Hundreds of plants have been renamed because the plant they contain is now racist. Botanists decided this at the International Botanical Congress in Madrid. These are plants that stand for the word “kafir,” which is discriminatory. In South Africa, the word is considered a derogatory term for black people.

From 2026 onwards, the kaffir lime tree and blackberries, among other species, will no longer be referred to by their Latin names, “kaffra,” but as “afra.” This is a reference to Africa.

The name change for 218 plants and algae won a slim majority. With 63% of the vote, the required 60% majority was narrowly achieved. “A huge landslide,” says botanist Roger van Vugt. NOS 1 Radio News“I don’t remember this ever happening before for this kind of human reason, and certainly not on this scale.”

Biologists have debated for years about names that refer to questionable people or words that are now considered racist. There’s a lot to be said about Hitler’s beetle. The Hibertia shrub is also controversial. It’s named after George Hibert, a slave owner who led the resistance to the abolition of slavery in the 18th century.

Changing names is unpopular with scientists. This mainly concerns the scientific name given in Greek or Latin. “The reason for choosing these ‘dead’ languages ​​is that they no longer change,” says van Vugt. “This provides a certain stability that is important for unity in science. Changing these names would cause confusion.”

In addition to the scientific name, the species also has a common name. These are often less delicate. For example, the Australians call the hybranchia “Guinea rose”. The kaffir lime tree also has a synonym: the coral tree. But now the scientific name has also changed: Erythrina caffra becomes Erythrina afra.

The scientists at the conference also voted to create a sensitivity committee. This committee decides what names to give to newly discovered plants, fungi and algae. Normally, these organisms are named after the discoverer who first described them in the scientific literature. But these names can now be set aside if the committee deems them discriminatory.