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Recours et Défense Pénale
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere
Feb 9, 2011 20:49
13 yrs ago
13 viewers *
French term

cortège floristique

French to English Science Botany
This phrase is used repeatedly in a report on the characteristic flora of an area of the Republic of Congo. Here is an example sentence:
L’espèce caractéristique du groupement est Pennisetum purpureum Schum. accompagné de quelques graminées, des lianes et des ligneux constituant le cortège floristique.
I think this must be a very specific phrase, but I haven't been able figure it out. The other sentences in which it appears are pretty similar, they just name a different specific plant genus and species.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 plant association
4 +1 species cortege
4 flora complex
3 +1 flora
4 Plant community
3 flora ecosystem
3 -2 Floral trail

Discussion

kashew Feb 10, 2011:
One of those other ways? Vegetation:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fFdbdJF...
philgoddard Feb 10, 2011:
Nope! Like I said, I think there's lots of ways of translating this.
Joan Berglund (asker) Feb 10, 2011:
@ Hilary and Phil I think the correct answer in the context is "suite of species" if either of you want to post it?
Lara Barnett Feb 10, 2011:
Species composition If "Species composition is just the list of species found somewhere", this may be what is being referred to. For example "...quelques graminées, des lianes et des ligneux ...MAKE UP THE COMPOSITION OF THE SPECIES OF THIS TERRAIN." ??
Hilary Wilson Feb 10, 2011:
I don't know how to add a ref. separately. but here is an example of how suite of species is used
http://idfg.idaho.gov/cdc/cdc_pdf/mancm94a.pdf
Hilary Wilson Feb 10, 2011:
This refers to a group of species generally found together because they have similar requirements and complementary niches, and they don't outcompete each other. It is a way of describing a plant community (as for e.g. the UK National Vegetation Classification), often typical of an area or a habitat. Habitat is the plants' environment, ie type of soil, etc. Companion plants are plants deliberately grown together for their mutual benefit (for eg protection from pests). Species composition is just the list of species found somewhere. A suite of flora means v. little. It can only be one of these options to make sense in a survey: suite of species or species association.
Joan Berglund (asker) Feb 9, 2011:
@ Rachel and Phil That wikipedia link is one of the ones I liked for "suite of species". "Plant association" also has some definitions that fit:
http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Plant_association
although I did get lots of ghits that referred to garden clubs, as per cc's comment.
Lara Barnett Feb 9, 2011:
"Species composition" This was my first finding but now it seems I should have included it. Details in my note section.
cc in nyc Feb 9, 2011:
companion species or companion plants? Is that term helpful here?
Rachel Fell Feb 9, 2011:
Hmm- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetation
cc in nyc Feb 9, 2011:
@ gallagy2 Hmm... "plant habitat" sounds mighty nice.
Hilary Wilson Feb 9, 2011:
I would feel happier with a "species association", because it refers to species usually found together. It is also a term generally used in ecological parlance.
I think it needs to be specific! and plants is just a little vague for a scientific article.
Yvonne Gallagher Feb 9, 2011:
think this is about characteristic plants in a habitat that naturally associate. This link is fairly clear on that so "suite of species" might be a better translation; post away Phil!

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Cortège floristique caractéristique. Habitats en contact ..... Cortège floristique caractéristique. Hélianthème goutte – D. GREYO. Habitats en contact ...
www.centre.ecologie.gouv.fr/.../Annexes_PuysChinonais5.pdf - Similar
Joan Berglund (asker) Feb 9, 2011:
"suite of flora" sounds like a more specific translation, but I get 16,000 plus ghits for "suite of species" + botany, so I think it is the more commonly used term and probably the best choice, if you want to post it, Phil.
philgoddard Feb 9, 2011:
Because I don't think there's one right answer - it means a group of species, as I suggested with "plant association/characteristic flora".
B D Finch Feb 9, 2011:
@ phil I hope it wasn't a funeral cortège d'oiseaux! I note that suite of flora gets some adequately academic ghits, but thought the points should be yours. Why don't you post it as an answer?
Joan Berglund (asker) Feb 9, 2011:
suite of species or plant association This a scientific botanical survey, so "floristique" should be read as pertaining to flora or plants in general, rather than flowers. I found a lot of context specific hits for "suite of species" and some specific definitions for "plant association" that also fit the context - not sure which is better so far. "Plant association" comes up in a lot of non-relevant contextes too, so it is hard to compare them directly.
philgoddard Feb 9, 2011:
Just to throw the cat among the pigeons... We've had this before, but I forgot it:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/french_to_english/environment_ecol...

Proposed translations

+3
29 mins

plant association

It's the particular combination of plants that grows in the area, translated as "plant association" in the second reference below.

