The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (63 page)

Onoclea
L. (Onocleaceae). on-
ok
-lee-uh. Gk. name used by Dioscorides for another plant, from Gk. closed cup (the sori are enclosed by the revolute leaf margins). 1 sp., fern. Canada, USA, E Asia.

sensibilis
L. sen-
si
-bi-lis. Sensitive fern. Lat. sensitive (to early frosts).

Onopordum
L. (Asteraceae). on-oh-
por
-doom. From the Gk. name, from Gk. donkey flatulence, according to Pliny’s report of the effects of eating them. 40 spp. bienn. herbs. Eur. and Medit. to C Asia.

acanthium
L. uh-
kanth
-ee-oom. Cotton thistle. Gk. name for a thistle or similar plant, from Gk. spiny.

Ophiopogon
Ker Gawl. (Asparagaceae). of-ee-oh-
poh
-gon. Lilyturf. Gk. snake’s beard (from the Japanese name). 67 spp. perenn. herbs. E Asia.

jaburan
(Siebold) Lodd.
jab
-ue-ran. Giant lilyturf, white lilyturf. From the Japanese name. Japan, Korea.

japonicus
(Thunb.) Ker Gawl. juh-
pon
-i-koos. Dwarf lilyturf, mondo-grass. Of Japan. China, Korea, Japan, SE Asia.

planiscapus
Nakai. plan-i-
skay
-poos. Lat. with a flat scape (inflorescence stalk). Japan.
‘Nigrescens’
. nig-
res
-uhnz. Black lilyturf. Lat. blackish (the foliage).

Opuntia
Mill. (Cactaceae). o-
poon
-tee-uh. Prickly pears. Gk. of Opus. The name was used by Theophrastus for a plant that grew near that ancient Greek city. 200 spp. cacti. Americas.

humifusa
(Raf.) Raf. hew-mi-
few
-suh. Creeping prickly pear. Lat. low spreading (its habit). SE Canada, E and C USA.

polyacantha
Haw. pol-ee-uh-
kanth
-uh. Gk. with many spines. W Canada, W and C USA, N Mex.

orache
Atriplex hortensis
.
sea
A. halimus

orange
Citrus
×
aurantium

orchid, broad-leaved marsh
Dactylorhiza majalis
.
common spotted
D. fuchsii
.
heath spotted
D. maculata
.
lion’s moustache
Angraecum leonis
.
Madeiran
Dactylorhiza foliosa
.
northern marsh
D. purpurella
.
robust marsh
D. elata
.
southern marsh
D. praetermissa
.
star of Bethlehem
Angraecum sesquipedale

oregano
Origanum vulgare
.
Cuban
Plectranthus amboinicus

Oregon grape
Mahonia aquifolium

Origanum
L. (Lamiaceae). o-ri-
gah
-noom. From Gk. name of an aromatic plant, from Gk. mountain bright. 20 spp., herbs, small shrubs. Eur. and Medit. to China, Taiwan.

amanum
Post. uh-
mah
-noom. Of the Amanus Mts. S Turkey.

dictamnus
L. dik-
tam
-noos. Cretan dittany. From the Gk. name. Crete.

laevigatum
Boiss. lee-vi-
gah
-toom. Lat. smooth (the leaves). Turkey, Cyprus.

majorana
L. mah-jo-
rah
-nuh. Sweet marjoram. From Gk./Lat. name of an aromatic herb. Turkey, Cyprus.

onites
L. oh-
nie
-teez. Pot marjoram. Gk. of donkeys (which eat it). SE Eur., Turkey.

vulgare
L. vul-
gar
-ree. Oregano, wild marjoram. Lat. common. subsp.
hirtum
(Link) Ietsw.
hir
-toom. Lat. hairy (the leaves). SE Eur., Turkey, Cyprus.

Ornithogalum
L. (Asparagaceae). or-ni-
tho
-guh-loom. From Gk. bird’s milk, a term used by the Romans for something wonderful. 180 spp. bulbous herbs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia, E and S Africa.

candicans
(Baker) J. C. Manning & Goldblatt.
kan
-di-kanz. Summer hyacinth. Lat. white (the flowers). S Africa.

nutans
L.
new
-tanz. Lat. nodding (the flowers). SE Eur., Turkey.

umbellatum
L. um-buhl-
ah
-toom. Star of Bethlehem. Lat. in umbels (the flowers). Eur., SW Asia.

viridiflorum
(I. Verd.) J. C. Manning & Goldblatt. vi-ri-di-
flaw
-room. Lat. green-flowered. S Africa.

Orontium
L. (Araceae). o-
ron
-tee-oom. Gk. name of an aquatic plant on the River Orontes (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey). 1 sp., aquatic herb. E USA.

aquaticum
L. uh-
kwat
-i-koom. Golden club. Lat. of water.

Oryzopsis hymenoides
(Roem. & Schult.) Ricker ex Piper =
Achnatherum hymenoides

miliacea
(L.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Asch. & Schweinf. =
Piptatherum miliaceum

Osage orange
Maclura pomifera

osier, common
Salix viminalis
.
purple
S. purpurea

Osmanthus
Lour. (Oleaceae). oz-
manth
-oos. From Gk. fragrant flower. 30 spp., evergreen trees, shrubs. Asia, SE USA, Mex.

americanus
(L.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex A. Gray. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noos. Devil-wood. Of America. SE USA, Mex.

