How to Read Our Planet Labels
One of the most important practices in curating a living collection is attaching labels to the plants. Labels act as an important step in connecting the object on the grounds and the records stored in our files. Our plants feature display labels for the general public to learn more about the plant.
Here is how our display labels are formatted:
Scientific Name: a name composed of two parts, the genus and specific epithet, which together denote the plant species. The entire scientific name is italicized, with the first letter of the genus being capitalized. The specific epithet, however, is never capitalized. Other infraspecific-rank names may also appear on labels: subspecies (subsp.), varietas (var.), and forma (f.) are the most common.
Common Name: a name used by a general community to describe the plant species, which often varies between regions. For stylistic purposes, the common name is indicated on our labels in bold with capitalized letters, although common names are not normally capitalized.
QR Code: A QR code (quick response code) is a two-dimensional barcode made out of a pattern of squares. The codes are designed to be scanned by a cell phone camera and to quickly transmit information, such as a web address. To scan the QR code, you will need a smartphone with a QR code reader and internet access. If your phone does not already have a QR code reader, you can download a free app to add that functionality to your phone. You can learn more about each plant in our collection by scanning the label in front of you and navigating to our website.
A Note on Cultivars: A cultivar is a plant that has been selected and maintained, usually through vegetative propagation, because of desirable characteristics. Although some cultivars can occur in nature as plant mutations, most cultivars are developed by plant breeders. We have not planted cultivars in the Penn State Great Valley pollinator meadow. All plants in our collection are the straight species, meaning these native plants have grown in a particular area or ecoregion for hundreds or even thousands of years, are open-pollinated, and grow true to seed.