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Note added at 30 mins (2011-02-09 21:20:06 GMT)
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In fact Joan's "characteristic flora" would be another option.
Reference:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cort%C3%A8ge_%28%C3%A9cologie%29

http://static.lexicool.com/dictionary/FL8SL610773.pdf

Peer comment(s):
neutral cc in nyc : plant association sounds a little like the plant-growers association... But the Asker seems to like it (see Discussion) and that's what matters ;-) // Maybe it's just me, but I can't shake it.
59 mins
I don't agree - it should be obvious from the context. This is the jungles of Central Africa we're talking about!
agree Yvonne Gallagher : yes, plants can be inter-dependent on or complementary to each other as well
1 hr
agree Hilary Wilson : but species
13 hrs
agree Lionel_M (X)
2 days 2 hrs
Something went wrong...
51 mins

flora complex

Just one of many ways of referring to the general floral environment, or swath of flora.
Example sentence:

L'assise rocheuse, à laquelle est associé un cortège floristique très particulier [...]

The bedrock, with which a unique flora complex is associated [...]

Reference:

http://www.canlii.ca/fr/qc/legis/regl/rq-c-c-61.01-r2/derniere/rq-c-c-61.01-r2.html

http://www.canlii.ca/en/qc/laws/regu/rq-c-c-61.01-r2/latest/rq-c-c-61.01-r2.html

Something went wrong...
+1
48 mins

species cortege

or assemblage, although that is slightly different.

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Note added at 54 mins (2011-02-09 21:44:17 GMT)
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It depends it the French text is using the expression in the strictly ecological term or not.

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Note added at 56 mins (2011-02-09 21:45:51 GMT)
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meaning not term!
Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : This does get some hits, but they're translations.
27 mins
you're right, it didn't seem quite right. should be suite of species. but I've already given this in a previous answer... boring....
agree amanda solymosi
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

flora

not sure, but think it's what it would be in Eng. -e.g. in the example below I think we'd say flora

groupement basal : il s'agit d'un syntaxon dont le cortège floristique est appauvri, sans caractéristiques ni différentielles, mais possédant des espèces des unités supérieures.
http://www.tela-botanica.org/page:phytosocio_sti_asso_vegeta...
Peer comment(s):
agree kashew : The simplest answer
13 hrs
Thank you kashew :-) I quite favour suite of spp. too ;-)
Something went wrong...
1 hr

Plant community

phytosociology

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Note added at 2 heures (2011-02-09 22:50:15 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosociology

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Note added at 2 heures (2011-02-09 22:51:50 GMT)
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Def:
plant community - an assembly of different species of plants growing together in a particular habitat; the floral component of an ecosystem.

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Note added at 2 heures (2011-02-09 22:54:54 GMT)
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Plant community or "phytocoenosis" (American spelling "phytocenosis", rarely used) is a collection of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighbouring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant community are influenced by soil type, topography, climate and human disturbance. In many cases there are several soil types within a given phytocoenosis - Wiki
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-2
22 mins

Floral trail

This seems to be describing the landscape, or the terrain of land being focused on. The term "floral trail" seems to be used in quite a lot of articles and websites describing heaths, parks and wild land areas. It seems to be an expression that has grown out of the common term, "nature trail".

http://www.lindenwildflowertrails.com/
http://www.hortweek.com/channel/ParksAndGardens/article/1017...
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6wWY155-_KwC&pg=PA238&lpg...

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Note added at 29 mins (2011-02-09 21:19:50 GMT)
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"Thanks to the number and variety of flowers along this trail, beginning hikers will enjoy matching the colors found in nature with those on their clothing. Others like watching for their favorite color; is it found on a flower, sparkly rock, or butterfly?"
(Just a snatch from the google book reference above - talking about trails of flowers seems to cover quite a variety of different outdoor terrains.)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-09 23:25:06 GMT)
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New term:

"Species composition"
The following documents (one in French/one in English) show how this same term has been translated as "species composition" (I didn't use it originally as I thought I was on wrong track so maybe it was relevant.) Term is on pg.82 of English version, and pg.81 of French version, towards end of the blue caption.
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001584/158417e.pdf
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001584/158417f.pdf
Example sentence:

"A cleaner, greener and more attractive King’s Heath has been created this summer through the development of a circular Floral Trail. "

Reference:

http://www.kingsheathfloraltrail.info/

Peer comment(s):
neutral philgoddard : This is the Republic of Congo, remember, not Tunbridge Wells :-)
9 mins
It's not Tunbridge Wells, but if you see my note on the Google book reference about the Colorado nature trail, you will see it can be applied to all sorts of terrains - as per my extra note of 4 mins ago.
disagree Gabrielle Leyden : "cortège" here means string/"line-up"/series/group
55 mins
And a trail can also suggest a line up or series in cerain contexts.
disagree B D Finch : This is most unlikely to be about a nature trail and "Pennisetum purpureum Schum" is elephant grass: no flowers.
59 mins
neutral cc in nyc : I'm not sure that a physical trail is involved
1 hr
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

flora ecosystem

Hello,

The word "cortège" means "accompaniments", or what goes along wtusomething. So, perhaps, here, it's about the flora ecosystem (all the plants that thrive/grow in a certain area).

I hope this helps
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