The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (38 page)

Eragrostis
Wolf (Poaceae). e-ruh-
gros
-tis. Love grass. Gk. love grass, from the heart-shaped spikelets. 350 spp. grasses. Widespread.

curvula
(Schrad.) Nees.
kurv
-ew-luh. African love grass, weeping love grass. Lat. a little curved (the leaves). S Africa.

elliottii
S. Watson. el-ee-
ot
-ee-ee. Elliott’s love grass. After American banker and botanist Stephen Elliott (1771–1830), who described it under another name. N and S Am.

spectabilis
(Pursh) Steud. spek-
tab
-ilis. Purple love grass. Lat. spectacular. Canada to Mex.

Eranthis
Salisb. (Ranunculaceae). e-
ranth
-is. Gk. spring flower. 8 spp. tuberous herbs. Eur., Asia.

cilicica
Schott & Kotschy. si-
li
-si-kuh. Lat. of Cilicia (now S Turkey). E Medit.

hyemalis
(L.) Salisb. hee-
mah
-lis. Winter aconite. Lat. of winter (flowering). S Eur.

Eremurus
M. Bieb. (Xanthorrhoeaceae). e-re-
mew
-roos. Foxtail lily. From Gk. desert, tail, referring to their habitat, and the long, slender inflorescence. 58 spp. herbs. W Asia to China.

himalaicus
Baker. him-uh-
lay
-i-koos. Of the Himalaya. Afghanistan, W Himal.

×
isabellinus
R. Vilm. iz-a-bel-
ee
-noos. Lat. brownish yellow (the flowers).
E. olgae
×
E. stenophyllus
. Cult.

robustus
(Regel) Regel. roh-
bus
-toos. Lat. robust (the inflorescence). C Asia.

stenophyllus
(Boiss. & Buhse) Baker. sten-
o
-fil-oos. Gk. narrow-leaved. Iran to C Asia, W Pakistan.

Erica
L. (Ericaceae).
e
-ri-kuh. Heath. Lat. name for
E. arborea
, from the Gk. name. 860 spp., shrubs, small trees. Eur., W Asia, Africa.

arborea
L. ar-
bor
-ree-uh. Tree heath. Lat. tree-like. Medit., Africa.

australis
L. os-
trah
-lis. Spanish heath. Lat. southern. SW Eur., N Africa.

carnea
L.
kar
-nee-uh. Winter heath. Lat. flesh-pink (the flowers). C and SE Eur.

cinerea
L. sin-
e
-ree-uh. Bell heather. Lat. grey (the foliage of some forms). W Eur.

×
darleyensis
Bean. dar-lee-
en
-sis. Of Darley (it was raised at the nursery of James Smith, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, England).
E. carnea
×
E. erigena.
Cult.

×
hyemalis
Nicholson. hee-
mah
-lis. Lat. of winter (flowering). Cult.

erigena
R. Ross. e-ri-
jee
-nuh. Irish heath. Lat. of Ireland. W Eur., N Africa.

tetralix
L.
tet
-ruh-lix. Cross-leaved heath. Gk. name for a species of heath. N and W Eur.

vagans
L.
vay
-guhnz. Cornish heath. Lat. wandering (from its widespreading habit). W Eur.

Erigeron
L. (Asteraceae). e-
rig
-uh-ron. Gk. name of a plant used by Dioscorides, probably for groundsel (
Senecio vulgaris
), from Gk. early, old man (the white seedheads appear soon after flowering). 390 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread.

glaucus
Ker Gawl.
glaw
-koos. Beach aster, seaside fleabane. Lat. bluish white (the foliage). Calif., Oregon.

karvinskianus
DC. kar-vin-skee-
ah
-noos. Mexican fleabane. After German botanist Wilhelm Friedrich von Karwinsky von Karwin (1780–1855), who collected the type specimen. Mex., C Am.

Erinus
L. (Plantaginaceae).
e
-ri-noos. Gk. named used by Dioscorides for another plant. 2 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa.

alpinus
L. al-
pie
-noos. Fairy foxglove. Lat. of the Alps. S and C Eur.

Eriobotrya
Lindl. (Rosaceae). e-reeoh-
bot
-ree-uh. From Gk. wool, a bunch of grapes (the inflorescence is covered in woolly hairs). 30 spp., trees, shrubs. E Asia.

japonica
(Thunb.) Lindl. juh-
pon
-ikuh. Loquat. Of Japan. China, Taiwan, Japan.

Eriophorum
L. (Cyperaceae). e-ree-
of
-o-room. Cotton grass. Gk. wool-bearing, referring to the fruiting
heads. 25 spp. herbs. N temp. and arctic regs., S Africa.

angustifolium
Honck. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-oom. Common cotton grass. Lat. narrow-leaved. N Am., Eur., Asia.

Erodium
L’Hér. (Geraniaceae). e-
roh
-dee-oom. Stork’s bill. From Gk. heron, comparing the elongated fruit to a heron’s beak. 60 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia, Australia, S Am.

chrysanthum
L’Hér. ex DC. kris-
anth
-oom. Gk. golden-flowered. Greece.

manescavii
Coss. man-es-
kah
-vee-ee. After André Manescau, mayor of Pau, France, 1843–48. Pyrenees.

reichardii
(Murray) DC. riek-
ard
-eeee. After Johann Jacob Reichard (1743–1832), German botanist. Balearic Is.

×
variabile
A. C. Leslie. va-ree-
ab
-ilee. Lat. variable (the leaves).
E. corsicum
×
E. reichardii
. Cult.

