International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for the Genus Syringa L. (Oleaceae) About ICRA History Applications and Register copies Contact information Related sites About ICRA Royal Botanical Gardens is the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for lilacs. The Gardens maintains the International Register of Cultivar names in the genus Syringa and registers new cultivar names in accordance with the ICNCP under the guidance of the International Horticultural Society (ISHS) Commission on Nomenclature and Registration. Information on cultivar name registration can be viewed on the ISHS website’s ICRA pages. Statement of purpose "Registration, preferably on an international basis, of cultivar and cultivar-group epithets and the publication of registers are of the greatest importance for promoting uniformity, accuracy and stability in the naming of cultivated plants." (Principle 10, International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants - 1995 [ICNCP-1995]) "An International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) is an organization charged with the registration of cultivar and cultivar-group epithets as provided for by this Code and with ensuring their establishment (valid publication) when this is necessary." (Article 7, loc. cit.) Back To Top History Establishment of cultivar and cultivar-group epithets in the denomination class Syringa L., lilacs, commences with the publication of S. D. McKelvey's The Lilac — a monograph, New York, Macmillan, in December 1928. The original proposal to use McKelvey's The Lilac as standard for cultivar names of lilacs was made by the Nomenclature Committee at the XII International Horticultural Congress (Berlin; 1936). In 1941 the Sub-Committee on Lilacs of the Committee on Horticultural Varieties, the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums conducted a survey of lilacs cultivated in North America. The findings were published in Lilacs for America — Report of 1941 Survey by the Arthur Hoyt Scott Horticultural Foundation in April 1942. The subcommittee drew up a colour classification for lilacs. Although this classification is useful for grouping lilac cultivars by colour, it is inadequate for description and identification of cultivars. The Arthur Hoyt Scott Horticultural Foundation, Swarthmore College, in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, U.S.A, was designated International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for cultivar names in the genus Syringa in 1958 by the 15th International Horticultural Congress. in 1974, Royal Botanical Gardens was designated by the 19th International Horticultural Congress to succeed the Scott Foundation. Freek Vrugtman was appointed Registrar. Lilac cultivar name registration lists have been published successively in Arnoldia (1963-1966), Arboretum and Botanical Garden Bulletin (1967-1984), and HortScience (1988-present). Back To Top Applications and Register copies The "International Register and Checklist of Cultivar Names in the Genus Syringa L." and its associated files can be accessed and downloaded here. There are twelve files; each file is identified by a headline. Each file carries the date on which it was last modified; users can replace outdated files with updated ones at wish. Click on an icon to see a short description of the file. Click again, and your computer will ask you what you want to do with the file. As always, user comments concerning errors and omissions are invited and essential to keep the files up-to-date. Please contact the International Lilac Registrar. Contact information International Lilac Registrar Royal Botanical Gardens P.O. Box 399 Hamilton ON CANADA L8N 3H8 E-mail: lilacreg@rbg.ca Back To Top Arboretum The Arboretum houses the world’s largest lilac collection. See what other collections can be seen here. Science contacts Ask our science staff a question about the science and conservation program. Science fact sheets Download a fact sheet and learn about our restoration projects. Directions Click here to see how easy we are to find. Local weather Find out the local forecast before you head out!
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