Names only have to be unique within the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, and within the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; it is permitted for a plant genus and an animal genus to share the same name.

There are plenty of other examples; two more well-known ones are Prunella (Dunnock, a bird, and Self-heal, a plant related to dead-nettle), and Oenanthe (Wheatear, a bird, and Hemlock Water-dropwort, a poisonous plant related to carrot).

Resin

Thank you! Now I understand how dual names can exist. And I can't believe I never connected the dots between Prunellas before. I saw Dunnocks in Surrey when I visited there. Didn't know there was a botanical Oenanthe.

Not that my opinion counts one whit, but it still seems oddly inexact in such an exacting science as taxonomy to have parallel naming tracks like this.

Marty

I guess it is felt that it is too much trouble to ask people naming new genera to have to avoid all published names in other kingdoms as well as the kingdon they're working in.

I seem to remember there are some single-celled organisms which have to have different names, depending on whether they are considered to be plants or animals.

Resin

BTW, it's always a nice question to put in quizzes - how do you distinguish between Prunella vulgaris and Prunella modularis? . . .

Marty
You're like me .I always thought the binominal naming system was to be "exact" A single name for every living thing in a single language. Eliminating confusion .
I thought by reading the latin name I could eliminate all other specie let alone closely related genera by merely knowing a single language "Latin" i still think this was the original purpose but personality and politics got in the way.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all names were discriptive and Latin not latinized??
Oh well,my two cents.
gary