Problem buying plants with scientific names

[soulfinder78]

Any bro out there encounter this problem? Some website uses scientific names with plants picture. some plants will look very nice then when go purchase that time run into problem finding the plants because of scientific names.

[ranmasatome]

Actually what you can do is write down the scientific names....then when you go to shop ask for a plant book or what... most of the times you will be able to find your plant. Thats what i used to do before with Teo's. They have a plant book there...and once you point out your plant in the book.. they know what it is...

Some of the more knowledgable plant places will also know scientific names...
Scientific names is the only way you can be sure you are getting what you are looking at. If you go by common names.. its even worse when you realise that you paid whatever price for the wrong plant.

[Aeon]

Teo knows most plants' scientific names, I was surprised.
best is buy a plant book then go to the shop and point.

[valice]

Shops that get their plants from Oriental agents will always have the Oriental Plant Book. Because, when they order their plants, they use the serial number instead of the plant name. So you just point out the plant in the book and give the shop the serial number and they order it for you.

Since you are starting a new tank, I believe you have the list of plants you want already, so just make a one time order from the shops to save you the trouble of looking for the plants at different shops and different time.

Anyway, prices are fixed due to fixed-price policy from the Oriental farm. So not much variance in the price between shops.

[medicineman]

You'd be glad to find aquatic plants have fixed scientific names (even though they are heck difficult to pronounce - not to mention to memorise). You can never pick the wrong plant when reffering to the scientific name. Relying on the look of the plant might sometimes not reliable as plants are quite versatile and may change appearance - texture, colour, shape, ect following to where they grow.

Right here people just name aquatic plants anyhow they like, esp the traditional plant vendors (which ironically the biggest market sellers - spearhead to the entery level hobyist). Imported or not, the vendors seems to have names on plants. What they call at one shop might be different at the other shop. What they named a plant as might not be available at all on the internet or book. For instance they call certain plant as water grass and you will have several stuff coming out of their stash : lileaopsis, HC, glosso, etc which grow grass-like as emmersed form. Or guajava for all sort of hygro corymbosa - just because the emmersed leaves look like Psidium guajava (jambu batu) leaves.

[fisherw]

I have, you might say, the "opposite" problem. I see a plant I like in a lfs and want to know more about it, is it easy to take care of, light requirement, etc.? Not being an expert, I have then to look at each plant on say aquahobby.com and guess if it is the same plant. Some photos are taken close up so looking at the size does not help. Also, many look so much alike. So, short of taking a photo and posting a "help ID this plant" on AQ, I live with the plants with my fingers crossed.

Many of the lfs out there do not even have common names let alone, scientific ones for the plants they sell.

Luckily, the WTS and FOC offers here by forumers have scientific names.

Off-topic, medicineman, rather coincidentally, I was just looking at your thread on "The Planted Tank Forum" "medicineman's natural nano".

[Kenneth Tang]

I started out bringing the printed pictures of the plants to the LFS

[Aquaculture]

Same here. I print the pics as well as the scientific name for the lfs to verify....