The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (19 page)

Buddleja
Houston ex L. (Scrophulariaceae).
bud
-lee-uh. After Rev. Adam Buddle (1662–1715), English
botanist. 90 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Americas, Asia, Africa.

alternifolia
Maxim. al-ter-ni-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with alternate leaves. China.

asiatica
Lour. ay-see-
a
-ti-kuh. Asian. E and SE Asia.

auriculata
Benth. o-rik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. with small, ear-like lobes (at the leaf bases). S Africa.

colvilei
Hook.f. & Thomson. kol-
vil
-ee-ee. After Sir James William Colvile (1810–1880), a judge in India. Himal.

crispa
Benth.
kris
-puh. Lat. curled (the leaf edge). Himal., China.

davidii
Franch. da-
vid
-ee-ee. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected the type specimen in Sichuan in 1869. China.

fallowiana
Balf.f. fa-low-ee-
ah
-nuh. After George Fallow, gardener at RBG Edinburgh, who was killed in Egypt in 1917. W China.

globosa
Hope. glo-
boh
-suh. Lat. spherical (the flowerheads). Chile, Argentina.

lindleyana
Fortune. lind-lee-
ah
-nuh. After John Lindley (1799–1865), English botanist. China.

loricata
Leeuwenb. lo-ri-
kah
-tuh. Lat. armoured (referring to the tough leaves). S Africa.

nivea
Duthie.
niv
-ee-uh. Lat. snow-white (the leaf undersides). China.

salviifolia
(L.) Lam. sal-vee-i-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Salvia
. S and E Africa.

×
weyeriana
Weyer ex Rehder. way-er-ree-
ah
-nuh. After Van de Weyer, who raised it in 1914.
B. davidii
×
B. globosa
. Cult.

buffalo berry
Shepherdia argentea

bugbane
Actaea cimicifuga

bugle
Ajuga.
common
A. reptans
.
pyramidal
A. pyramidalis

Buglossoides
Moench (Boraginaceae). boog-los-
oy
-deez. Like
Buglossum
(
Anchusa
). 15 spp. herbs. Eur., Asia.

purpurocaerulea
(L.) I. M. Johnst. pur-pew-roh-kie-
rue
-lee-uh. Purple gromwell. Lat. purple-blue (the flowers). E Eur., W Asia.

Bulbine
Wolf (Asphodelaceae). bul-
bee
-nee. Gk. name for a bulbous plant. 50 spp., herbs, shrubs. Africa.

frutescens
(L.) Willd. frue-
tes
-uhnz. Lat. somewhat shrubby. S Africa.

Bulbinella
Kunth (Asphodelaceae). bul-bi-
nel
-uh. Diminutive of
Bulbine
. 20 spp. herbs. S Africa, NZ.

hookeri
(Colenso ex Hook.) Cheesem.
hook
-uh-ree. After Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817–1911), English botanist, plant collector, and director of RBG Kew. The name was suggested by William Colenso, when he sent plants from NZ to W. J. Hooker, “in honour of my good friend and your dear son.” NZ.

Bulbocodium vernum
L. =
Colchicum bulbocodium

bulrush
Bolboschoenus, Schoenoplectus, Scirpus

bunchberry
Cornus canadensis

Buphthalmum
L. (Asteraceae). boof-
thal
-moom. Ox-eye. Gk. ox eye. 2 spp. herbs. Eur., W Asia.

salicifolium
L. sal-i-si-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. with leaves like
Salix
. Eur.

speciosum
Schreb. =
Telekia speciosa

Bupleurum
L. (Apiaceae). bew-
plur
-room. Hare’s ear, thorow wax. From the Gk. name, meaning ox rib. 180 spp., herbs, shrubs. Widespread.

fruticosum
L. frue-ti-
koh
-soom. Shrubby hare’s ear. Lat. shrubby. S Eur.

longifolium
L. long-gi-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. long-leaved. Eur., W Asia.

rotundifolium
L. roh-tun-di-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. round-leaved. Eur., Asia.

bur reed
Sparganium

burnet, Canadian
Sanguisorba canadensis
.
great
S. officinalis
.
salad
S. minor

burning bush
Bassia scoparia, Dictamnus albus

burro’s tail
Sedum morganianum

bush flax
Astelia nervosa

bush honeysuckle
Diervilla

busy lizzie
Impatiens walleriana

butcher’s broom
Ruscus aculeatus

Butomus
L. (Butomaceae). bew-
toh
-moos. Gk. ox cutting, from the sharp-edged leaves. 1 sp., herb. Eur., Asia.

umbellatus
L. um-buhl-
ah
-toos. Flowering rush. Lat. in umbels (the flowers).

butter and eggs
Linaria vulgaris

butterbur
Petasites

buttercup
Ranunculus
.
creeping
R. repens
.
meadow
R. acris

butterfly flag
Diplarrena moraea

butternut
Juglans cinerea

Buxus
L. (Buxaceae).
bux
-uhs. The Lat. name. 30 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., Asia, Africa, Mex., C Am.

