The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (59 page)

Matteuccia
Tod. (Onocleaceae). ma-
tue
-chee-uh. After Carlo Matteucci (1811–1868), Italian physicist. 3 spp. ferns. N temp. regs.

orientalis
(Hook.) Trevis. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Lat. eastern. E Asia.

struthiopteris
(L.) Tod. strue-thee-
op
-te-ris. Ostrich fern. Gk. ostrich fern. Canada, USA, Eur., Asia.

Matthiola
W. T. Aiton (Brassicaceae). mat-ee-
oh
-luh. Stock. After Pietro Andrea Matthioli (1500–1577), Italian botanist and physician. 50 spp. ann., bienn. and perenn. herbs. Eur., Africa, W and C Asia.

bicornis
(Sm.) DC. =
M. longipetala
subsp.
bicornis

incana
(L.) R. Br. in-
kah
-nuh. Brompton stock. Lat. grey (the foliage). S Eur.

longipetala
(vent.) DC. long-gi-
pet
-uh-luh. Lat. long-petalled. Greece, SW Asia. subsp.
bicornis
(Sm.) P. Ball. bie-
korn
-is. Night-scented stock. Lat. two-horned (the fruit).

Maurandya
Ortega (Plantaginaceae). mor-
rand
-ee-uh. After Catalina Pancracia Maurandy, 18th-cent. Spanish botanist. 3 spp. climbing herbs. USA, Mex.

erubescens
(D. Don) A. Gray =
Lophospermum erubescens

scandens
(Cav.) Pers.
skan
-duhnz. Lat. climbing. Mex.

May apple
Podophyllum peltatum

May-lily, Canadian
Maianthemum canadense

mayhaw
Crataegus aestivalis

maypop
Passiflora incarnata

mayten
Maytenus boaria

Maytenus
Molina (Celastraceae). may-
ten
-oos. From the Chilean name of
M. boaria
. 200 spp., trees, shrubs. Tropics and subtropics.

boaria
Molina. boh-
ah
-ree-uh. Mayten. Lat. of cattle (which eat the leaves). S Am.

Mazus
Lour. (Phrymaceae).
may
-zoos. From Gk. nipple, referring to swellings in the corolla. 35 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. E and SE Asia to Australia, NZ.

reptans
N. E. Br.
rep
-tanz. Lat. creeping. Himal.

meadow rue
Thalictrum
.
lesser
T. minus
.
yellow
T. flavum

meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
.
giant
F. camtschatica

Meconopsis
Viguier (Papaveraceae). mek-o-
nop
-sis. Gk. poppy-like. 54 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Himal., China, W Eur.

betonicifolia
Franch. be-ton-i-ki-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Betonica
(
Stachys
). W China, N Myanmar.

cambrica
(L.) Viguier.
kam
-bri-kuh. Welsh poppy. Lat. of Wales. W Eur.

medlar
Mespilus germanica

meetinghouses
Aquilegia canadensis

Melia
L. (Meliaceae).
mel
-ee-uh. Gk. name for
Fraxinus ornus
, which exudes a sugary substance, from Gk. honey, from the similarity of the leaves. 3 spp., trees, shrubs. Asia to Australia.

azedarach
L. uh-
zed
-uh-rak. Bead tree, Persian lilac. From the Persian name.

Melianthus
L. (Melianthaceae). mel-ee-
anth
-oos. Gk. honey flower, from the profuse nectar. 8 spp. shrubs. S Africa.

major
L.
may
-juh. Honeyflower. Lat. large.

Melica
L. (Poaceae).
mel
-i-kuh. From Gk. name of a grass with sweet sap, from Gk. honey. 80 spp. grasses. Widespread in temp. regs.

altissima
L. al-
tis
-i-muh. Siberian melic. Lat. tallest. C and E Eur., W and C Asia.

Melissa
L. (Lamiaceae). mel-
is
-uh. Gk. honey bee (they are attracted to the flowers). 4 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Lemon balm. Lat. sold as a med. herb.

Melittis
L. (Lamiaceae). mel-
it
-is. Gk. bearing honey. 1 sp., perenn. herb. Eur., W Asia.

melissophyllum
L. mel-is-oh-
fil
-oom. Bastard balm. Gk. with leaves like
Melissa
.

melon
Cucumis melo
.
honeydew
C. melo
Inodorus Group.
musk
C. melo
Reticulatus Group

Mentha
L. (Lamiaceae).
menth
-uh. Mint. The Lat. name, from Minthe
of Gk. myth., a nymph who was turned into a mint plant. 20 spp. perenn. and ann. herbs. N temp. regs., Africa, Australia, NZ.

aquatica
L. uh-
kwat
-i-kuh. Water mint. Lat. of water. Eur., Africa, W Asia.

arvensis
L. ar-
ven
-sis. Corn mint, field mint. Lat. growing in fields. Eur., W and C Asia, Himal.

×
gracilis
Sole.
gras
-i-lis. Ginger mint. Lat. slender.
M. arvensis
×
M. spicata
. Cult.

longifolia
(L.) Huds. long-gi-
foh
-leeuh. Horse mint. Lat. long-leaved. Eur., Africa, W Asia.

