The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (35 page)

Dicentra
Benth. (Papaveraceae). die-
sen
-truh. From Gk. two spurs, referring to the spurs on the outer petals. 20 spp. herbs. N Am., E Asia.

canadensis
(Goldie) Walp. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Squirrel corn. Of Canada. SE Canada, NE USA.

cucullaria
(L.) Bernh. kuk-ew-
lair
-ree-uh. Dutchman’s breeches. Lat. like a hood (the flowers). SE Canada, USA.

eximia
(Ker Gawl.) Torr. ex-
im
-ee-uh. Turkey corn. Lat. distinguished. E USA.

formosa
(Haw.) Walp. for-
moh
-suh. Pacific bleeding heart. Lat. beautiful. W USA, SW Canada.

macrantha
Oliv. =
Ichtyoselmis macrantha

scandens
(D. Don) Walp. =
Dactylicapnos scandens

spectabilis
(L.) Lem. =
Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Dichelostemma
Kunth (Asparagaceae). di-kel-oh-
stem
-uh. From Gk. bifid garland, referring to the divided appendages that form a crown on the perianth. 5 spp. cormous herbs. W N Am.

ida-maia
(Alph. Wood) Greene.
ee
-duh-
mie
-uh. Firecracker flower. After Ida May Burke (1862–1871),
whose father showed the flowers to Alphonso Wood, who described the species, and of the Ides of May, when it flowers. Calif., Oregon.

Dichroa
Lour. (Hydrangeaceae). die-
kroh
-uh. From Gk. two-coloured (the flowers). 12 spp., shrubs, sub-shrubs. E Asia.

febrifuga
Lour. feb-ri-
few
-guh. Lat. reducing fever (it is used medicinally). Himal., China, SE Asia.

Dicksonia
L’Hér. (Dicksoniaceae). dik-
soh
-nee-uh. After Scottish nurseryman and botanist James Dickson (1738–1822). 20 spp. tree ferns. SE Asia to Australasia, trop. Am.

antarctica
Labill. an-
tark
-ti-kuh. Soft tree fern. Of the Antarctic. SE Australia.

Dicliptera
Juss. (Acanthaceae). di-
klip
-tuh-ruh. Gk. two-fold wing, referring to the wing-like divisions of the capsule. 150 spp. herbs. Widespread in trop. and warm regs.

sericea
Nees =
D. squarrosa

squarrosa
Nees. skwo-
roh
-suh. Lat. with projecting tips (the flowers). S Am.

suberecta
(André) Bremek. =
D. squarrosa

Dictamnus
L. (Rutaceae). dik-
tam
-noos. Gk. name for
Origanum dictamnus
. 1 sp., herb. Eur. to China.

albus
L.
al
-buhs. Burning bush, false dittany. Lat. white (the flowers, sometimes).

Dieffenbachia
Schott (Araceae). deefuhn-
bahk
-ee-uh. Dumb cane. After Johann Karl Ernst Dieffenbach (1811–1855), German physician and naturalist. 57 spp. herbs. Mex. to trop. S Am.

amoena
hort. =
D. seguine

maculata
(Lodd.) Sweet =
D. seguine

picta
Schott =
D. seguine

seguine
(Jacq.) Schott. se-
gee
-nee. A local name in the French Antilles for this and other members of the family. Trop. S Am., Caribb.

Dierama
K. Koch (Iridaceae). die-uh-
rah
-muh. Angel’s fishing rod, wandflower. Gk. funnel, referring to the shape of the flowers. 42 spp. cormous herbs. Trop. and S Africa.

argyreum
L. Bolus. ar-gi-
ree
-oom. Gk. silvery (the flowers).

dracomontanum
Hilliard. drak-ohmon-
tah
-noom. Of the Drakensberg Mts.

erectum
Hilliard. ee-
rek
-toom. Lat. upright (the flowers).

galpinii
N. E. Br. gal-
pin
-ee-ee. After South African watchmaker and banker Ernest Edward Galpin (1858–1941), who collected the type specimen in 1889.

igneum
Klatt.
ig
-nee-oom. Lat. fiery (the flowers).

mossii
(N. E. Br.) Hilliard.
mos
-ee-ee. After Charles Edward Moss (1870–1930), English botanist and first professor of botany at the University of Witwatersrand, who collected the type specimen in 1917.

pauciflorum
N. E. Br. paw-si-
flaw
-room. Lat. few-flowered.

pendulum
(L.f.) Baker.
pen
-dew-loom. Lat. pendulous (the flowers).

pulcherrimum
(Hook.f.) Baker. pool-
ke
-ri-moom. Lat. very beautiful.

reynoldsii
Verd. re-
nold
-zee-ee. After South African optometrist Gilbert Westacott Reynolds (1895–1967), who collected the type specimen in 1939.

trichorhizum
(Baker) N. E. Br. trik-oh-
ree
-zoom. Gk. hairy root (referring to the fibres on the corm).

Diervilla
Mill. (Diervillaceae). die-uh-
vil
-uh. Bush honeysuckle. After French surgeon N. Diereville (b. 1670), who introduced
D. lonicera
to Europe from Canada. 3 spp. shrubs. USA, Canada.

lonicera
Mill. lo-ni-
se
-ruh. After the genus
Lonicera
.

sessilifolia
Buckley. se-si-li-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with sessile (unstalked) leaves.

×
splendens
(Carrière) Kirchn.
splen
-duhnz. Lat. splendid.
D. lonicera
×
D. sessilifolia
. Cult.

