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What limited evidence means on a plant page
Limited evidence means one independent lineage classified the plant, and we say so. It is not a pending tray. It is not a secret third grade between fire-resistant and highly flammable. Dianthus sylvestris is on-list because Idaho Firewise scores it 9 of 10. That is the whole stack on that record. It is not a Zone 0 permit.
You are on a plant page, you see on-list, and you see limited-evidence under it. You are about to treat that as two lists agreeing. They are not. One list voted. The label is the honesty.
Why it matters
A thin stack is still a stack. Hiding the plant until five lists arrive would erase what Idaho Firewise actually published. Pretending one list is a consensus would erase the thinness. Fire-resistant is not noncombustible. Embers do not care how many PDFs we opened.
How it works
Statuses are computed. Evidence rows go in. src/lib/derive.ts comes out. Hand-assigning a badge is corruption even when the number looks right. See methodology.
The majority-direction standard, in plain language:
- Lineages vote, not rows. A rater’s republications count once (the Steward rule). A lineage that points both ways votes for neither.
- One independent Tier-1 lineage can classify, labeled limited-evidence.
- A majority over live dissent classifies as majority, and the dissent stays visible.
- Ties stay conflict. We do not average.
- Direct fire evidence is never silently outvoted by curation.
Dianthus sylvestris is the thin-stack specimen. Idaho Firewise lists it at 9 of 10. The record’s recommendation is on-list; the rating reason is limited-evidence. If a second independent lineage later agrees, the build can promote the reason. If it disagrees, the record can become conflict. Nobody edits the badge by taste.
Rosemary is the other shape: lists disagree, so the badge is conflict. Limited evidence is not that fight.
The paths
| What you see | What it means | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| On-list + limited-evidence | One lineage recommended | Two lists, a lab, or a Zone 0 pass |
| Avoid + limited-evidence | One lineage condemned | A statewide ban |
| Conflict | Lineages disagree | A compromise grade |
| Majority | More than one independent lineage in the same direction | Unanimity. Dissent still shows |
What people mix up
- Reading limited-evidence as “unrated, so plant it.”
- Reading limited-evidence as “the site is unsure, wait.”
- Treating a 9-of-10 Idaho Firewise score as FireApproved approval. This site does not approve plants.
- Averaging limited-evidence with a conflict on a related species.
- Putting any of these plants in Zone 0.
How to check
- Open the plant page. Read
ratingReasonand count the evidence rows. - Open the named list. For Dianthus sylvestris, open the Idaho Firewise master database and find the 9.
- If only one lineage is there, the limited-evidence label should still be on the page.
- Do not plant in Zone 0.
Limits
This page quotes Idaho Firewise for Dianthus sylvestris. It does not re-open every limited-evidence record. It does not turn a 9-of-10 list score into ASTM E136. It does not decide an invasive-plant law. Species evidence never rolls upward into a genus verdict.
Related records
- Dianthus sylvestris
- Limited evidence
- Conflict
- Why rosemary is disputed
- Source-verbatim names and the Vitis record
- Methodology
Questions
Does limited evidence mean the plant is unrated?
No. One independent Tier-1 lineage is enough to classify. The label tells you the stack is thin. Dianthus sylvestris is on-list because Idaho Firewise scores it 9 of 10. There is not a second lineage on that record.
Is limited evidence a pass for Zone 0?
No. Zone 0 is not a planting list. Fire-resistant is not noncombustible. A single list score does not write a five-foot band.
How is limited evidence different from conflict?
Limited evidence is one direction, thin. Conflict is disagreement that we will not average. Rosemary is conflict. Dianthus sylvestris is limited-evidence on-list from one opened list.
If a second list shows up, does the label disappear?
The build recomputes. Two independent lineages in the same direction become a majority, with dissent shown if it exists. A tie or live dissent becomes conflict. Nobody hand-edits the badge.
Does a 9-of-10 score beat a 4?
Not across lineages. We do not average scores from different lists. Each independent lineage votes once.