×
piperita
L. pip-uh-
ree
-tuh. Peppermint. Lat. peppery.
M. aquatica
×
M. spicata
. Cult.
‘Citrata’
. sit-
rah
-tuh. Lemon mint. Lat. like
Citrus
(the scent).

pulegium
L. pue-
lee
-gee-oom. Penny-royal. The Lat. name, from Lat. flea (it was used as a repellant). Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

requienii
Benth. rek-wee-
en
-ee-ee. Corsican mint. After French naturalist Esprit Requien (1788–1851), who described it as a species of
Thymus
. Corsica, Sardinia.

spicata
L. spi-
kah
-tuh. Spearmint. Lat. in spikes (the flowers). SE Eur., Egypt, SW Asia.

suaveolens
Ehrh. sway-vee-
oh
-luhnz. Apple mint. Lat. sweet-smelling. Eur., N Africa, W Turkey.

×
villosa
Huds. vil-
oh
-suh. Lat. with long hairs.
M. spicata
×
M. suaveo-lens
. Eur.

Mentzelia
L. (Loasaceae). ment-
zee
-lee-uh. Blazing star. After Christian Mentzel (1622–1701), German botanist and physician. 80 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. SW Canada, W and S USA to S Am.

laevicaulis
(Douglas) Torr. & A. Gray. lee-vi-
kaw
-lis. Lat. smooth-stemmed. SW Canada, W USA.

lindleyi
Torr. & A. Gray.
lind
-lee-ee. After English botanist John Lindley (1799–1865), who described it as
Bartonia aurea
. SW USA.

Menyanthes
L. (Menyanthaceae). men-ee-
anth
-eez. Name used by Theophrastus for an aquatic plant, from Gk. moon flower. 1 sp., aquatic herb. Circumboreal.

trifoliata
L. trie-foh-lee-
ah
-tuh. Bog-bean. Lat. with three leaves (leaflets).

Menziesia
Sm. (Ericaceae). men-
zeez
-ee-uh. After Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), Scottish surgeon and naturalist with the Royal Navy, who collected the type specimen of
M. ferruginea
in 1788. 10 spp. deciduous shrubs. Canada, USA, NE Asia.

ciliicalyx
Maxim. sil-ee-i-
kay
-lix. Lat. with a fringed calyx. Japan.

Mertensia
Roth (Boraginaceae). mer-
tenz
-ee-uh. After Frank Carl Mertens (1764–1831), German botanist. 45 spp. perenn. herbs. N Am., Eur., Asia.

maritima
(L.) A. Gray. muh-
rit
-imuh. Oyster plant. Lat. of the sea (it grows on coasts). Circumpolar.

virginica
(L.) Pers. ex Link. vir-
jin
-ikuh. Virginia bluebells. Of Virginia. SE Canada, E USA.

mescal bean
Calia secundiflora

Mespilus
L. (Rosaceae).
mes
-pil-oos. Lat. name of the medlar. 1 sp., deciduous shrub or tree. SE Eur., W and C Asia.

germanica
L. jer-
man
-i-kuh. Medlar. Lat. of Germany.

Metasequoia
Miki ex Hu & W. C. Cheng (Cupressaceae). me-tuh-see-
kwoy
-uh. From Gk. changed, and the related
Sequoia
. 1 sp., deciduous conifer. C China.

glyptostroboides
Hu & W. C. Cheng. glip-toh-strob-
oy
-deez. Dawn redwood. Like the related
Glyptostrobus
.

Meum
Mill. (Apiaceae).
mee
-oom. Gk. name for
M. athamanticum
. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa.

athamanticum
Jacq. ath-uh-
man
-ti-koom. Baldmoney. Of Mount Athamas. Sicily.

Mexican hat
Ratibida columnifera

Mexican orange blossom
Choisya ternata

Mexican tea
Dysphania ambrosioides

mezereon
Daphne mezereum

Microbiota
Komarov (Cupressaceae). mik-roh-bie-
oh
-tuh. Gk. small,
Biota
(
Thuja
). 1 sp., shrubby conifer. E Siberia.

decussata
Komarov. dee-kus-
ah
-tuh. Lat. with leaves arranged in adjacent pairs, at right angles.

mile-a-minute
Fallopia baldschuanica

Milium
L. (Poaceae).
mil
-ee-oom. The Lat. (from Gk.) name for millet. 5 spp. grasses. Eur., temp. Asia, N Am.

effusum
L. ee-
few
-soom. Millet grass. Lat. open, spread out (the inflorescence).

milkweed
Asclepias
.
butterfly
A. tuberosa
.
common
A. syriaca
.
poke
A. exaltata
.
prairie
A. sullivantii
.
purple
A. purpurascens
.
showy
A. speciosa
.
spider
A. asperula
.
swamp
A. incarnata
.
whorled
A. verticillata
milkwort
Polygala

Mimosa
L. (Fabaceae). mi-
moh
-suh. From Gk. mimic, referring to the sensitive leaves. 500 spp., trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers. Mostly trop. Am.

pudica
L.
pew
-di-kuh. Sensitive plant. Lat. shy (it shrinks away when touched). Trop. Am.

mimosa
Acacia dealbata
.
prairie
Desmanthus illinoensis

Mimulus
L. (Phrymaceae).
mim
-ewloos. Monkey flower. Lat. mimic (the flowers have been likened to a monkey’s face). 91 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. W N Am. to S Am., Africa, Asia.