“Purdue Name Number” is a unique identifier for this specific plant taxon. It is part of our internal numbering system used to assign numbers to specific plant taxa. We use separate “name numbers” even for different cultivars of the same plant species. This allows us to better manage taxonomic changes that happen over time.
Essentially, a “Purdue Name Number” acts as a primary key in a our database. Instead of relying on a plant’s scientific or common name to organize data, this system assigns a permanent, localized numeric code to every specific plant variety.
High Granularity (Tracking the Cultivar)
An arboretum rarely just plants a generic species; they plant specific cultivated varieties. Instead of assigning a single identifier to all Red Maples (Acer rubrum), this system issues completely separate Purdue Name Numbers for an ‘October Glory’ maple versus a ‘Red Sunset’ maple.
This allows groundskeepers and researchers to precisely track how each specific cultivar responds to local soil conditions, diseases, and climate stressors over decades, rather than muddying the data by lumping all Red Maples together.
Taxonomic Stability (Future-Proofing Records)
Scientific names change frequently as genetic research advances. For decades, the Japanese Pagoda tree was scientifically classified as Sophora japonica. Recently, botanists reclassified it to Styphnolobium japonicum.
If the arboretum’s maintenance logs and spatial maps were tied directly to the text string “Sophora japonica“, that reclassification would fragment decades of historical data. By linking all spatial coordinates, health assessments, and planting dates to a static Purdue Name Number instead, the database administrator only needs to update the species text label in one master table. The underlying ID remains untouched, perfectly preserving the integrity of the tree’s complete history.
Internal Standardization
This localized ID system ensures that GIS mapping data, soil health databases, and public-facing catalogs all sync perfectly, regardless of whether a staff member searches for a tree using its common name, its outdated scientific name, or its newly adopted one.
