The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (32 page)

Cunninghamia
R. Br. ex Rich. (Cupressaceae). kun-ing-
ham
-ee-uh. After James Cunningham, a surgeon with the East India Company, who discovered it in 1701. 2 spp. conifers. China, Taiwan.

lanceolata
(Lamb.) Hook. lahn-seeoh-
lah
-tuh. Chinese fir. Lat. lance-shaped (the leaves). China.

cup and saucer vine
Cobaea scandens

cup flower
Nierembergia linariifolia

cup plant
Silphium perfoliatum

Cuphea
P. Browne (Lythraceae).
kew
-fee-uh. Gk. curved, referring to the seed pods. 260 spp., herbs, sub-shrubs. SE USA, Mex., C and S Am.

cyanea
DC. sie-
an
-ee-uh. Gk. dark blue (two of the petals). Mex.

hyssopifolia
Kunth. hi-sop-i-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Hyssopus
. S Mex., C Am.

ignea
A. DC.
ig
-nee-uh. Cigar flower, firecracker plant. Lat. fiery (the flowers). S Mex.

Cupid’s dart
Catananche caerulea

×
Cupressocyparis leylandii
(Dallim. & A. B. Jacks.) Dallim. = ×
Cuprocyparis leylandii

Cupressus
L. (Cupressaceae). kew-
pres
-oos. Cypresses. Lat. name for
C. sempervirens
. 14 spp. conifers. Medit., SW Asia, Himal., China, N and C Am.

arizonica
Greene. a-ri-
zon
-i-kuh. Arizona cypress. Of Arizona. SW USA, N Mex. var.
glabra
(Sudw.) Little.
glab
-ruh. Smooth Arizona cypress. Lat. smooth (the bark).

cashmeriana
Royle ex Carrière. kashme-ree-
ah
-nuh. Of Kashmir. Bhutan.

lusitanica
Mill. lue-si-
tan
-i-kuh. Cedar of Goa, Mexican cypress. Lat. of Portugal (Lat.
Lusitania
), to where it was introduced. Mex., C Am.

macrocarpa
Hartw. ex Gord. mak-roh-
kar
-puh. Monterrey cypress. Gk. large-fruited. Calif.

sempervirens
L. sem-per-
vie
-ruhnz. Italian cypress. Lat. evergreen. Medit., W Asia.

×
Cuprocyparis
Farjon (Cupressaceae). kew-proh-
si
-pa-ris. From the names of the parents (
Cupressus
×
Xanthocyparis
). Coniferous trees. Cult.

leylandii
(A. B. Jacks. & Dallim.) Farjon. lay-
land
-ee-ee. Leyland cypress. After Christopher John Leyland (Naylor) (1849–1926), who planted some of the first trees at Haggerston
Hall, Northumbria, England.
C. macrocarpa
×
X. nootkatensis
.

currant, alpine
Ribes alpinum
.
black
R. nigrum
.
buffalo
R. aureum
var.
villosum
.
clove
R. aureum
var.
villosum
.
flowering
R. sanguineum
.
golden
R. aureum
.
red
R. rubrum
.
wax
R. cereum

curry plant
Helichrysum italicum
subsp.
serotinum

Cyananthus
Wall. ex Benth. (Campanulaceae). sie-uhn-
anth
-oos. Gk. blue flower. 23 spp. herbs. SW China, Himal.

lobatus
Wall. ex Benth. loh-
bah
-toos. Lat. lobed (the leaves). Himal.

microphyllus
Edgew. mik-
rof
-i-loos. Gk. small-leaved. Himal.

sherriffii
Cowan. she-
rif
-ee-ee. After Major George Sherriff (1898–1967), Scottish botanist and plant collector, who, with Frank Ludlow, collected the type specimen in 1936. Tibet.

Cycas
L. (Cycadaceae).
sie
-kas. From Gk. name of a palm. 90 spp., palm-like shrubs, trees. Australia, SE Asia, Pacific Is., E Africa.

circinalis
L. sir-sin-
ah
-lis. Lat. a spiral, referring to the arrangement of leaflets in expanding leaves. S India.

revoluta
Thunb. rev-o-
lue
-tuh. Lat. revolute (the leaflet margins). S Japan.

rumphii
Miq.
rumf
-ee-ee. After Georg Eberhard Rumpf (Lat.
Rumphius
) (1628–1702), German-born botanist and officer of the Dutch East India Co., whose illustration is the type of the species. Borneo and Java to Papua New Guinea.

Cyclamen
L. (Primulaceae).
sik
-luhmuhn. From the Gk. name, from Gk. circle, perhaps referring to its use in garlands. 20 spp. tuberous herbs. Eur., Medit., N Africa, SW Asia.

africanum
Boiss. & Reut. af-ri-
kah
-noom. Of Africa. Algeria.

alpinum
hort. Damman ex Spreng. al-
pie
-noom. Lat. alpine. SW Turkey.

cilicium
Boiss. & Heldr. si-
lis
-ee-oom. Lat. of Cilicia. S Turkey.

coum
Mill.
koh
-oom. Lat. of Kos. SE Eur. to N Iran.

europaeum
L. =
C. purpurascens

graecum
Link.
greek
-oom. Lat. of Greece. S Greece, S Turkey.

hederifolium
Aiton. hed-uh-ri-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. with leaves like
Hedera
. S Eur., Turkey.

mirabile
Hildebr. mi-
rah
-bi-lee. Lat. wonderful. SW Turkey.

neapolitanum
Ten. =
C. hederifolium

persicum
Mill.
per
-si-koom. Lat. of Persia (Iran), where it does not grow. Greek Is., N Africa, SW Asia.

pseudibericum
Hildebr. sued-i-
be
-ri-koom. The false
C. ibericum
. S Turkey.

purpurascens
Mill. pur-pew-
ras
-uhnz. Lat. purplish (the flowers). Eur.

repandum
Sibth. & Sm. ree-
pan
-doom. Lat. wavy-edged (the leaves). S Eur.

