The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (69 page)

pygmaeus
(Miq.) Nakai.
pig
-mee-oos. Lat. dwarf. Japan.

simonii
(Carrière) Nakai. si-
mohn
-ee-ee. After Gabriel Eugène Simon (b. 1829), consul in Shanghai, who introduced it to cultivation in France in 1862. Japan.

variegatus
(Siebold ex Miq.) Makino. va-ree-uh-
gah
-toos. Lat. variegated (the leaves). Japan.

viridistriatus
(Regel) Makino. vi-ridee-stree-
ah
-toos. Lat. green-striped (the leaves). Japan.

Pleione
D. Don (Orchidaceae). plie-
oh
-nee. After Pleione of Gk. myth. 20 spp. orchids. Himal. to SE Asia.

formosana
Hayata. for-moh-
sah
-nuh. Of Taiwan (Formosa). China, Taiwan.

Pleomele sanderiana
(Sander) N. E. Br. =
Dracaena braunii
‘Sanderiana’

plover eggs
Adromischus cooperi

plum
Prunus domestica
.
American
P. americana
.
beach
P. maritima
.
cherry
P. cerasifera

plum yew
Cephalotaxus
.
Chinese
C. fortunei
.
Japanese
C. harringtonii

Plumbago
L. (Plumbaginaceae). plum-
bay
-goh. Lat. lead, name used by Pliny for a plant believed to cure lead poisoning. 20 spp., herbs, shrubs, sometimes climbing. Widespread, warm and trop. regs.

auriculata
Lam. o-rik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Cape leadwort. Lat. with small, ear-like lobes (at the base of the petiole). S Africa.

plume flower
Celosia argentea
Plumosa Group

Poa
L. (Poaceae).
poh
-uh. Gk. grass or meadow. 500 spp. grasses. Widespread.

labillardierei
Steud. la-bil-ar-dee-
e
-ree-ee. After French botanist Jacques de Labillardière (1755–1834), who explored southern Australia in the late 1700s and collected the type specimen. E Australia.

nemoralis
L. nem-o-
rah
-lis. Wood meadow grass. Lat. of woods. Eur., N Africa, W Asia to Japan.

palustris
L. puh-
lus
-tris. Swamp meadow grass. Lat. of marshes. N temp. regs.

pratensis
L. pruh-
ten
-sis. Kentucky blue grass, meadow grass. Lat. of meadows. N temp. regs.

Podocarpus
L’Hér. ex Pers. (Podocarpaceae). pod-oh-
karp
-oos. Gk. foot fruit, referring to the stalked fruit. 100 spp., evergreen trees, shrubs. Tropics and subtropics, temp. S hemisph.

lawrencei
Hook.f. lo-
rents
-ee-ee. After English botanist Robert William Lawrence (1807–1833), who collected the type specimen in Tasmania in 1826. SE Australia.

macrophyllus
(Thunb.) Sweet. mak-
rof
-i-loos. Gk. large-leaved (compared to other
Taxus
species, in which genus it was first named). Japan, Taiwan.

nivalis
Hook. ni-
vah
-lis. Alpine totara. Lat. of snow (it grows on high mountains). NZ.

salignus
D. Don. suh-
lig
-noos. Lat. willow-like (the leaves). Chile.

totara
G. Benn ex D. Don. toh-
tah
-ruh. Totara. The native name. NZ.

Podophyllum
L. (Berberidaceae). podoh-
fil
-oom. Gk. foot leaf (the leaf has been likened to a duck’s foot). 1 sp., perenn. herb. SE Canada, E USA.

delavayi
Franch. =
Dysosma delavayi

emodi
Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson =
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum
var.
emodi

hexandrum
Royle =
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum

peltatum
L. pel-
tah
-toom. May apple. Lat. peltate (the leaves).

versipelle
Hance =
Dysosma versipellis

poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima
pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
Polemonium
L. (Polemoniaceae). polee-
moh
-nee-oom. From Gk. name of a med. herb. 20 spp., mainly perenn. herbs. Temp. N hemisph., S Am.

caeruleum
L. kie-
rue
-lee-oom. Jacob’s ladder. Lat. blue (the flowers). Eur. to Japan, W Canada, Alaska.

carneum
A. Gray.
kar
-nee-oom. Royal Jacob’s ladder. Lat. flesh-pink (the flowers). W USA.

pulcherrimum
Hook. pool-
ke
-rimoom. Lat. very beautiful. W Canada, W USA.

reptans
L.
rep
-tanz. Lat. creeping. E and C USA.

yezoense
(Miyabe & Kudô) Kitam. ye-zo-
en
-see. Of Hokkaido (Yezo). Japan. var.
hidakanum
Koji Ito. hid-uh-
kah
-noom. Of the Hidaka Mts. Japan (Hokkaido).

Polianthes
L. (Asparagaceae). pol-ee-
anth
-eez. From Gk. grey flower. 17 spp. perenn. herbs. Mex.

tuberosa
L. tew-buh-
roh
-suh. Tube-rose. Lat. bearing tubers.

polyanthus
Primula
×
polyantha

Polygala
L. (Polygalaceae). po-
lig
-uhluh. Milkworts. The Gk. name, from Gk. much milk (they were believed to increase milk production in cattle). 500 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread.

chamaebuxus
L. kam-ee-
bux
-oos. Gk. dwarf,
Buxus
. C and S Eur.

