Artemisia tridentata

08:35 Oct 3, 2013 

Thank you very much for all your ideas and suggestions. I will use Artemisia tridentata (sagebrush).

07:28 Oct 3, 2013 

It is SO common for different plants to have the same common name. That's why Linnaeus sat down in the 1700s and created an international system using Latin. The best way for translators to proceed is to look up the scientific name in a *reliable* botanical dictionary in the target language, rather than try to translate the common name directly. In other words, the common name is virtually worthless for identification purposes outside the area where it's used.

22:35 Oct 2, 2013 

This certainly is a muddle, but I suspect that what lies behind it may be the fact that "hierba de San Juan", as well as being the common name for Hypericum perforatum (also known as hipérico), is also one of the common names for Artemisia vulgaris, mugwort or common wormwood (artemisa in Spanish), which is also sometimes called St John's plant, as opposed to St John's wort. OK, it's not the same Artemisia, but that may be where the confusion arose.

17:49 Oct 2, 2013 

I happen to be taking a course right now in botanical nomenclature. What's important is to have the scientific name correct. Common names vary from one region to the next, so your Spanish may be correct for the author's region. The U.S. Department of Agriculture gives 'big sagebrush' as the common name for Artemisia tridentata, so I would go with that in English and not worry about what the Spanish said.

16:58 Oct 2, 2013 

Artemisia Tridentata is Sagebrush (Asteraceae family) , Hypericum Perforatum is St Johns Word or Hierba de San Juan (hypericacaea family). They are different plants. I suspect there is an error in your source text.