Cydonia
Mill. (Rosaceae). sie-
doh
-neeuh. From the Gk. name, from Gk. Kydonia, now Chania, Crete. 1 sp., tree. SW Asia.

oblonga
Mill. ob-
long
-uh. Quince. Lat. oblong (the fruit).

Cymbalaria
Hill (Plantaginaceae). sim-buh-
lair
-ree-uh. Gk. like a cymbal
(the leaf shape). 9 spp. herbs. Eur., Medit., SW Asia.

muralis
Gaertn.f. mew-
rah
-lis. Ivy-leaved toadflax. Lat. of walls (where it often grows). Eur.

pallida
(Ten.) Wettst.
pa
-li-duh. Lat. pale (the flowers). Italy.

Cymbidium
Sw. (Orchidaceae). sim-
bid
-ee-oom. From Gk. boat-shaped, from the shape of the lip. 65 spp. orchids. Trop. Asia to Australia.

Cynara
L. (Asteraceae). sie-
nah
-ruh. From the Gk. name, after the Island of Cinara, now Kinaros. 8 spp. herbs. Medit.

cardunculus
L. kar-
dunk
-ew-loos. Cardoon. Lat. a small thistle. SW Eur., N Africa.
Scolymus Group
.
skol
-i-moos. Globe artichoke. Lat. name for golden thistle (
Scolymus hispanicus
).

scolymus
L. =
C. cardunculus
Scolymus Group

Cynoglossum
L. (Boraginaceae). sie-noh-
glos
-oom. Hound’s tongue. Gk. dog tongue, referring to the shape of the leaves. 60 spp. herbs. Widespread, mainly temp. regs.

amabile
Stapf & J. R. Drumm. uh-
mah
-bi-lee. Chinese forget-menot/hound’s tongue. Lat. beautiful. China, Bhutan.

nervosum
Benth. ex C. B. Clarke. ner-
voh
-soom. Himalayan hound’s tongue. Lat. (prominently) veined (the leaves). Himal.

Cyperus
L. (Cyperaceae).
sip
-uh-roos. Gk. name for
C. longus
. 600 spp. herbs. Widespread.

albostriatus
Schräd. al-boh-stree-
ah
-toos. Lat. white-striped (the leaves and bracts). S Africa.

alternifolius
hort. =
C. involucratus
. subsp.
flabelliformis
Kük.=
C. involucratus

eragrostis
Lam. e-ruh-
gros
-tis. After the genus
Eragrostis
(grasses). USA, temp. S Am., Easter Is.

involucratus
Rottb. in-vol-ue-
krah
-toos. Umbrella sedge. Lat. with an involucre (of bracts around the inflorescence). E Africa.

longus
L.
long
-oos. Galingale. Lat. long (the stems). Eur., Africa, W and C Asia, Himal.

papyrus
L.
pa
-pi-roos. Papyrus. From Gk. paper, which is made from this plant. Africa.

cypress
Cupressus
.
Arizona
C. arizonica
.
bald
Taxodium distichum
.

Hinoki
Chamaecyparis obtusa
.

Italian
Cupressus sempervirens
.

Lawson
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
.

Leyland
×
Cuprocyparis leylandii
.

Mexican
Cupressus lusitanica
.

Monterrey
C. macrocarpa
.
Nootka
Xanthocyparis nootkatensis
.
pond
Taxodium distichum
var.
imbricarium
.
Sawara
Chamaecyparis pisifera
.
smooth Arizona
Cupressus arizonica
var.
glabra
.
summer
Bassia scoparia
.
swamp
Taxodium distichum
.
white
Chamaecyparis thyoides

Cypripedium
L. (Orchidaceae). sip-ri-
pee
-dee-oom. Lady’s slipper, moccasin flower. From Gk. Venus slipper. 55 spp. orchids. Temp. and subalpine N hemisph., Mex., C Am.

acaule
Aiton. ay-
kaw
-lee. Stemless lady’s slipper. Lat. without a stem. SE Canada, E USA.

×
andrewsii
Fuller. an-
drewz
-ee-ee. After Edward Palmer Andrews (d. 1954), a medical doctor and orchid lover of Portage, Wisconsin, who discovered it in 1930.
C. candidum
×
C. parviflorum
var.
pubescens
. E Canada, NC and NE USA.

calceolus
L. kal-see-
oh
-loos. Lady’s slipper. Lat. a little shoe (from the flower shape). Eur., temp. Asia.

candidum
Muhl. ex Willd.
kan
-di-doom. Small white lady’s slipper. Lat. white (the flowers). S Canada, N USA.

kentuckiense
C. F. Reed. ken-tuk-ee-
en
-see. Kentucky lady’s slipper. Of Kentucky. SC and SE USA.

montanum
Douglas ex Lindl. mon-
tah
-noom. Mountain lady’s slipper. Lat. of mountains. W Canada, W USA.

parviflorum
Salisb. par-vi-
flaw
-room. Small yellow lady’s slipper. Lat. small-flowered. N Am. var.