×
dalmaisiana
L. H. Bailey. dal-maysee-
ah
-nuh. After M. Dalmais, the French gardener who raised it in 1839.
P. fruticosa
×
P. myrtifolia
. Cult.

Polygonatum
Mill. (Asparagaceae). po-lig-o-
nah
-toom. Solomon’s seals. Gk. name used by Dioscorides for this or a similar plant, from Gk. many knees, referring to the many-jointed rhizome. 53 spp. rhizomatous herbs. Temp. N hemisph.

biflorum
(Walter) Elliott. bie-
flaw
-room. Lat. two-flowered (the inflorescence, sometimes). S Canada, E and C USA, NE Mex.

canaliculatum
(Willd.) Pursh =
P. biflorum

cirrhifolium
(Wall.) Royle. si-ri-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. tendril leaf (the leaves often end in tendrils). Himal., S China.

commutatum
(Schult. & Schult.f.) A. Dietr. =
P. biflorum

curvistylum
Hua. curv-i-
stie
-loom. Lat. with a curved style. Nepal, SW China.

humile
Fisch. ex Maxim.
hew
-mi-lee. Lat. low (growing). C Asia to Japan.

×
hybridum
Brügger.
hib
-ri-doom. Lat. hybrid.
P. multiflorum
×
P. odoratum
. Eur.

multiflorum
(L.) All. mul-ti-
flaw
-room. Lat. many-flowered. Eur., W and C Asia, W Himal.

odoratum
(Mill.) Druce. oh-do-
rah
-toom. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). Eur. to E Asia.

verticillatum
(L.) All. vur-ti-si-
lah
-toom. Lat. whorled (the leaves). Eur. to China.

Polypodium
L. (Polypodiaceae). pol-ee-
poh
-dee-oom. Gk. many feet, referring to the branched rhizome. 100 spp. ferns. Widespread.

cambricum
L.
kam
-brik-oom. Welsh polypody. Lat. Welsh. Eur., Turkey.

vulgare
L. vul-
gar
-ree. Common polypody. Lat. common. Eur., Africa, Asia, Greenland.

polypody, common
Polypodium vulgare
.
Welsh
P. cambricum

Polystichum
Roth (Dryopteridaceae). pol-
is
-ti-koom. Gk. many rows, referring to the rows of sori on the pinnae. 180 spp. ferns. Widespread.

acrostichoides
(Michx.) Schott. uh-kros-ti-
koy
-deez. Christmas fern. Lat. like
Acrostichum
(another genus of ferns). SE Canada, E USA.

aculeatum
(L.) Roth. uh-kew-lee-
ah
-toom. Hard shield fern. Lat. spiny (the pinnule lobes). Eur., N Africa, W Asia to China.

makinoi
(Tagawa) Tagawa. mak-i-
noh
-ee. After Japanese botanist Tomitaro Makino (1862–1957). Japan.

munitum
(Kaulf.) C. Presl. mew-
nee
-toom. Sword fern. Lat. armed (with spiny teeth). SW Canada, W USA, NW Mex.

polyblepharum
(Roem. ex Kunze) C. Presl. pol-ee-
blef
-uh-room. Tassel fern. Gk. many eyelashes (the bristly scales on the rachis). S Korea, Japan.

rigens
Tagawa.
ree
-guhnz. Rigid holly fern. Lat. rigid (the foliage). China, Japan.

setiferum
(Forssk.) Woyn. see-
tif
-uh-room. Soft shield fern. Lat. bristly (the foliage). Azores, Eur., Turkey.

tsussimense
(Hook.) J. Sm. tsue-shim-
en
-see. Korean rock fern. Of Tsushima (Tsus-sima) Is., between S Korea and Japan. E and SE Asia.

pomegranate
Punica granatum

pomelo
Citrus maxima

Poncirus trifoliata
(L.) Raf. =
Citrus trifoliata

Pontederia
L. (Pontederiaceae). ponte-
de
-ree-uh. After Giulio Pontedera (1688–1757), Italian botanist. 6 spp. aquatic herbs. Americas.

cordata
L. kor-
dah
-tuh. Pickerel weed. Lat. heart-shaped (the leaves).

poplar
Populus
.
balsam
P. balsamifera
.
black
P. nigra
.
Chinese necklace
P. lasiocarpa
.
Lombardy
P. nigra
‘Italica’.
white
P. alba

poppy
Papaver
.
alpine
P. alpinum
.
arctic
P. nudicaule
.
California
Eschscholzia californica.
corn
Papaver rhoeas
.
crested prickly
Argemone polyanthemos.
dawn
Eomecon chionantha.
Icelandic
Papaver nudicaule
.
Matilija
Romneya coulteri.
opium
Papaver somniferum
.
oriental
P. orientale
.
plume
Macleaya cordata
.
prickly
Argemone.
snow
Eomecon chionantha
.
Spanish
Papaver rupifragum
.
tree
Romneya coulteri.
Welsh
Meconopsis cambrica.
yellow horned
Glaucium flavum

poppy mallow
Callirhoe
.
clustered
C. triangulata
.
purple
C. involucrata