An international body of botanists voted Thursday to rename more than 200 species of plants, fungi, and algae whose scientific names include variations of the word “caffra,” an Arabic word for “infidel” that is used as a racial slur against Black people.
The move by the International Botanical Congress, agreed to at a meeting in Madrid, marks the first time that researchers have voted to eliminate offensive species names, Nature reported. The measure passed with 351 researchers voting in favor and 205 opposed.
Going forward, names with variations of “caffra” will instead use variations of “afr,” a nod to Africa. For instance, the coast coral tree, Erythrina caffra, will hereafter be known as Erythrina affra.
Botanists also agreed to create a special committee to review new species names and reject those seen as derogatory, such as those that honor despots or enslavers. The committee will only look at species named after 2026 and will not, to the disappointment of some researchers, review existing names.
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