Being Merino in Portugal

Image: Ancorme, via Ruralbit;

The merino confusion began with our work on portuguese wools, when terms we had been using for some time got mixed up with new terms we were learning.
Merino, Merino Alentejano, Merina Branca, Merina Preta, Merina da Beira Baixa, merino extra, merino fino, merino médio e merino forte. What do they mean, and how do they relate to each other?

The first thing that was important to make clear, is that most merino type sheep in the world today don't belong to a single merino breed, but to several local merino breeds that are derived from the "original merino", and that were obtained by being crossbred. So, although they are merino type, technically, they belong to different breeds. Like the Dohne Merino, the Merinolandschaf, the Rambouillet and many, many others. All merino, all different breeds.

Making the rest of the very long post short, in our country, the 'merino' designation is used for two different things, simultaneously, and that's where the confusion is born. 
First, we have three merino related breeds (Merina Branca, Merina Preta and Merina da Beira Baixa), and when we talk about wool from these sheep, we say it is 'merino wool', which is correct. But then, on our National Wools Classification system, the 4 classes that categorize the finer wools are named 'class merino', and the origin of the wool being categorized is indifferent. So, according to this system that was made with the textile industry in mind, any wool that has less that a certain fiber diameter is called 'class merino'. These classes were created only for the textile industry, and they relate with the english and french classifications systems - check the link, and you'll see the equivalences.
I don't believe, though, that a 'class merino' wool is understood, in the industry, as being 'merino' wool. But what I want to explain is that, in Portugal, using the same name, for two different things, causes a lot of confusion!