a racial slur from their official names.

The move, made just ahead of last week’s International Botanical Congress in Madrid, was intended to correct a name that many found derogatory.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NPR.