diff --git a/doc/source/appendixa.rst b/doc/source/appendixa.rst
index 13cfca52..643972fb 100644
--- a/doc/source/appendixa.rst
+++ b/doc/source/appendixa.rst
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ The atlas data files are organized in a similar naming convention as
 :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-kurucz1993`, and are easily accessible using
 `~pysynphot.catalog.Icat` (also see :ref:`pysynphot-spec-atlas`).
 
-The example below generates a spectrum with metallicity :math:`\log Z = +0.1`,
+The example below generates a spectrum with metallicity ``[M/H] = +0.1``,
 temperature :math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 10000 \textnormal{K}`, and gravity
 :math:`\log g = 3.0`:
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ absolute flux is needed, the model spectrum must be
 
 The following example shows the header from one of the atlas data files.
 This file contains all the models for a star of metallicity
-:math:`\log Z = 0.0` (``p00``) and effective temperature
+``[M/H] = 0.0`` (``p00``) and effective temperature
 :math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 8000 \textnormal{K}` (``8000``), which cover a
 range of gravities from :math:`\log g = +1.0` (``g10``) to
 :math:`\log g = +5.0` (``g50``).
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ HISTORY   and effective temperature but different gravity.
 
 The example below shows you how to manually select the flux for a specific
 model characterized by a given metallicity, effective temperature, and gravity.
-The filename ``kp01_10000`` means :math:`\log Z = +0.1` (``p01``) and
+The filename ``kp01_10000`` means ``[M/H] = +0.1`` (``p01``) and
 :math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 10000 \textnormal{K}` (``10000``). The column
 name ``g30`` means :math:`\log g = 3.0`:
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ The atlas data files are organized in a similar naming convention as
 :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-kurucz1993`, and are easily accessible using
 `~pysynphot.catalog.Icat` (also see :ref:`pysynphot-spec-atlas`).
 
-The example below generates a spectrum with metallicity :math:`\log Z = +0.1`,
+The example below generates a spectrum with metallicity ``[M/H] = +0.1``,
 temperature :math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 10000 \textnormal{K}`, and gravity
 :math:`\log g = 3.0`:
 
diff --git a/doc/source/spectrum.rst b/doc/source/spectrum.rst
index db73b252..888cf5be 100644
--- a/doc/source/spectrum.rst
+++ b/doc/source/spectrum.rst
@@ -266,8 +266,8 @@ you want, as shown in the example above.
 However, three of the atlases (:ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-ck04`,
 :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-kurucz1993`, and :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-phoenix`)
 have a grid of basis spectra which are indexed for various combinations of
-effective temperature (:math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}}`) in Kelvin, log metallicity
-(:math:`\log Z`), and log surface gravity (:math:`\log g`). They are best
+effective temperature (:math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}}`) in Kelvin, metallicity
+(``[M/H]``), and log surface gravity (:math:`\log g`). They are best
 accessed with a special `~pysynphot.catalog.Icat` class.
 You may specify any combination of the properties, so long as each is
 within the allowed range, which differs from atlas to atlas. For example,
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ which means that no spectrum can be constructed for effective temperatures
 below 3499 K or above 50001 K (i.e., an exception will be raised).
 The example below obtains the spectrum for a
 :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-kurucz1993` model with
-:math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 6000 \; \textnormal{K}`, :math:`\log Z = 0`, and
+:math:`T_{\textnormal{eff}} = 6000 \; \textnormal{K}`, ``[M/H] = 0``, and
 :math:`\log g = 4.3`:
 
 >>> sp = S.Icat('k93models', 6440, 0, 4.3)
diff --git a/pysynphot/catalog.py b/pysynphot/catalog.py
index a169858f..8595978d 100644
--- a/pysynphot/catalog.py
+++ b/pysynphot/catalog.py
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 
 Spectra are constructed from basis spectra which are indexed for various
 combinations of effective temperature (:math:`T_{\\textnormal{eff}}`),
-metallicity (:math:`Z`), and log surface gravity (:math:`\\log g`).
+metallicity (``[M/H]``), and log surface gravity (:math:`\\log g`).
 The user may specify any combination of :math:`T_{\\textnormal{eff}}`,
-:math:`Z`, and :math:`\\log g` so long as each parameter is within the range
+``[M/H]``, and :math:`\\log g` so long as each parameter is within the range
 for that parameter defined by the catalog.
 
 For example, the :ref:`pysynphot-appendixa-ck04` catalog contains spectra for
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def __init__(self,catdir,Teff,metallicity,log_g):
         self.parameter_names = ['Teff','metallicity','log G']
 
         filename = locations.CAT_TEMPLATE.replace('*',catdir)
-        self.name="%s(Teff=%g,z=%g,logG=%g)"%(catdir,Teff,metallicity,log_g)
+        self.name="%s(Teff=%g,metallicity=%g,logG=%g)"%(catdir,Teff,metallicity,log_g)
 
         if filename in CATALOG_CACHE:
             indices = CATALOG_CACHE[filename]