Talk:Spirodela polyrrhiza

Spelling

The orthographic correct spelling is polyrhiza (poly = many, rhiza = roots). Where does the second "r" come from? Taxonomically, "Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden" is a valid name, isn't it? So, let's leave it there, please! -- Fice (talk) 14:11, 23 November 2011 (UTC)

According to the GRIN taxonomy (see: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?400337 Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid.

) it should indeed be polyrhiza. --Réginald alias Meneerke bloem (To reply) 14:31, 23 November 2011 (UTC)

GRIN is incorrect about the spelling. Please see the World Checklist at Kew Gardens [1] and the treatment in the Flora of North America [2]. The name is frequently misspelled, but the correct spelling of the epithet is polyrrhiza, with a double "rr".

This comes not a regular "rho" in Ancient Greek, but from the variant with a diacritical. In the middle of compound words, it becomes a double-rho, which is rendered as a doubled "rr" both in Latinized forms, as in the genus Glycyrrhiza, and in English words, such as mycorrhizae. See Stearn, Botanical Latin, ch. XIX, for more information. --EncycloPetey (talk) 22:14, 24 November 2011 (UTC)