The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (34 page)

pontica
L.
pon
-ti-kuh. Gk. of Pontus (now NE Turkey). SE Eur., W Asia.

retusa
Hemsl. =
D. tangutica
Retusa Group

tangutica
Maxim. tan-
gew
-ti-kuh. Of Gansu (Terra Tangutorum). China.
Retusa Group
. ree-
tew
-suh. Lat. notched at the tip (the leaves).

Daphniphyllum
Blume (Daphniphyllaceae). daf-nee-
fil
-oom. Gk. with leaves like
Daphne
. 30 spp., trees, shrubs. China, SE Asia to Australia.

macropodum
Miq. mak-roh-
poh
-doom. Gk. with a large stalk (the inflorescence). Himal., W China.

Darmera
Voss (Saxifragaceae).
dar
-muh-ruh. After Karl Darmer (1843–1918), German botanist and horticulturist. 1 sp., perenn. herb. Calif., Oregon.

peltata
(Benth.) Voss. pel-
tah
-tuh. Umbrella plant. Lat. peltate (the leaves).

Dasylirion
Zucc. (Asparagaceae). dasee-
li
-ree-on. Gk. dense lily. 20 spp. tree-like herbs. SW USA, Mex.

longissimum
Lem. long-
gis
-i-moom. Lat. longest (the inflorescence). Mex.

wheeleri
S. Watson ex Rothr.
wee
-luhree. After George Montague Wheeler (1842–1905), American army surveyor who carried out surveys of the W USA during which the type specimen was collected in the 1870s. SW USA, N Mex.

date plum
Diospyros lotus

Datisca
L. (Datiscaceae). da-
tis
-kuh. Roman name for a catananche, possibly from Gk. to heal, from med. properties. 2 spp. herbs. W N Am., SW Asia to Himal.

cannabina
L. kan-uh-
been
-uh. Like
Cannabis
(the leaves). SW and C Asia, Himal.

Datura
L. (Solanaceae). da-
tew
-ruh. From an Indian name. 13 spp. ann. herbs. USA to S Am.

discolor
Bernh.
dis
-ko-lor. Lat. twocoloured (the flowers). SW USA, Mex.

inoxia
Mill. in-
ox
-ee-uh. Lat. harmless. S USA to S Am.

metel
L.
met
-el. From the Arabic name of a plant.

meteloides
DC. ex Dunal =
D. dis-color

stramonium
L. struh-
moh
-nee-oom. Jimson weed. Gk. name used by Theophrastus.

wrightii
Regel.
rie
-tee-ee. After American botanist Charles Wright (1811–1885), who collected the type specimen in Texas in 1849. W and C USA, NW Mex.

Daucus
L. (Apiaceae).
daw
-koos. Lat. name of the carrot. 22 spp. herbs. Eur. to C Asia, Africa, Australia, NZ.

carota
L.
kuh
-roh-tuh. Carrot. From the Gk. name. Eur. to C Asia.

Davidia
Baill. (Nyssaceae). duh-
vid
-ee-uh. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected the type specimen of
D. involucrata
in Sichuan in 1869. 1 sp., tree. W China.

involucrata
Baill. in-vo-lue-
krah
-tuh. Dove tree, handkerchief tree. Lat. with an involucre (of bracts around the flowerhead). var.
vilmoriniana
(Dode) Wangerin. vil-mo-rin-ee-
ah
-nuh. After French nurseryman Maurice Lévêque de Vilmorin (1849–1918), to whom the first seeds were sent.

dawn redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides

dead-nettle
Lamium
.
Pyrenean
Horminum pyrenaicum
.
spotted
Lamium maculatum

deadly nightshade
Atropa belladonna
death camus
Anticlea

Decaisnea
Hook.f. & Thomson (Lardizabalaceae). de-
kayz
-nee-uh. After Joseph Decaisne (1807–1882), French botanist and director of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. 1 sp., shrub. China, Himal.

fargesii
Franch. =
D. insignis

insignis
(Griff.) Hook.f. & Thomson. in-
sig
-nis. Lat. notable.

Decumaria
L. (Hydrangeaceae). dek-ew-
mah
-ree-uh. From Lat. ten (the parts of the flower are in tens). 2 spp. climbers. China, SE USA.

barbara
L.
bar
-buh-ruh. Wood vamp. Lat. foreign (it was thought to be introduced). SE USA.

sinensis
Oliv. sin-
en
-sis. Lat. of China. China.

deerfoot
Achlys triphylla

Delosperma
N. E. Br. (Aizoaceae). deloh-
sperm
-uh. Gk. visible seed (when the capsule opens, the seeds are not covered with a membrane, as in related genera). 160 spp. succulent herbs and shrubs. S Africa to Arabia.

cooperi
(Hook.f.) L. Bolus.
koo
-puhree. After English botanist Thomas Cooper (1815–1913), who sent material to England, plants from which provided the type specimen. S Africa.

nubigenum
(Schltr.) L. Bolus. nue-bi-
jee
-noom. Lat. born in the clouds (referring to its habitat). S Africa.

Delphinium
L. (Ranunculaceae). del-
fin
-ee-oom. From Gk. dolphin, from the supposed resemblance of the flowers. 300 spp. herbs. N temp. regs., trop. mts.

Belladonna Group
. bel-uh-
don
-uh. Lat. beautiful woman. Cult.

grandiflorum
L. gran-di-
flaw
-room. Lat. large-flowered. E Asia.

