Juanita Browne: Unique names can be tricky but have a real purpose — take it from me, I know!

I've been mistakenly called Jacinta, and Wahinta or Yewanda. And even Joo-an-ita! But Carolus Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature system eliminates all this confusion for the animal and plant world

A Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) in flight at Ballycotton, County Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane

Did you know the scientific name for the humble dandelion is ‘ Taraxacum vulgaria’?

Or a daisy is Bellis perrenis? It can seem pretentious to call a wood mouse ‘ Apodemus sylvaticus’ — that someone using a scientific name instead of a common name for an animal or plant is simply trying to display their intelligence or ability to pronounce such cumbersome Latin or Greek words! Why do we ever use such awkward scientific names in the first place?