Dieteria
Nutt. (Asteraceae). dee-et-
e
-ree-uh. Gk. two years, referring to their life cycle. 3 spp., herbs, sub-shrubs. W USA, N Mex.

bigelovii
(A. Gray) D. R. Morgan & R. L. Hartman. big-uh-
lov
-ee-ee. After John Milton Bigelow (1804–1878), American surgeon and botanist to the expedition on which the type specimen was collected in New Mexico in 1853. W USA.

Dietes
Salisb. ex Klatt (Iridaceae). die-
ee
-teez. Gk. two relatives, indicating its closeness to
Iris
and
Moraea
, in the same family. 6 spp. herbs. E and S Africa, Australia (Lord Howe Is.).

bicolor
(Steud.) Sweet ex Klatt.
bi
-kolor. Peacock flower. Lat. twocoloured (the flowers). S Africa.

grandiflora
N. E. Br. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Fairy iris. Lat. large-flowered. S Africa.

iridioides
(L.) Sweet. i-rid-ee-
oy
-deez. Cape iris. Like
Iris
. E and S Africa.

Digitalis
L. (Plantaginaceae). di-ji-
tah
-lis. Foxgloves. From Lat. finger, referring to the shape of the flowers. 22 spp., herbs, shrubs. Eur., Medit. to C Asia.

ferruginea
L. fe-rue-
jin
-ee-uh. Rusty foxglove. Lat. rust-coloured (the flowers). S Eur., W Asia.

grandiflora
Mill. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Large yellow foxglove. Lat. large-flowered. Eur.

laevigata
Waldst. & Kit. lee-vi-
gah
-tuh. Lat. smooth (the leaves). SE Eur.

lanata
Ehrh. lan-
ah
-tuh. Grecian fox-glove. Lat. woolly (the inflorescence). SE Eur., W Asia.

lutea
L.
lue
-tee-uh. Straw foxglove. Lat. yellow (the flowers). Eur.

×
mertonensis
Buxton & C. Darl. mer-ton-
en
-sis. Of Merton, Greater London, UK, where it was raised at the John Innes Institute (then in Surrey).
D. grandiflora
×
D. purpurea
. Cult.

obscura
L. ob-
skew
-ruh. Lat. dusky (the flowers). Spain.

parviflora
Jacq. par-vi-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. small-flowered. N Spain.

purpurea
L. pur-
pew
-ree-uh. Common foxglove. Lat. purple (the flowers). Eur., Morocco.

dill
Anethum graveolens

Dionaea
Sol. ex Ellis (Droseraceae). die-on-
ee
-uh. After Dione of Gk. myth., mother by Zeus of Aphrodite
(the Roman Venus). 1 sp., carnivorous herb. SE USA (Carolinas).

muscipula
Ellis. mus-
kip
-ew-luh. Venus’s fly trap. Lat. fly-catching.

Diospyros
L. (Ebenaceae). die-
os
-piros. Gk. divine wheat, referring to the edible fruit. 550 spp., trees, shrubs. Mainly trop. Am., Asia, Africa.

kaki
Thunb.
kah
-kee. Japanese persimmon, kaki. The Japanese name. China.

lotus
L.
loh
-toos. Date plum. A reference to the lotus tree of Gk. myth., mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey. W Asia to China and Korea.

virginiana
L. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. American persimmon. Of Virginia. E and C USA.

Dipelta
Maxim. (Linnaeaceae). di-
pel
-tuh. Gk. two shields, referring to the two large bracts around the fruit. 3 spp. shrubs. China.

floribunda
Maxim. flo-ri-
bun
-duh. Lat. flowering profusely.

ventricosa
Hemsl. =
D. yunnanensis

yunnanensis
Franch. yue-nan-
en
-sis. Of Yunnan, China.

Diplarrena
Labill. (Iridaceae). dip-luh-
ree
-nuh. Gk. double male, referring to the two fertile stamens. 2 spp. herbs. SE Australia.

moraea
Labill. mo-
ree
-uh. Butterfly flag. From the resemblance to the South African
Moraea
.

Dipsacus
L. (Dipsacaceae).
dip
-suhkoos. From Gk. thirst, referring to the water that collects in the leaf bases in some species. 15 spp. herbs. Eur., Africa, Asia.

fullonum
L. fool-
oh
-noom. Teasel. Lat. of fullers (those that raised the nap of cloth by ‘teasing’ it with heads of teasel). Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

Disanthus
Maxim. (Hamamelidaceae). dis-
anth
-oos. Gk. two flowers (the flowers are borne in pairs). 1 sp., shrub. China, Japan.

cercidifolius
Maxim. ser-sid-i-
foh
-leeoos. Lat. with leaves like
Cercis
.

Disporopsis
Hance (Asparagaceae). dis-po-
rop
-sis. Gk. like
Disporum
, a related genus. 6 spp. herbs. SE China to Philippines.

aspersa
(Hua) Engler. uh-
sper
-suh. Lat. a sprinkling (the flowers are spotted). China.

pernyi
(Hua) Diels.
per
-nee-ee. After French missionary Paul Hubert Perny (1818–1907), who collected the type specimen in Guizhou in 1858. China.

Disporum
Salisb. ex D. Don (Asparagaceae).
dis
-po-room. Gk. two seeds (there are often two ovules in each locule of the ovary). 20 spp. herbs. E Asia.

cantoniense
(Lour.) Merr. kan-tohnee-
en
-see. Of Guangzhou (Canton). China, Himal., SE Asia.