Eruca
Mill. (Brassicaceae). e-
rue
-kuh. Lat. name for this or a similar plant, which gave the English name. 1 sp., herb. Medit.

vesicaria
(L.) Cav. vee-si-
kair
-ree-uh. Lat. bladder-like (the fruit). subsp.
sativa
(Mill.) Thell. sa-
tee
-vuh. Rocket. Lat. cultivated. Cult.

Eryngium
L. (Apiaceae). e-
ring
-geeoom. From the Gk. named used by Theophrastus for
E. campestre
. 250 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia, N and S Am.

agavifolium
Griseb. uh-gah-vi-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. with leaves like
Agave
. Argentina.

alpinum
L. al-
pie
-noom. Lat. of the Alps. Eur.

bourgatii
Gouan. boor-
gat
-ee-ee. After M. Bourgat, 18th-cent. French doctor who collected in the Pyrenees with the author, Antoine Gouan, 1766–67. SW Eur., Morocco.

eburneum
Decne. ee-
burn
-ee-oom. Lat. ivory-like (the flowers). Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay.

giganteum
M. Bieb. jie-
gan
-tee-oom. Lat. very large. W Asia.

maritimum
L. muh-
rit
-i-moom. Sea holly. Lat. of the sea (it grows on coasts). Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

pandanifolium
Cham. & Schltdl. pan-dan-i-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. with leaves like
Pandanus
. S Am.

planum
L.
play
-noom. Lat. flat (the leaves). C and E Eur., W and C Asia, NW China.

proteiflorum
F. Delaroche. proh-tee-i-
flaw
-room. Lat. with flowers like
Protea
. Mex.

yuccifolium
Michx. yook-i-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. with leaves like
Yucca
. E USA.

×
zabelii
Christ ex Bergmans. za-
bel
-ee-ee. After German botanist Hermann Zabel (1832–1912).
E. alpinum
×
E. bourgatii
. Cult.

Erysimum
L. (Brassicaceae). e-
ris
-imoom. From the Gk. name. 180 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Eur., N Africa, Asia, N Am., Australia.

cheiri
(L.) Crantz.
kie
-ree. Wallflower. From the Arabic name written in Gk., which means hand (it was carried in bouquets). S Eur.

Erythrina
L. (Fabaceae). e-rith-
ree
-nuh. From Gk. red, referring to the
flowers and seeds. 120 spp., shrubs, trees, herbs. Tropics to warm temp. regs.

crista-galli
L.
krist
-uh-
gal
-ee. Coral tree. Lat. cock’s comb (the arrangement of the red flowers). S Am.

herbacea
L. her-
bay
-see-uh. Coral bean, red cardinal. Lat. herbaceous. SE USA, NE Mex.

Erythronium
L. (Liliaceae). e-rith-
roh
-nee-oom. Fawn lily, trout lily. From the Gk. name of another plant, thought to be an orchid, from Gk. red. 29 spp. bulbous herbs. Eur., Asia, N Am.

americanum
Ker Gawl. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noom. Yellow trout lily. Of America. E N Am.

californicum
Purdy. kal-i-
for
-ni-koom. California fawn lily. Of California. Calif.

dens-canis
L.
dens-kan
-is. Dog’s tooth violet. Lat. dog’s tooth (the shape of the bulbs). Eur., W Asia.

japonicum
Decne. juh-
pon
-i-koom. Of Japan. China, Korea, Japan.

revolutum
Sm. rev-o-
lue
-toom. Pink fawn lily. Lat. revolute (curved backward, referring to the tepals). W USA, SW Canada.

tuolumnense
Applegate. tue-ol-uhm-
en
-see. Tuolumne fawn lily. Of Tuolomne County. Calif.

Escallonia
Mutis ex L.f. (Escalloniaceae). es-kuh-
loh
-nee-uh. After Spanish student Antonio José Escallón y Flóres (1739–1818), a companion of Mutis in Colombia. 40 spp., shrubs, trees. S Am.

laevis
(Vell.) Sleumer.
lee
-vis. Lat. smooth (the leaves). Brazil.

‘Langleyensis’
. lang-lee-
en
-sis. Of Langley, Bucks., UK, where it was raised at the Veitch nursery in 1893.
E. rubra
×
E. virgata
.

rubra
(Ruiz & Pav.) Pers.
rue
-bruh. Lat. red (the flowers). Chile. var.
macrantha
(Hook. & Arn.) Reiche. mak-
ranth
-uh. Gk. large-flowered.

Eschscholzia
Cham. (Papaveraceae). esh-
olt
-see-uh. After Russian physician and naturalist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz (1793–1831), born in what is now Estonia, who accompanied the author, Chamisso, when
E. californica
was discovered. 10 spp. herbs. W USA, N Mex.

californica
Cham. kal-i-
for
-ni-kuh. California poppy. Of California.

Eucalyptus
L’Hér. (Myrtaceae). ew-kuh-
lip
-toos. Gums. Gk. well-covered, referring to the cap on the flower buds formed from the calyx and/or the corolla. 800 spp., trees, shrubs. Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines.

archeri
Maiden & Blakely.
arch
-uhree. Alpine cider gum. After Australian botanist William Archer (1820–1874), who collected the type specimen in 1848. Tasmania.

citriodora
Hook. =
Corymbia citriodora

coccifera
Hook.f. kok-
si
-fuh-ruh. Tasmanian snow gum. Lat. bearing coccids (some of the first collected specimens were infested with these scale insects). Tasmania.

dalrympleana
Maiden. dal-rim-plee-
ah
-nuh. Mountain gum. After Richard Dalrymple-Hay (1861–1943),
the first commissioner of forests in NSW. SE Australia.