May 15, 2007 - May 15, 2008
McKenna Gallery

"What's In a Name? Understanding the World of Plants" exhibits the science and art of botanical classification. The diversity of life on our blue/green planet is not only more complex than we think, it may be more complex than we can think. Nevertheless, the question will always arise, whether walking through a meadow or working in the yard, "What is it?" Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Pine or fir? Ponderosa pine or limber pine?

This exhibit examines the very human endeavor of placing names on the flowers, grasses, and trees with which we share the world, and the closely related study of understanding their biological and historical relatedness with each other. From the collector in the field, to the curator in the museum, to the molecular biologist in the laboratory the process of arriving at a meaningful and informative classification is a fascinating endeavor, and is continually changing as we come to a better understanding of the natural world.

The Flora of North America Project, an effort to describe the more than 20,000 species occurring in North America north of Mexico, is highlighted in "What's In a Name?" This comprehensive work builds on the cumulative knowledge and resources acquired in over two hundred years of floristic studies in North America. Historical specimens and manuscripts, as well as original botanical illustrations and the most rigorous analytical tools contribute to the project.

"What's In a Name?" brings to light the many facets required to produce a useful synthesis of the plants that grow in a particular region, a flora, and the role floras play in our understanding of biodiversity and the conservation of life on earth.