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Source-verbatim names and the Vitis record
A source list’s letters are the evidence. We do not “fix” them on the way in. The Vitis genus record keeps an FPS row whose verdictRaw notes source spelling: Vitus spp. so a typo cannot drop a condemning lineage. Idaho Firewise, opened this session, scores Vitis spp. / Grapes 8 of 10. The computed status is conflict. We do not average those rows.
You are looking at a grape vine on a trellis and at a Firewise PDF that might have spelled the genus wrong, and asking whether the vine is “approved.” This site does not approve plants. The genus page shows every lineage. A misspelling is stored, then joined by GBIF / ITIS / USDA ids, not by a guessed correction.
Why it matters
If we had silently rewritten Vitus to Vitis and discarded the odd row, a condemning list could vanish. If we had treated the typo as a different plant, the same list could never vote. Source-verbatim names plus modern ids are how a typo stays honest and still lands on grapes. See why rosemary is disputed for the same rule on conflict: we do not average.
How it works
Content doctrine §1: a record’s scientificName is verbatim from its source list. Fixing a suspected typo requires re-opening the source and a note on the record. verdictRaw is where the source’s letters live when they do not match the accepted name.
The Vitis genus record’s accepted name is Vitis, taxon rank genus, GBIF 7467468, ITIS 28606, USDA symbol VITIS. Those ids are the join key. The FPS row on that record is stored as avoid, with verdictRaw noting source spelling Vitus spp. This page does not re-open that 2016 FPS file. The method is the law; the row stays visible on the plant page.
Idaho Firewise’s master database, opened here, lists:
- Vitis spp. — Grapes — score 8 of 10
- Vitis vinifera ‘Purpurea’ Purpleleaf Grape — score 8 of 10, with a management note for zone 1
An 8-of-10 recommend lineage and an avoid lineage on the same genus produce conflict. Majority-direction does not invent a grape that is “kind of Firewise.”
Oregon grape is not this taxon. Do not merge Mahonia into Vitis because the common name contains “grape.”
The paths
| Step | What we do | What we do not do |
|---|---|---|
| Read the source | Store the letters the list used | Quietly correct Vitus to Vitis |
| Join the taxon | GBIF / ITIS / USDA ids on the accepted name | Treat a misspelling as a second plant, or drop it |
| Compute | Independent lineages vote. Ties and dissent stay conflict | Average 8-of-10 with NOT Firewise |
| Publish | Every row stays on the genus page | A cleaned common-name list with the fight removed |
What people mix up
- Treating “Vitus” on an old list as a different genus we should ignore.
- Averaging Idaho Firewise 8-of-10 with an avoid row into “use with care.”
- Merging Oregon grape (Mahonia) into Vitis.
- Treating conflict as a planting permit, or as a ban.
- Putting a grape vine in Zone 0. Zone 0 is not a planting list.
How to check
- Open Vitis. Read every evidence row, including verdictRaw.
- Open the Idaho Firewise master database and find Vitis spp. Grapes 8.
- If a list on your desk spells the genus differently, do not drop the row. Ask whether the ids still join.
- Do not plant in Zone 0.
Limits
This page quotes Idaho Firewise for the 8-of-10 score. It does not re-open the 2016 FPS PDF this session; the Vitus spelling is cited as the record’s stored verdictRaw. It does not decide a species-level grape (Vitis vinifera, Vitis rotundifolia). It does not issue a planting approval. Species evidence never rolls upward into a genus verdict as a way to hide a fight.
Related records
Questions
Why does the grape genus page mention “Vitus”?
Because one evidence row was stored with the source’s spelling. Content doctrine requires a record’s scientific name to be verbatim from its source list. Fixing a suspected typo requires re-opening the source. The FPS row on Vitis notes source spelling Vitus spp. in verdictRaw so the lineage still joins the grape genus after GBIF ids.
Did that typo hide a verdict?
It would have, if we had normalized the name silently and dropped the row. The Vitis genus record is a conflict. Idaho Firewise scores Vitis spp. 8 of 10. An avoid row remains on the same record. We do not average 8-of-10 with NOT Firewise.
Is Vitis the same as Oregon grape?
No. Oregon grape is Mahonia / Berberis, not Vitis. Idaho Firewise lists Vitis spp. as grapes. Do not merge those taxa.
Does conflict mean I cannot grow grapes?
No. Conflict means the opened lists disagree. This site does not issue a planting approval. Zone 0 is still not a planting list.
How do you know Vitis is the grape genus?
The genus record carries GBIF 7467468, ITIS 28606, and USDA symbol VITIS, and acceptedName Vitis. Those ids are how a misspelled source row still lands on the right taxon without rewriting the source’s letters.