The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (12 page)

candidissimum
W. W. Sm. kan-di-
dis
-i-moom. Lat. most white (the spathe). W China.

ciliatum
H. Li. sil-ee-
ah
-toom. Lat. edged with fine hairs (the spathe). China (Sichuan, Yunnan).

consanguineum
Schott. kon-san-
gwin
-ee-oom. Lat. related to (another species). Himal.

costatum
(Wall.) Mart. kos-
tah
-toom. Lat. ribbed (the tube of the spathe). Nepal, Tibet.

dracontium
(L.) Schott. dra-
kon
-tee-oom. Green dragon. Lat. dragon-like. E USA, E Canada.

fargesii
Buchet. far-
jee
-zee-ee. After French missionary and plant collector Paul Guillaume Farges (1844–1912), who collected the type specimen in Sichuan. China.

flavum
(Forssk.) Schott.
flah
-voom. Lat. yellow (the spathe). Africa to W China.

griffithii
Schott. gri-
fith
-ee-ee. After William Griffith (1810–1845), English botanist and doctor. E Himal.

jacquemontii
Blume. jak-
mont
-ee-ee. After French botanist and geologist Victor Jacquemont (1801–1832), who collected the type specimen in NE India. Himal.

nepenthoides
(Wall.) Mart. nep-enth-
oy
-deez. Cobra plant. Like
Nepenthe
. E Himal., SW China.

propinquum
Schott. proh-
pink
-woom. Lat. close to (another species). Himal.

ringens
(Thunb.) Schott.
ring
-uhnz. Lat. wide open (the spathe). China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea.

sikokianum
Franch. & Sav. shi-kohkee-
ah
-noom. Of Shikoku. Japan.

speciosum
(Wall.) Mart. spee-see-
oh
-soom. Lat. showy. E Himal., SW China.

tortuosum
(Wall.) Schott. tor-tew-
oh
-soom. Lat. twisted (the spadix). Himal.

triphyllum
(L.) Schott. trie-
fil
-oom. Jack in the pulpit. Lat. with three leaves (leaflets). E USA, E Canada.

utile
Hook.f. ex Engl.
ew
-ti-lee. Lat. useful (edible leaves and inflorescence). Himal., SW China.

Arisarum
Mill. (Araceae). uh-
ris
-uh-room, a-ris-
ah
-room. Gk. name for
A. vulgare
. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. Medit.

proboscideum
(L.) Savi. pro-bos-
kid
-ee-oom. Mouse plant. Gk. like an elephant’s trunk (the spathe). SW Eur.

vulgare
O. Targ. Tozz. vul-
gar
-ree. Friar’s cowl. Lat. common. SW Eur.

Aristea
Sol. ex Aiton (Iridaceae). uh-
ris
-tee-uh. Gk. awn, referring to the pointed bracts. 50 spp. herbs. Africa.

ecklonii
Baker. ek-
lon
-ee-ee. After Danish apothecary Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1795–1868), who collected the type specimen. E and S Africa.

Aristolochia
L. (Aristolochiaceae). uh-rist-oh-
lok
-ee-uh. Gk. best, childbirth, referring to supposed med. properties (flower shape resembles birth canal). 300 spp., herbs, shrubs, climbers. Widespread.

durior
Hill =
A. macrophylla

gigantea
Mart. & Zucc. jie-
gan
-tee-uh. Lat. very large (the flowers). C and S Am.

littoralis
D. Parodi. li-to-
rah
-lis. Calico flower. Lat. coastal. C and S Am., Caribb.

macrophylla
Lam. mak-
ro
-fil-uh. Dutchman’s pipe, pipevine. Gk. large-leaved. E USA, SE Canada.

Aristotelia
L’Hér. (Elaeocarpaceae). uh-rist-oh-
tee
-lee-uh. After Aristotle (384–322 BCE), Gk. philosopher. 5 spp., shrubs, trees. S Am., Australia, NZ.

chilensis
(Molina) Stutz. chil-
en
-sis. Of Chile. Chile.

Armeria
Willd. (Plumbaginaceae). ar-
meer
-ree-uh. Lat. for
Dianthus
. 100 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs., S Am.

caespitosa
(Cav.) Boiss. =
A. juniperifolia

juniperifolia
(Vahl) Hoffmanns. jue-nip-uh-ri-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Juniperus
. Spain.

maritima
(Mill.) Willd. muh-
ri
-timuh. Thrift. Lat. of the sea. N temp. regs.

pseudarmeria
(Murray) Mansf. sued-ar-
meer
-ree-uh. Gk. false
Armeria
. Spain, Portugal.

Armoracia
P. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. (Brassicaceae). ar-mo-
ray
-seeuh. The Lat. name. 3 spp. herbs. Eur., SW Asia.

rusticana
P. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. rus-ti-
kah
-nuh. Horseradish. Lat. of the country.

Arnica
L. (Asteraceae).
ar
-ni-kuh. Gk. lambskin, for the soft leaves. 30 spp. herbs. N temp. and arctic regs.

chamissonis
Less. kam-i-
soh
-nis. After Adelbert von Chamisso (1781–1838), German botanist and poet. N Am.

montana
L. mon-
tah
-nuh. Lat. of mountains. Eur., W Asia.

Arnoglossum
Raf. (Asteraceae). ar-noh-
glos
-oom. Indian plantain. Gk. name for plantain, meaning lamb’s tongue. 7 spp. herbs. E USA, SE Canada.

atriplicifolium
(L.) H. Rob. at-ri-plisi-
foh
-lee-oom. Pale Indian plantain. E USA.

