The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (71 page)

Prostanthera
Labill. (Lamiaceae). prost-
anth
-uh-ruh. Gk. appendage, anther, referring to the spur-like anther appendages. 100 spp., shrubs, sometimes trees. Australia.

lasianthos
Labill. laz-ee-
anth
-os. Gk. with woolly flowers. E Australia.

rotundifolia
R. Br. roh-tun-di-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. round-leaved. SE Australia.

Prunella
L. (Lamiaceae). prue-
nel
-uh. From German for quinsy, which it was said to cure. 7 spp. perenn. herbs. N hemisph.

grandiflora
(L.) Scholler. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Eur.

vulgaris
L. vul-
gar
-ris. Self-heal. Lat. common. Eur., N Africa, Asia, N Am.

Prunus
L. (Rosaceae).
prue
-noos. Lat. name for plum. 300 spp., trees, shrubs. N hemisph., Africa, SE Asia to New Guinea, S Am.

americana
Marshall. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. American plum. Of America. Canada, USA, N Mex.

armeniaca
L. ar-men-ee-
ah
-kuh. Apricot. Of Armenia. N China.

avium
(L.) L.
ay
-vee-oom. Gean, sweet cherry. Lat. of birds (which eat the fruit). Eur., W Asia.

×
blireana
André. bli-ree-
ah
-nuh. Of Bléré, France, where it was found.
P. cerasifera
×
P. mume
. Cult.

caroliniana
(Mill.) Aiton. ka-ro-linee-
ah
-nuh. Carolina laurel cherry. Of the Carolinas. SE USA.

cerasifera
Ehrh. ke-ruh-
si
-fuh-ruh. Cherry plum, myrobalan. Lat. bearing cherries. SE Eur., W and C Asia.
‘Pissardii’
. pis-
ard
-ee-ee. After M Pissard, French gardener to the Shah of Persia, who found it ca. 1880 and introduced it to Europe.

cerasus
L.
suh
-ray-soos. Sour cherry. Lat. name for cherry. Cult.

×
cistena
(N. E. Hansen) Koehne. sis-
teen
-uh. Sioux Indian name for baby (from the dwarf habit).
P. cerasifera
×
P. pumila
. Cult.

domestica
L. do-
mes
-ti-kuh. Plum. Lat. of the home. Cult. subsp.
insititia
(L.) C. K. Schneid. in-si-
tish
-eeuh. Damson. Lat. grafted.

dulcis
(Mill.) D. A. Webb.
dul
-sis. Almond. Lat. sweet. SW Asia.

glandulosa
Thunb. gland-ew-
loh
-suh. Lat. glandular (the sepals). China.

incisa
Thunb. in-
sie
-suh. Fuji cherry. Lat. cut (into teeth, the leaf margin). Japan.

insititia
L. =
P. domestica
subsp.
insititia

laurocerasus
L. lo-roh-suh-
ray
-soos. Cherry laurel. Lat. laurel cherry. SE Eur., W Asia.

lusitanica
L. lue-si-
tan
-i-kuh. Portugal laurel. Lat. of Portugal. SW Eur., Morocco.

maackii
Rupr.
mahk
-ee-ee. Manchurian cherry. After its discoverer, Russian explorer and naturalist Richard Otto (Karlovic) Maack (1825–1886). E Russia, NE China, Korea.

maritima
Marshall. muh-
rit
-i-muh. Beach plum. Lat. of the sea (it grows on coasts). E N Am.

mume
Sieb. & Zucc.
mue
-mee. Japanese apricot. From the Japanese name. China, Taiwan.

padus
L.
pad
-oos. Bird cherry. Gk. name used by Theophrastus for a cherry. Eur., Morocco, Asia.

pensylvanica
L.f. pen-sil-
van
-i-kuh. Pin cherry. Of Pennsylvania. Canada, USA.

persica
(L.) Batsch.
per
-si-kuh. Peach, nectarine. Lat. of Persia (Iran). Cult.

pumila
L.
pew
-mi-luh. Sand cherry. Lat. dwarf. SE Canada, NE USA. var.
besseyi
(L. H. Bailey) Gleason.
bes
-ee-ee. Western sand cherry. After American botanist Charles Edwin Bessey (1845–1915), who extolled its virtues and introduced it to gardens. It was described from one of his introductions. W Canada, C USA.

sargentii
Rehder. sar-
jent
-ee-ee. After American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927), first director of the Arnold Arboretum, who confused it with another species. E Russia, Japan, Korea.

serotina
Ehrh. se-
ro
-ti-nuh, se-ro-
teen
-uh. Black cherry, rum cherry. Lat. late (flowering, compared to other species). E Canada to Guatemala.

serrula
Franch.
se
-rue-luh. Lat. finely toothed (the leaves). China.

spinosa
L. spi-
noh
-suh. Blackthorn, sloe. Lat. spiny (the shoots). Eur., W Asia.