×
burkwoodii
(Burkw. & Skipw.) P. S. Green. burk-
wood
-ee-ee. Of the Burkwood & Skipwith nursery, where it was raised.
O. decorus
×
O. delavayi
. Cult.

decorus
(Boiss. & Bal.) Kasapl.
dek
-oroos. Lat. ornamental. Turkey, Armenia, Georgia.

delavayi
Franch. del-uh-
vay
-ee. After French missionary Jean Marie Delavay (1834–1895), who collected the type specimen in Yunnan in 1883. SW China.

×
fortunei
Carrière. for-
tewn
-ee-ee. After Robert Fortune (1812–1880), Scottish botanist and plant collector who introduced it to gardens in 1862.
O. fragrans
×
O. heterophyllus
. Cult.

fragrans
Lour.
fray
-gruhns. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). Himal., China, Japan, Thailand.

heterophyllus
(G. Don) P. S. Green. het-uh-roh-
fil
-oos. Gk. with varied leaves (entire and toothed on the same plant). Japan, Taiwan.

Osmunda
L. (Osmundaceae). oz-
moon
-duh. Medieval Lat. name for another fern, possibly after Osmunder, Saxon name for the Norse god Thor. 10 spp. ferns. Widespread.

cinnamomea
L. =
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

claytoniana
L. klay-ton-ee-
ah
-nuh. Interrupted fern. After John Clayton (1694–1773), English-born botanist who moved to Virginia, and from whose specimens Linnaeus named it. E Canada, NE USA, E Asia.

regalis
L. ree-
gah
-lis. Royal fern. Lat. royal.

Osmundastrum
C. Presl (Osmundaceae). oz-moond-
ast
-room. Lat. somewhat like
Osmunda
. 1 sp., fern. E N Am. to S Am., E Asia.

cinnamomeum
(L.) C. Presl. sin-uh-
mohm
-ee-oom. Cinnamon fern. Cinnamon-coloured (the fronds).

osoberry
Oemleria cerasiformis

Osteospermum
L. (Asteraceae). ost-ee-oh-
sperm
-oom. From Gk. bony seed, referring to the hard seed coat. 70 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. S Africa to Arabia.

ecklonii
(DC.) Norl. ek-
lon
-ee-ee. After Danish apothecary Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1795–1868), one of the early botanical explorers of the Cape, who collected the type specimen. S Africa.

jucundum
(E. Phillips) Norl. ju-
kun
-doom. Lat. delightful, pleasing. S Africa.

Ostrya
Scop. (Betulaceae).
os
-tree-uh. Lat. name of a tree, from Gk. scale, referring to the scaly fruit clusters. 9 spp., trees, shrubs. N and C Am., Eur., temp. Asia.

carpinifolia
Scop. kar-pie-ni-
foh
-leeuh. Hop hornbeam. Lat. with leaves like
Carpinus
. S Eur., W Asia.

virginiana
(Mill.) K. Koch. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. American hop hornbeam, ironwood. Of Virginia. Canada to C Am.

Oswego tea
Monarda didyma

Othonna
L. (Asteraceae). oth-
on
-uh. From Gk. linen, from the white hairs covering the leaves of some species. 150 spp., herbs, small shrubs. Africa.

cheirifolia
L. kie-ri-
foh
-lee-uh. Gk. with wallflower-like leaves. S Africa.

our Lord’s candle
Hesperoyucca whipplei

owl’s claws
Hymenoxys hoopesii

Oxalis
L. (Oxalidaceae). ox-
ah
-lis. Sorrel. From Gk. sharp, referring to the sour taste of the leaves. 700 spp., ann. and perenn., often bulbous, herbs, shrubs. Widespread.

acetosella
L. uh-see-toh-
sel
-uh. Wood sorrel. Diminutive of Lat. vinegar (from the acidic taste). Eur., Asia.

adenophylla
Gillies ex Hook. & Arn. uh-den-oh-
fil
-uh. Gk. glandular-leaved (from the dark leaflet stalks, which were originally thought to be glandular). Chile, Argentina.

bowiei
Herb. ex Lindl.
boh
-ee-ee. After Kew gardener James Bowie (ca. 1789–1869), who collected plants in S Africa. S Africa.

enneaphylla
Cav. en-ee-uh-
fil
-uh. Gk. with nine leaves (leaflets). Patagonia, Falklands.

magellanica
G. Forst. ma-juh-
lan
-ikuh. Of the Magellan reg. Patagonia, SE Australia.

oregana
Nutt. o-ri-
gah
-nuh. Redwood sorrel. Of Oregon. W USA.

regnellii
Miq. =
O. triangularis

triangularis
A. St. Hil. trie-ang-ew-
lah
-ris. Lat. triangular (the leaflets). S Am. subsp.
papilionacea
(Hoffmanns. ex Zucc.) Lourteig. pa-pil-ee-on-
ay
-see-uh. Lat. butterfly-like (the leaves).

versicolor
L. ver-
si
-ko-lor. Lat. variably coloured (the flowers). S Africa.

ox-eye
Buphthalmum

oxlip
Primula elatior

Oxydendrum
DC. (Ericaceae). ox-ee-
den
-droom. From Gk. sharp tree, from the acidic taste of the leaves. 1 sp., deciduous tree. E USA.

arboreum
(L.) DC. ar-
bor
-ree-oom. Sorrel tree, sourwood. Lat. tree-like.

oyster plant
Mertensia maritima

Ozothamnus
R. Br. (Asteraceae). oz-oh-
tham
-noos. From Gk. scented shrub, referring to the often aromatic foliage. 50 spp., evergreen shrubs, trees. New Caledonia, Australia, NZ.

ledifolius
(DC.) Hook.f. led-i-
foh
-leeoos. Kerosene bush. Lat. with leaves like
Ledum
. Tasmania.