Reexamination of the Korean plant names Changpo and Sukchangpo

Abstract

The Korean plant names Changpo and Sukchangpo, including their related names Suchangpo and Kyeson, were somewhat confusingly used in both the Korean classics and even now. To clarify these names, the names written in the Chinese classics and the Korean classics were examined closely and compared to those of the modern flora of China and Korea. In the Chinese classics, Changpo and Sukchangpo were considered as conspecific with Acorus calamus, which has leaves with distinct veins, whereas Sukchangpo and Kyeson have leaves without distinct veins and are considered as A. gramineus. However, in the Korean classics, these names have been confusingly used thus far. Sukchangpo and Gyeson were considered as A. gramineus, and Sukchangpo and Changpo were considered as A. calamus, erroneously. Therefore, the following corrections are needed: plants having distinct leaf veins were named Changpo (A. calamus), and plants having vague leaf veins were named Sukchangpo (A. gramineus), and the names of Sukchangpo and Kyeson should be discarded to avoid confusion. In addition, to respond to the Convention on Biological Diversity, we propose a study to clarify the taxonomic identities of the plant names written in Chinese script and an examination of the Korean plant names listed in the Korean classics.