The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (5 page)

pentaphyllum
Diels. pent-uh-
fil
-oom. Gk. with five leaves (leaflets). China.

pictum
Thunb.
pik
-toom. Painted maple. Lat. painted (the leaves; it was described from a variegated plant). Japan, China, Korea.

platanoides
L. plat-uh-
noy
-deez. Norway maple. Like
Platanus
(the leaves). Eur., Caucasus.
‘Drummondii’
. drum-
ond
-ee-ee. After Messrs Drummond, Stirling, Scotland, who first distributed it.

pseudoplatanus
L. sue-doh-
plat
-uhnoos. Sycamore, sycamore maple. Gk. false
Platanus
. Eur., W Asia.
‘Brilliantissimum’
. bril-yuhn-
tis
-imoom. Lat. most brilliant.
‘Leopoldii’
. lee-oh-
pohld
-ee-ee. After King Leopold I of Belgium (1790–1865).

pseudosieboldianum
(Pax) Kom. sue-doh-see-bold-ee-
ah
-noom. False
A. sieboldianum
. China, Korea, E Russia.

rubrum
L.
rue
-broom. Red maple. Lat. red (the flowers). E N Am.

rufinerve
Sieb. & Zucc. roof-i-
nur
-vee. Honshu maple. Lat. with red hairs on the (leaf) veins. Japan.

saccharinum
L. sak-uh-
rie
-noom. Silver maple. Lat. sugary (the sap). E N Am.

saccharum
Marshall.
sak
-uh-room. Sugar maple. Lat. sugary (the sap). N Am. subsp.
grandidentatum
(Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray) Desmarais. grand-i-den-
tah
-toom. Bigtooth maple. Lat. with large teeth (the leaves). SW USA. subsp.
nigrum
(F. Michx.) Desmarais.
nie
-groom. Black maple. Lat. black (the bark).

sempervirens
L. sem-puh-
vie
-ruhnz. Cretan maple. Lat. evergreen. E Medit.

shirasawanum
Koidz. shi-raz-uh-
wah
-noom. After Japanese dendrologist Miho Shirasawa (1868–1947). Japan.

sieboldianum
Miq. see-bold-ee-
ah
-noom. After Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866), who studied the flora and fauna of Japan and collected the type specimen. Japan.

spicatum
Lam. spi-
kah
-toom. Mountain maple. Lat. in spikes (the flowers). NE N Am.

tataricum
L. tuh-
ta
-ri-koom. Tatarian maple. From the reg. of C and E Asia once called Tartary. SE Eur., W Asia. subsp.
ginnala
(Maxim.) Wesm. jin-
ah
-luh. Amur maple. From the native name in N China. China, Korea, Japan.

tegmentosum
Maxim. teg-men-
toh
-soom. Lat. covering (possibly referring to the white bloom that covers the shoots). NE Asia.

triflorum
Kom. trie-
flaw
-room. Lat. with three flowers (in each cluster). N China, Korea.

truncatum
Bunge. trun-
kah
-toom. Shantung maple. Lat. truncate (the leaf base). N China.

×
zoeschense
Pax. zur-
shen
-see. Of Zöschen (Zoeschen), Germany.
A. campestre
×
A. lobelii
. Cult.

Achillea
L. (Asteraceae). uh-
kil
-ee-uh. Yarrow. After Achilles of Gk. myth., who is said to have used it to treat wounds. 85 spp. herbs. Mainly N temp. regs.

ageratifolia
(Sibth. & Sm.) Boiss. uh-ge-ruh-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Greek yarrow. With leaves like
Ageratum
. SE Eur.

ageratum
L. uh-
ge
-ruh-toom. Sweet Nancy. Like
Ageratum
. SE Eur.

chrysocoma
Friv. krie-soh-
koh
-muh. Gk. golden head of hair (referring to the flowers). SE Eur.

clavennae
L. kluh-
ven
-ie. After Nicholas Clavena (d. 1617), apothecary in Bellune, Italy. SE Eur.

clypeoplata
Sm. klie-pee-oh-
lah
-tuh. Gk. shield-shaped (the flowerheads). SE Eur.

filipendulina
Lam. fil-i-pen-dew-
lee
-nuh. Like
Filipendula
. W and C Asia.

grandifolia
Friv. gran-di-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. large-leaved. SE Eur.

×
kellereri
Sünd.
kel
-uh-ruh-ree. After Johann Kellerer (b. 1859).
A. ageratifolia
×
A. clypeolata
. Cult.

×
kolbiana
Sünd. kohl-bee-
ah
-nuh. After Max Kolb (1829–1915).
A. clavennae
×
A. umbellata
. Cult.

×
lewisii
Ingw. lue-
is
-ee-ee. After Mr Lewis, in whose garden it originated. Cult.

millefolium
L. mil-ee-
foh
-lee-oom. Common yarrow. Lat. 1000 leaves (the leaves are finely divided). Eur., W Asia.

nobilis
L.
noh
-bi-lis. Lat. renowned. Eur., W Asia. subsp.
neilreichii
(A. Kerner) Formánek. niel-
riek
-ee-ee. After Austrian botanist August Neilreich (1803–1871). SE Eur.

ptarmica
L.
tar
-mi-kuh. Sneezewort. From Gk. for sneeze (it was used as snuff). Eur.

sibirica
Ledeb. si-
bi
-ri-kuh. Of Siberia. Russia.

tomentosa
L. to-men-
toh
-suh. Lat. tomentose. SW Eur.

Achimenes
Pers. (Gesneriaceae). uh-
kim
-en-eez. Hot water plant. Possibly from Gk. for cold-sensitive (they are tender). 25 spp. herbs. Trop. Am.

grandiflora
(Schltdl.) DC. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Mex., C Am.

longiflora
DC. long-gi-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. long-flowered. Mex., C and S Am.