Aronia
Medik. (Rosaceae). uh-
roh
-nee-uh. Chokeberry. Gk. name for medlar (
Mespilus
). 2 spp. shrubs. E USA, E Canada.

arbutifolia
(L.) Pers. ar-bew-ti-
foh
-leeuh. Red chokeberry. Lat. with leaves like
Arbutus
.

melanocarpa
(Michx.) Elliott. me-luh-noh-
kar
-puh. Black chokeberry. Gk. black-fruited.

×
prunifolia
(Marshall) Rehder. prueni-
foh
-lee-uh. Purple chokeberry. Lat. with leaves like
Prunus. A. arbutifolia
×
A. melanocarpa
.

Arrhenatherum
P. Beauv. (Poaceae). a-ruh-
nath
-uh-room. Oat grass. Gk. male, bristle, referring to awns on the male flowers. 6 spp. herbs. Eur., Asia.

elatius
J. & C. Presl. ee-
lah
-tee-oos. False oat grass. Lat. tall. Eur. var.
bulbosum
(Willd.) Spenner. bul-
boh
-soom. Lat. bulbous (the swollen stem bases).

arrowhead
Sagittaria

arrowwood
Viburnum dentatum

Artemisia
L. (Asteraceae). art-ee-
mis
-ee-uh. The Lat. name, from the Gk. goddess Artemis. 400 spp., herbs, shrubs. Widespread.

abrotanum
L. uh-
brot
-uh-noom. Lad’s love, southernwood. The Lat. name. S Eur., Turkey.

absinthium
L. ab-
sinth
-ee-oom. Absinthe. The Lat. name. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

alba
Turra.
al
-buh. Lat. white (the plant). S Eur., N Africa.

annua
L.
an
-ew-uh. Sweet worm-wood. Lat. annual. SE Eur., W Asia.

arborescens
L. ar-bor-
res
-uhnz. Lat. becoming tree-like. Medit.

cana
Pursh.
kah
-nuh. Lat. grey (the foliage). SW Canada, W USA.

caucasica
Willd. kaw-
kas
-i-kuh. Of the Caucasus. Eur., W Asia.

dracunculus
L. druh-
kunk
-ew-loos. Tarragon. Lat. a little dragon (from the shape of the roots). SE Russia.

filifolia
Torr. fi-li-
foh
-lee-uh. Sand sagebrush. Lat. with thread-like leaves. C USA, N Mex.

frigida
Willd.
fri
-ji-duh. Prairie sage-wort. Lat. cold (it can be found in cold places). N Am.

lactiflora
Wall. ex DC. lak-ti-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with milky flowers. Himal., China, SE Asia.

ludoviciana
Nutt. lue-doh-vis-ee-
ah
-nuh. White sagebrush. Of St. Louis, from near where it was described. N Am.

nova
A. Nelson.
noh
-vuh. Black sagebrush. Lat. new (it long escaped detection). W USA.

pontica
L.
pon
-ti-kuh. Roman worm-wood. Of Pontus (now NE Turkey). Eur., Turkey.

schmidtiana
Maxim. shmit-ee-
ah
-nuh. After German botanist Carl Friedrich Schmidt (1811–1890), who worked on the genus. Japan.

stelleriana
Besser. stel-uh-ree-
ah
-nuh. Beach wormwood, dusty miller. After Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746), German naturalist and explorer. NE Asia, Alaska.

tridentata
Nutt. trie-den-
tah
-tuh. Big sagebrush. Lat. three-toothed (the leaves). W USA. subsp.
wyomingensis
Beetle & A. M. Young. wie-ohming-
en
-sis. Of Wyoming.

vulgaris
L. vul-
gar
-ris. Mugwort. Lat. common. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

Arthropodium
R. Br. (Asparagaceae). arth-roh-
poh
-dee-oom. Gk. jointed (flower) stalk. 9 spp. herbs. Madagascar, New Caledonia, Australia, NZ.

candidum
Raoul.
kan
-di-doom. Lat. white (the flowers). NZ.

cirrhatum
(G. Forst.) R. Br. si-
rah
-toom. Gk. curled (the anthers). NZ.

artichoke, globe
Cynara cardunculus
Scolymus Group.
Jerusalem
Helianthus tuberosus

artillery plant
Pilea microphylla

Arum
L. (Araceae).
a
-room. Gk. name for this or a similar plant. 28 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

creticum
Boiss. & Heldr.
kret
-i-koom. Lat. of Crete. Crete, SW Turkey.

cyrenaicum
Hruby. si-ruh-
nay
-i-koom. Of Cyrenaica (E Libya). Crete, Libya.

dioscoridis
Sm. dee-os-ko-
ree
-dis. After Gk. physician Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90), who wrote about it. E Medit.

italicum
Mill. i-
tal
-i-koom. Of Italy. Eur., N Africa, SW Asia.

maculatum
L. mak-ew-
lah
-toom. Cuckoo pint, lords and ladies. Lat. spotted (the leaves). Eur., W Asia.

pictum
L.f.
pik
-toom. Lat. painted (the leaves). W Medit.

arum, bog
Calla palustris

Aruncus
L. (Rosaceae). uh-
run
-koos. Lat. name used by Pliny the Elder, from Gk. goat’s beard. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs.

aethusifolius
(H. Lév.) Nakai. ee-thew-zi-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Aethusa
. Korea.