Since Dec I have been slowly entering plants to my Plant List. Ay least three times I was unable to enter a plant using the name I have used for years and I can readily 'google' for info.

Case in point: I entered scabiosa caucasica as the name in the Plant Data Base and got 'no results' from the plant data base. Since the plant was new to me, I entered it as a New Plant for data base.

Ireceived this system message from @Zuzu:

Your database proposal was declined.
Your proposal to add a plant was declined by zuzu.

The declined proposal was:
----
Genus: Scabiosa
Species:
Cultivar: caucasica
Trade name: fama
Series:
Common name: pincushion flower

Zuzu said it was the same as
Pincushion Flower (Lomelosia caucasica 'Fama')

Shouldn't the data base still pick up on 'scabiosa'
because it is not general knowledge when a plant gets reclassified! And that's how the grower tag read!

I don't know why your search didn't bring up results. It should have worked.
Here are the results I get for the following searches:

scabiosa caucasica
http://garden.org/plants/searc...

scabiosa fama
http://garden.org/plants/searc...

I got the same result as Evan. Perhaps you misspelled the name when you entered it in the search box and didn't notice?

I just added Scabiosa caucasica as a synonym to Scabiosa (Lomelosia caucasica 'Fama Deep Blue') the rest already included it.

I just went to data base search by name and entered scabiosa caucasica then hit search.
http://garden.org/plants/searc...

This time I got No Results again and this time a System message box asking if I meant scabiosa caucasica.

At least I know I didn't misspell name as I am prone to do! Wish I could remember the other plants I had same difficulty with. Makes me feel weird, as if all of the plant nomeclature I have ammassed (see sp?!)in my brain over the years is useless unless I know a common name (only a very rough starting point IMHO) or some synonymn(sp again!)
Thanks for trying to trouble shoot this.
Never heard of lomelosia going to google it now.

Look closely at how you spelled it.

You had 2 of the letter i in your spelling. I do that sometimes and just tell myself it's because I type so fast.

Nah, nah, it's "sometimes the keys stick."

LOL Maybe the print in the search term box could be a little larger and darker for searchers like me!

Thanks Woofie, I used my magifier and saw the double i.
Good thing one doesn't have to win spelling bees to enjoy plants and gardening!

How ever I did or did not spell the name correctly the first time, I did not get a system message suggesting a alternative as I did this last time.

Definitely not a fast typist so I'll go with 'sticking keys' or a term I just learned 'fat fingers'!

It is a lovely new to me plant...guess like so many others, I'm a pushover for blue blooms.

I was going to submit this photo until I read to refrain from pics with hands and feet! I'll post it here instead.

Oh, it is pretty!

Here's the reason your proposal was declined:

Your database proposal was declined.
Your proposal to add a plant was declined by zuzu.

The declined proposal was:
----
Genus: Scabiosa
Species:
Cultivar: caucasica
Trade name: fama
Series:
Common name: pincushion flower

The system didn't recognize it as a plant that was already in the database because you entered caucasica as the cultivar name instead of the species and fama as the trade name instead of the cultivar name.

Thanks Zuzu.

Maybe I do need glasses! No, seriously, I figured my proposal wouldn't be accepted as I found scabiosa caucasica all over google and plant data base couldn't be that empty on scabiosa! Little did I know that data base was so up to date as to refer to my plant as lomelosia caucasica due to 4 species of scabiosa being moved classification wise to lomelosia sometime in 2011. Evidently the trade has some updating to do


Perhaps there is some way to footnote or alert data base users/searchers to the fact of a recent change such as this?

Oh yes, larger print in the search box would be good, too.

Well, you CAN fix the print size by adjusting your computer's display. I have a little zoom tool in my browser, but there's a keyboard command...I think it's Ctrl + ... to enlarge the display. And then Ctrl - to change it back.

Adding the old name to the entry for the new name as a synonym is the only way we alert database users to the changes. There's no other way to do it. Sometimes the admins make hundreds of these changes in a single day. Special alerts would take up too much time and space.

As for the larger print, I just use my mouse in combination with the Ctrl key to enlarge the print (scrolling up on the mouse to enlarge and down on the mouse to minimize). I guess that might not work with all devices, but I'm still using a desktop computer.

I am familiar with changing type size as needed but never thought to do it in this instance as I could easily read everything on page. Just think text within the search box is smaller than need be in relation to other text sizes on page. Minor point that I can live with.

@Zuzu I feel yor pain...seems there is a lot more hand work to these data bases than one would think. I once spent an entire summer doing nothing but change one number to another to update the county voter registration roles. All was done on typewriters by inserting that powdered correction tape, typing old number to erase, removing strip and typing in new number. Hardest part was getting the cards to line up correctly. We college students did manage to finish them all by 'election time'. Thankless work is n't work that people who know about it are ungrateful for but thank less because so few realize what it takes to do it. Hopefully Lomelaria formerly aka scabiosa will stay put for a while but rumer has it that those classification people alredy have more species moves in the pipline!

From me to you thank you very much for all you do and all countless others do to create and maintain the ATP plant data base!

Awww!

I rarely use the Data Base, But I agree...lots of work for no pay has to be a labor of love. Thanks to all Mods!

Mariposa, my work-around for misspellings is to enter LESS of the name. In your example, a search for cau fama brings up two scabiosa entries, one is yours. I often just search by one word of the cultivar name to see what other plants share the name. Search fama and you will get a manageable list to choose from.