Word of the Day: variety
A population of plants that differ consistently from the typical form of the species, occurring naturally in a geographical area. The term is also applied, incorrectly but popularly, to forms produced in cultivation, which are properly called cultivars. A variety is indicated by a third Latin word (sometimes set off by the roman abbreviation “var.”) following the two-word term that indicates the genus and species. For example, Cotoneaster adpressus var. praecox is a more vigorous form of creeping cotoneaster than the normal one. Many plants that used to be considered varieties have been treated as garden plants for so long that they are now considered to be cultivars, and their names are rewritten accordingly.