Vernacular names of plants and animals
Do you capitalise common names? And should you use italics?
The vernacular name of a plant or animal is also known as the ‘common’ name. The common name is often used alongside the Latin, or scientific, name. However, many authors are unsure about when to capitalise common names and if italics need to be used.
Capitals
In most instances, the common name is in lower-case unless it includes a proper noun (in which case, that word retains its capitalisation).
Examples:
claret ash
desert bandicoot
Mount Morgan wattle
Tasmanian devil
Most style guides agree with the convention of lower-casing the common name unless part of it is a proper noun. However, some societies and journals do not follow this convention, and prefer upper-case names for some types of plants and animals. Examples are the American Ornithological Union, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, and BirdLife Australia.
In cases where regional names are used, capitalisation depends on the style guide, reference or style sheet used by the society or journal doing the publishing. For example, the online Australian Government Style Manual suggests lower-casing ‘siamese cat’, but the Macquarie Online Dictionary lists ‘Siamese cat’ with an initial capital.
Italics
Italics are not usually used for common names in text. This is also true where Latin genus names are used as common names.
Examples:
eucalyptus tree (from Eucalyptus spp.)
python (from Python spp.)
Note that, in most cases, the common name is also not capitalised when derived from the Latin genus name.
Helpful hints
Always check the style guide and the dictionary specified by the journal or society where a paper is being published to ensure you are following their specific style guidelines.
It is also a good idea to list the scientific name next to the common name. The common name of an animal or plant may differ depending on the country, region or state, but the scientific name will always stay the same.