balearica
Lam. bal-ee-
a
-ri-kuh. Balearic box. Of the Balearics. Balearic Is., SW Spain.

microphylla
Sieb. & Zucc. mik-
rof
-iluh. Gk. small-leaved. Cult. var.
japonica
(Müll.-Arg.) Rehder. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. Japan.

sempervirens
L. sem-per-
vie
-ruhnz. Common box. Lat. evergreen. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

cabbage
Brassica oleracea
Capitata Group.
Chinese
B. rapa
Pekinensis Group.
wild
B. oleracea

cabbage tree
Cordyline australis

Cacalia atriplicifolia
L. =
Arnoglossum atriplicifolium

cactus, Arizona barrel
Ferocactus wislizeni
.
bishop’s cap
Astrophytum myriostigma
.
California barrel
Ferocactus cylindraceus
.
Christmas
Schlumbergera
×
buckleyi
.
devil’s tongue
Ferocactus latispinus
.
Easter
Hatiora gaertneri
.
goat’s horn
Astrophytum capricorne
.
old man
Cephalocereus senilis
.
silver dollar
Astrophytum asterias
.
star
A. ornatum
.
Texas barrel
Ferocactus hamatacanthus
.
thanksgiving
Schlumbergera truncata

Caesalpinia
L. (Fabaceae). see-zuhl-
pin
-ee-uh. After Andrea Cesalpino (1519–1603), Italian botanist. 40 spp., shrubs, trees, climbers. Tropics.

gilliesii
(Wall. ex Hook.) D. Dietr. gi-
leez
-ee-ee. Bird of paradise shrub. After Scottish doctor John Gillies (1792–1834), who collected in S Am. and sent details of this plant to Hooker. Argentina, Uruguay.

pulcherrima
(L.) Sw. pool-
ke
-ri-muh. Pride of Barbados. Lat. very beautiful. Trop. Am.

calabaza
Cucurbita moschata

Caladium
Vent. (Araceae). kuh-
lay
-dee-oom. Angel’s wings, elephant ears. From a native name for the plant. 12 spp. herbs. Trop. S Am.

bicolor
(Aiton) Vent.
bi
-ko-lor. Of two colours (the leaves).

esculentum
(L.) Vent. =
Colocasia esculenta

×
hortulanum
Birdsey =
C. bicolor

Calamagrostis
Adans. (Poaceae). kaluh-muh-
gros
-tis. Gk. reed grass. 250 spp. grasses. Temp. N hemisph.

×
acutiflora
(Schrad.) DC. uh-kew-ti-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with pointed flowers.
C. arundinacea
×
C. epigejos
. Cult.

arundinacea
(L.) Roth. uh-run-di-
nay
-see-uh. Lat. reed-like. Eur., W Asia.

brachytricha
Steud. brak-ee-
trie
-kuh. Gk. with short hairs. E Asia.

canadensis
(Michx.) P. Beauv. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Bluejoint. Of Canada. N Am., Greenland.

emodensis
Griseb. em-o-
den
-sis. Of the Himalaya (Lat.
Emodus
). Himal., China.

calamint
Calamintha
.
alpine
Acinos alpinus
.
large-flowered
Calamintha grandiflora
.
lesser
C. nepeta

Calamintha
Mill. (Lamiaceae). kal-uh-
min
-thuh. Calamint. Gk.
name, meaning beautiful mint. 7 spp. herbs. Eur., W Asia.

alpina
(L.) Lam. =
Acinos alpinus

grandiflora
(L.) Moench. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Large-flowered calamint. Lat. large-flowered. S Eur., W Asia.

nepeta
(L.) Savi.
ne
-pe-tuh. Lesser calamint. Gk. name for a plant. S Eur. subsp.
glandulosa
(Req.) P. W. Ball. glan-dew-
loh
-suh. Lat. glandular (the leaves).

calamondin
Citrus
×
microcarpa

Calandrinia
Kunth (Portulacaceae). kal-uhn-
drin
-ee-uh. Redmaids. After Jean-Louis Calandrini (1703–1758), Swiss scientist. 150 spp. herbs. Widespread.

ciliata
(Ruiz & Pav.) DC. sil-ee-
ah
-tuh. Fringed redmaids. Lat. edged with hairs (the leaves and sepals). W USA, SW Canada.

grandiflora
Lindl. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Chile.

umbellata
(Ruiz & Pav.) DC. umbuhl-
ah
-tuh. Rock purslane. Lat. in umbels (the flowers are in umbel-like clusters). Chile, Peru.

Calanthe
R. Br. (Orchidaceae). kuh-
lan
-thee. Gk. beautiful flower. 100 spp. orchids. Asia, Pacific, Africa, Mex., C Am.

nipponica
Makino. ni-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. Japan, China.

reflexa
Maxim. ree-
flex
-uh. Lat. turned back (the sepals and petals). Japan, S China.

sieboldii
Decne. ex Regel. see-
bold
-eeee. After German physician and botanist Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866). China, Taiwan.