The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (61 page)

Myosotidium
Hook. (Boraginaceae). mie-oh-soh-
tid
-ee-oom. Gk. diminutive of
Myosotis
. 1 sp., perenn. herb. Chatham Is. (NZ).

hortensia
(Decne.) Baill. hor-
ten
-seeuh. Chatham Island forget-me-not. Lat. of gardens (it was originally described from cultivated plants).

Myosotis
L. (Boraginaceae). mie-oh-
soh
-tis. Forget-me-nots. Gk. mouse ear, from the shape of the leaves. 50 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. N Am., Eur., Asia, Africa, Australia.

palustris
Hill =
M. scorpioides

scorpioides
L. skor-pee-
oy
-deez. Water forget-me-not. Lat. curled like a scorpion’s tail (the inflorescence). Eur. to E Siberia.

sylvatica
Hoffm. sil-
vat
-i-kuh. Wood forget-me-not. Lat. of woods. Eur., W Asia, Himal.

Myrica
L. (Myricaceae).
mi
-ri-kuh. Gk. name for
Tamarix
. 2 spp. shrubs. N temp. regs.

cerifera
L. =
Morella cerifera

gale
L.
gah
-lee. Bog myrtle. From the Old English name. Canada, USA, Eur., E Asia.

pensylvanica
Mirb. =
Morella pensylvanica

Myriophyllum
L. (Haloragaceae). mi-ree-
of
-i-loom. Water milfoil. Gk. many leaves, the leaves are finely divided. 40 spp. aquatic herbs. Widespread.

aquaticum
(Vell.) Verdc. uh-
kwat
-i-koom. Parrot’s feather. Lat. of water. S Am.

myrobalan
Prunus cerasifera

Myrrhis
Mill. (Apiaceae).
mi
-ris. The Gk. name, used by Dioscorides. 1 sp., perenn. herb. C and S Eur.

odorata
(L.) Scop. oh-do-
rah
-tuh. Sweet Cicely. Lat. fragrant.

myrtle
Myrtus communis
.
sea
Baccharis halimifolia
.
Tarentum
Myrtus communis
‘Tarentina’

Myrtus
L. (Myrtaceae).
mur
-toos. The Lat. (from Gk.) name for
M. communis
. 2 spp. shrubs. Medit.

communis
L.
kom
-ew-nis. Myrtle. Lat. common.
‘Tarentina’
. ta-ren-
tee
-nuh. Tarentum myrtle. Lat. of Tarento, S Italy.

ugni
Molina =
Ugni molinae

Nandina
Thunb. (Berberidaceae). nan-
deen
-uh. From the Japanese name. 1 sp., evergreen shrub. China, Japan.

domestica
Thunb. do-
mest
-i-kuh. Heavenly bamboo, sacred bamboo. Lat. of the home (i.e., cultivated).

Narcissus
L. (Amaryllidaceae). nar-
sis
-oos. Daffodils. After Narcissus of Gk. myth. A plant appeared where he died after gazing at his own reflection in a pool. 57 spp. bulbous herbs. Eur., Medit., N Africa, W Asia.

bulbocodium
L. bul-boh-
koh
-deeoom. Hoop-petticoat daffodil. Gk. with a woolly bulb. SW Eur., NW Africa.

obvallaris
Salisb. ob-vuh-
lah
-ris. Tenby daffodil. Lat. surrounded by ramparts (referring to the lobed corona). S Wales.

papyraceus
Ker Gawl. pap-i-
ray
-seeoos. Paper white daffodil. Lat. papery (the white flowers). Medit.

poeticus
L. poh-
et
-i-koos. Poet’s daffodil. Lat. of poets. S and E Eur.

pseudonarcissus
L. sue-doh-nar-
sis
-oos. Wild daffodil. Gk. false
Narcissus
. W Eur.

romieuxii
Braun-Blanq. & Maire. rom-
ew
-ee-ee. After Swiss botanist Henri Auguste Romieux (1857–1937), who grew it in his Geneva garden. Algeria, Morocco.

Nassella
(Trin.) E. Desv. (Poaceae). nas-
el
-uh. Possibly from Lat. name for a narrow-necked basket used for catching fish, from the appearance of the spikelets. 116 spp. grasses. Mostly S Am.

tenuissima
(Trin.) Barkworth. ten-ew-
is
-i-muh. Lat. most slender. SW USA, N Mex.

Nasturtium
R. Br. (Brassicaceae). nuh-
stur
-shum. From Lat. twisted nose, referring to the scent. 5 spp. perenn. herbs. USA to C Am., Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

officinale
W. T. Aiton. of-is-i-
nah
-lee. Watercress. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus

navelwort
Umbilicus rupestris

nectarine
Prunus persica

Nectaroscordum bulgaricum
Janka =
Allium siculum
subsp.
dioscoridis

siculum
(Ucria) Lindl. =
Allium siculum

Neillia
D. Don (Rosaceae).
neel
-ee-uh. After Patrick Neill (1776–1851), Scottish botanist and friend of the author, David Don. 15 spp. shrubs. C and E Asia.

affinis
Hemsl.
af
-i-nis. Lat. related to (
N. gracilis
). China.

incisa
(Thunb.) S. Oh. in-
sie
-suh. Lat. sharply cut (the leaves). Japan.

tanakae
Franch. & Sav. ta-
nah
-kie. After Japanese botanist Yoshio Tanaka (1838–1916). Japan.

thibetica
Bureau & Franch. ti-
bet
-ikuh. Of Tibet. W China.