Achlys
DC. (Berberidaceae).
ak
-lis. Gk. goddess of night and mist (it grows in shade). 3 spp. herbs. N Am., Japan.

triphylla
(Sm.) DC. trie-
fil
-uh. Deer-foot, vanilla leaf. Gk. with three leaves (leaflets). W N Am.

Achnatherum
P. Beauv. (Poaceae). ak-
nath
-uh-room. From Gk. scale awn, referring to the awned lemma. 50 spp. grasses. N temp. regs.

calamagrostis
(L.) P. Beauv. kal-uhmuh-
grost
-is. Gk. reed grass. C and S Eur.

hymenoides
(Roem. & Schult.) Bark-worth. hie-muhn-
oy
-deez. Indian rice grass. Lat. membrane-like (the lemma). W Canada, W and C USA, NW Mex.

Acidanthera bicolor
Hochst. =
Gladiolus murielae

Acinos
Mill. (Lamiaceae). uh-
see
-nos. From the Gk. name used by Dioscorides for an aromatic herb. 10 spp. herbs. Eur., Asia.

alpinus
(L.) Moench. al-
pie
-noos. Alpine calamint. Lat. alpine. Eur.

Aciphylla
J. R. & G. Forst. (Apiaceae). a-si-
fil
-uh. Gk. sharp-pointed leaf. 40 spp. herbs. Australia, NZ.

aurea
W. R. B. Oliv.
aw
-ree-uh. Golden Spaniard. Lat. golden (the foliage). NZ (S.I.).

Acis
Salisb. (Amaryllidaceae).
a
-kis. Gk. myth., after the spirit of the River Acis in Sicily. 9 spp. bulbous herbs. Medit.

autumnalis
(L.) Herb. aw-toom-
nah
-lis. Autumn snowflake. Lat. of autumn (flowering).

Acmella
Rich. (Asteraceae). ak-
mel
-uh. From the Sinhalese name for
A. oleracea
. 30 spp. herbs. Warm and trop. Am.

oleracea
(L.) R. K. Jansen. ol-uh-
ray
-see-uh. Para-cress. Lat. vegetable-like. S Am.

aconite
Aconitum
.
winter
Eranthis hyemalis

Aconitum
L. (Ranunculaceae). a-kon-
ee
-toom. Aconite, monkshood. Gk. name for one species, used by Theophrastus and Dioscorides. 100 spp. herbs. Temp. N hemisph.

×
cammarum
L. ka-
mar
-room. From Lat. for lobster or crayfish (from the tail-like shape of the upper part of the flower).
A. napellus
×
A. variegatum
. Eur.
‘Bicolor’
.
bi
-ko-lor. Twocoloured (the flowers).

carmichaelii
Debeaux. kar-mie-
kel
-ee-ee. After J. R. Carmichael (1838–1870), English physician, plant collector and missionary in China. China, N Vietnam.

columbianum
Nutt. ko-lum-bee-
ah
-noom. Of the Columbia River. W N Am.

fischeri
Rchb.
fish
-uh-ree. After Friedrich Ernst Ludwig Fischer (1782–1854), German-born Russian botanist. N China, Korea, E Russia.

hemsleyanum
E. Pritz. hemz-lee-
ah
-noom. After English botanist William Botting Hemsley (1843–1924), who worked on Chinese plants at Kew. China, N Myanmar.

japonicum
Thunb. juh-
pon
-i-koom. Of Japan. Japan.

lycoctonum
L. lie-kok-
toh
-noom. Wolfsbane. From the Gk. name, from Gk. wolf. Eur., N Africa. subsp.
neapolitanum
(Ten.) Nyman. neeuh-pol-i-
tah
-num. Lat. of Naples (Lat.
Neapolis
).

napellus
L. nuh-
pel
-oos. Lat. a small turnip, referring to the root. Eur., Asia. subsp.
vulgare
(DC.) Rouy & Foucaud. vul-
gar
-ree. Lat. common. Pyrenees, Alps.

Acorus
L. (Acoraceae).
a
-ko-roos. Lat. name (from Gk.) for
Iris pseudacorus
. 3 spp. herbs. N hemisph.

americanus
(Raf.) Raf. =
A. calamus
var.
americanus

calamus
L.
ka
-luh-moos. Sweet flag. Gk. name for a reed, from Kalamos of Gk. myth., who drowned in the Meander River and turned into a reed. Asia. var.
americanus
Raf. uhme-ri-
kah
-noos. Of America. N Am.

gramineus
Sol. gra-
min
-ee-oos. Lat. grass-like (the foliage). E Asia.

Acradenia
Kippist (Rutaceae). ak-ruh-
deen
-ee-uh. Gk. at the tip, gland, referring to glands at the tips of the carpels. 2 spp. shrubs. Australia.

frankliniae
Kippist. frank-
lin
-ee-ie. After Jane Griffin, Lady Franklin (1791–1875), wife of Sir John Franklin, governor of Tasmania. W Tasmania.

Acroclinium roseum
Hook. =
Rhodanthe chlorocephala
subsp.
rosea

Actaea
L. (Ranunculaceae). ak-
tee
-uh. Gk./Lat. name for elder (
Sambucus
), from the similar leaves. 27 spp. perenn. herbs. Temp. N hemisph.

cimicifuga
L. sim-i-si-
few
-guh. Bugbane. Lat. repelling bugs (from its use as an insect repellent). E Asia.

cordifolia
DC. kord-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. heart-shaped (the leaflets). SE USA.

dahurica
(Turcz. ex Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Franch. dah-
hew
-ri-kuh. Of Dahuria, Siberia. NE Asia.