Vernacular Names

Vernacular names limitations
BIO includes vernacular or commons names with biodiversity records in Dandjoo, as these names can be useful for communication and scientific outreach. However, these names do not have the same scientific validation that taxonomic names do, and shouldn't be used as a substitute for taxonomic names. Multiple species may have the same vernacular name, or a single taxonomic name may have multiple vernacular names with regional variations that may be unknown to people outside that region. 

While BIO uses vernacular names that are used in the WA Museum checklists, WA Plant Census/FloraBase and DBCA's Species and Communities Threatened and Priority Fauna and Flora lists to ensure as vernacular names are as standardised in Western Australia as possible, there is no single point of truth or authority on what vernacular name a species should have, and don't have the same curatorial controls that taxonomic names have.