Nemesia
Vent. (Scrophulariaceae). nem-
ee
-see-uh. Gk. name used by Dioscorides for a similar plant. 70 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, sub-shrubs. Trop. and S Africa.

denticulata
(Benth.) Grant ex Fourc. den-tik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. with small teeth (the leaves). S Africa.

Nemophila
Nutt. (Boraginaceae). nem-
of
-i-luh. Gk. glade-loving (they grow in shady woods). 11 spp. ann. herbs. W N Am.

maculata
Benth. ex Lindl. mak-ew-
lah
-tuh. Fivespot. Lat. spotted (the corolla). SW USA.

menziesii
Hook. & Arn. men-
zeez
-eeee. Baby blue-eyes. After Scottish surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), who collected it. W USA, NW Mex.

Nepeta
L. (Lamiaceae). ne-
pee
-tuh,
ne
-pi-tuh. Catmint. The Lat. name, from Nepi (Nepete), Tuscany. 250 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Eur., Asia, N and trop. Africa.

cataria
L. ka-
tah
-ree-uh. Catmint, catnip. Lat. of cats (which like it). Eur., W and C Asia, Himal.

×
faassenii
Bergm. ex Stearn. fah-
sen
-ee-ee. After Johannes Hubertus Faassen (1892–1963), in whose Dutch nursery it was raised.
N. mussinii
×
N. nepetella
. Cult.

govaniana
(Wall. ex Benth.) Benth. guv-an-ee-
ah
-nuh. After George Govan (1787–1865), correspondent of author Wallich and first superintendent of the Saharanpur Botanical Garden, N India. Himal.

grandiflora
M. Bieb. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. W Asia.

nervosa
Royle ex Benth. ner-
voh
-suh. Lat. (prominently) veined (the leaves). Himal.

nuda
L.
new
-duh. Lat. naked (without hairs). Eur., W and C Asia.

racemosa
Lam. ras-i-
moh
-suh. Lat. with flowers in racemes. W Asia.

sibirica
L. si-
bi
-ri-kuh. Lat. of Siberia. N China, E Siberia.

subsessilis
Maxim. sub-
ses
-i-lis. Lat. almost unstalked (the leaves). Japan.

Nephrolepis
Schott (Lomariopsidaceae). nef-roh-
lep
-is. Gk. with kidney-shaped scales (covering the spore-producing bodies). 25 spp. ferns. Widespread in warm regs.

exaltata
(L.) Schott. ex-al-
tah
-tuh. Lat. very high (grows on trees as an epiphyte). Trop. Am.
‘Bostoniensis’
. bos-toh-nee-
en
-sis. Boston fern. Of Boston, to where it was introduced.

Nerine
Herb. (Amaryllidaceae). ne-
ree
-nee. After Nerine, a sea nymph of Gk. myth. 25 spp. bulbous herbs. S Africa.

bowdenii
W. Watson. bow-
den
-ee-ee. After Athelstan Hall Cornish-Bowden (1871–1942), English-born surveyor general of the Cape Colony, who sent plants to England from S Africa in 1902.

sarniensis
(L.) Herb. sarn-ee-
en
-sis. Guernsey lily. Lat. of Guernsey (Lat.
Sarnia
), where it was thought to have established as a result of a shipwreck.

undulata
(L.) Herb. un-dew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. wavy (the perianth lobes).

Nerium
L. (Apocynaceae).
ne
-reeoom. Gk. name for
N. oleander
. 1 sp., evergreen shrub. Medit. to Japan.

oleander
L. ol-ee-
an
-der. Oleander. From the Italian name, referring to the resemblance of the foliage to that of the olive (
Olea
).

Nertera
Banks & Sol. ex Gaertn. (Rubiaceae).
ner
-tuh-ruh. From Gk. low, referring to their habit. 15 spp. perenn. herbs. Taiwan to New Guinea, Australia, NZ, Mex. to S Am.

depressa
Banks & Sol. ex Gaertn. =
N. granadensis

granadensis
(Mutis ex L.f.) Druce. gran-uh-
den
-sis. Bead plant. Of (New) Granada (now Colombia), whence it was described.

nerve plant
Fittonia albivenis

nettle tree
Celtis

New Jersey tea
Ceanothus americanus

Nicandra
Adans. (Solanaceae). nik-
an
-druh. After Nicander, poet of Colophon, Turkey, who wrote about plants ca. 100 BCE. 1 sp., ann. herb. Peru.

physalodes
(L.) Gaertn. fie-suh-
loh
-deez. Apple of Peru. Like
Physalis
.

Nicotiana
L. (Solanaceae). ni-kot-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Jean Nicot (1530–1600), French diplomat and ambassador to Portugal, from where he introduced tobacco to France. 75 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. Trop. Am., SW Africa, Australia.

glauca
Graham.
glaw
-kuh. Tree tobacco. Lat. bluish white (the leaves). S Am.

langsdorffii
Weinm. langz-
dorf
-ee-ee. After German-born Georg Heinrich (Grigori Ivanovitch) von Langsdorff (1774–1852), who sent seeds to Europe while Russian consul in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil.

rustica
L.
rust
-i-kuh. Wild tobacco. Lat. of the country (i.e., wild). Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru.

sylvestris
Speg. & Comes. sil-
ves
-tris. Lat. of woods. Bolivia, Argentina.

tabacum
L. tab-
ak
-oom. Tobacco. From a Caribbean name of a pipe used to smoke this and other material. Cult.