Dendromecon
Benth (Papaveraceae). den-
drom
-i-kon. Gk. tree poppy.
2 spp., shrubs, trees. Calif., Mex. (B.C.).

rigida
Benth.
ri
-ji-duh. Tree poppy. Lat. rigid (the leaves).

deodar
Cedrus deodara

Deschampsia
P. Beauv. (Poaceae). des-
champ
-see-uh. After French naturalist and surgeon Louise Auguste Deschamps (1765–1842). 30 spp. grasses. N temp. regs.

cespitosa
(L.) P. Beauv. ses-pi-
to
-suh. Tussock grass. Lat. tufted (the habit).

Desfontainia
Ruiz & Pav. (Columelliaceae). des-fon-
tayn
-ee-uh. After French botanist René Louiche Desfontaines (1750–1833). 1 sp., shrub. C and S Am.

spinosa
Ruiz & Pav. spi-
noh
-suh. Chilean holly. Lat. spiny (the leaves).

Desmanthus
Willd. (Fabaceae). dez-
manth
-oos. Gk. bundle flower from the clustered flowers. 25 spp., herbs, subshrubs. USA to S Am.

illinoensis
(Michx.) MacMill. ex B. L. Rob. & Fernald. il-i-noh-
en
-sis. Prairie mimosa, prickleweed. Of Illinois. USA.

Desmodium
Desf. (Fabaceae). dez-
moh
-dee-oom. Beggarticks, tick trefoil. From Gk. chain (the fruits break into link-like segments). 275 spp., herbs, shrubs. Widespread.

canadense
(L.) DC. kan-uh-
den
-see. Canadian tick trefoil. Of Canada. Canada, USA.

Deutzia
Thunb. (Hydrangeaceae).
doyt
-see-uh. 60 spp. shrubs. E and SE Asia, Mex.

×
elegantissima
(Lemoine) Rehder. eli-gan-
tis
-i-muh. Lat. most elegant.
D. purpurascens
×
D. sieboldiana
. Cult.

gracilis
Sieb. & Zucc.
gras
-i-lis. Lat. slender (the stems). Japan.

×
hybrida
Lemoine.
hib
-ri-duh. Lat. hybrid.
D. discolor
×
D. longifolia
. Cult.

×
kalmiiflora
Lemoine. kal-mee-i-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with flowers like
Kalmia. D. parviflora
×
D. purpurascens
. Cult.

pulchra
Vidal.
pool
-kruh. Lat. beautiful. Taiwan, Philippines.

scabra
Thunb.
skay
-bruh. Lat. rough (the leaves). Japan.

setchuenensis
Franch. sech-wen-
en
-sis. Of Sichuan. China. var.
corymbi-flora
(Lemoine) Rehder. ko-rim-bi-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with flowers in corymbs. China (Hubei, Sichuan).

devil’s backbone
Kalanchoe daigremontiana

devil’s walking stick
Aralia spinosa

devilwood
Osmanthus americanus

Dianella
Lam. ex Juss. (Xanthorrhoeaceae). die-uh-
nel
-uh. Flax lily. Diminutive of Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt. 20 spp. herbs. E Africa, SE Asia, Pacific Is., Australia, NZ.

caerulea
Sims. kie-
rue
-lee-uh. Blue flax lily, Paroo lily. Lat. blue (the flowers). SE Australia.

nigra
Colenso.
nie
-gruh. New Zealand blueberry. Lat. black (the seeds). NZ.

revoluta
R. Br. rev-o-
lue
-tuh. Blueberry lily. Lat. rolled under (the leaf margins). SE Australia.

tasmanica
Hook.f. taz-
man
-i-kuh. Tasman flax lily. Of Tasmania. SE Australia.

Dianthus
L. (Caryophyllaceae). die-
anth
-oos. Pink. Gk. name used by Theophrastus meaning flower of Zeus. 320 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Eur., Asia, Africa, NW N Am.

alpinus
L. al-
pie
-noos. Lat. of the Alps. E Alps.

barbatus
L. bar-
bah
-toos. Sweet William. Lat. bearded (the petals). S Eur.

carthusianorum
L. kar-thew-zee-uh-
nor
-room. Carthusian pink. Of the monks of the Carthusian monastery, Grenoble, who cultivated it. S and C Eur.

caryophyllus
L. ka-ree-
of
-i-loos. Carnation, clove pink. Gk. walnut-leaved (the scent). Medit.

chinensis
L. chin-
en
-sis. Of China. China.

deltoides
L. del-
toy
-deez. Maiden pink. Gk. shaped like the Greek uppercase letter delta (the petals). Eur. to C Asia and N India.

gratianopolitanus
Vill. grat-ee-ahnoh-po-li-
tah
-noos. Cheddar pink. Lat. of Grenoble (Lat.
Gratianopolis
). W and C Eur.

Diascia
Link & Otto (Scrophulariaceae). die-
ask
-ee-uh. Twinspur. Gk. two sacs, referring to the pair of translucent yellow windows in the corolla. 70 spp. herbs. S Africa.

barberae
Hook.f.
bar
-buh-rie. After Mrs Barber, who sent seeds to Kew in 1870.

fetcaniensis
Hilliard & B. L. Burtt. fet-kah-nee-
en
-sis. Of the Fetcani Pass, E Cape, S Africa, where the type specimen was collected.

rigescens
E. Mey. ex Benth. ree-
ges
-uhnz. Lat. rather stiff (the shoots).

vigilis
Hilliard & B. L. Burtt.
vij
-i-lis. Lat. of the sentinel, referring to a large basalt rock in the Royal Natal National Park, near which the type specimen was collected in 1979.