×
subhirtella
Miq. sub-hir-
tel
-uh. Lat. somewhat hairy.
P. incisa
×
P.

pendula
. Cult.
‘Autumnalis’
. aw-toom-
nah
-lis. Lat. of autumn (flowering).

tenella
Batsch. ten-
el
-uh. Dwarf Russian almond. Lat. delicate. C and E Eur., C Asia.

tomentosa
Thunb. to-men-
toh
-suh. Downy cherry. Lat. hairy (the shoots and leaves). China, Korea.

triloba
Lindl. trie-
loh
-buh. Lat. three-lobed (the leaves). China, Korea.

virginiana
L. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. Choke cherry. Of Virginia. Canada, E and C USA. var.
melanocarpa
(A. Nelson) Sarg. me-lan-oh-
kar
-puh. Western choke cherry. Gk. black-fruited. W Canada, W and C USA.

×
yedoensis
Matsum. yed-oh-
en
-sis. Of Yedo (old name for Tokyo).
P. speciosa
×
P
. ×
subhirtella
. Cult.

Pseudofumaria
Medik. (Papaveraceae). sue-doh-few-
mair
-ree-uh. Gk. false
Fumaria
. 2 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur.

alba
(Mill.) Lidén.
al
-buh. Lat. white (the flowers). SE Eur.

lutea
(L.) Borkh.
lue
-tee-uh. Lat. yellow (the flowers). Italy, Switzerland.

Pseudolarix
Gordon (Pinaceae). sue-doh-
la
-rix. Gk. false
Larix
. 1 sp., deciduous conifer. China.

amabilis
(J. Nelson) Rehder. uh-
mah
-bi-lis. Golden larch. Lat. beautiful.

Pseudopanax
K. Koch (Araliaceae). sue-doh-
pan
-ax. Gk. false
Panax
. 7 spp., evergreen trees, shrubs. NZ.

crassifolius
(Sol. ex A. Cunn.) K. Koch. kras-i-
foh
-lee-oos. Lancewood. Lat. thick-leaved.

ferox
Kirk.
fe
-rox. Toothed lance-wood. Lat. spiny (the leaves).

lessonii
(DC.) K. Koch. les-
ohn
-ee-ee. After French botanist Adolphe Pierre Primivère Lesson (1805–1888), who collected it on a voyage to New Zealand in the 1820s.

Pseudosasa
Makino ex Nakai (Poaceae). sue-doh-
sah
-suh. Gk. false
Sasa
. 19 spp. bamboos. China, Japan, Korea.

japonica
(Sieb. & Zucc. ex Steud.) Makino ex Nakai. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan.

Pseudotsuga
Carrière (Pinaceae). suedoh-
tsue
-guh. Gk. false Tsuga. 5 spp. coniferous trees. China, Taiwan, Japan, W Canada, W USA, Mex.

menziesii
(Mirb.) Franco. men-
zeez
-ee-ee. Douglas fir. After Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), Scottish surgeon and naturalist, who discovered it in 1793 on a voyage to the Pacific Northwest. SW Canada, W USA, Mex.

Pseudowintera
Dandy (Winteraceae). sue-doh-
win
-tuh-ruh. Gk. false
Wintera
. 3 spp., evergreen shrubs, trees. NZ.

colorata
(Raoul) Dandy. kol-o-
rah
-tuh. Pepper tree. Lat. coloured (the leaves).

Ptelea
L. (Rutaceae).
tee
-lee-uh. Gk. name for elm, from the similar fruit. 3 spp., shrubs, trees. Canada, USA, Mex.

trifoliata
L. trie-foh-lee-
ah
-tuh. Hop tree. Lat. with three leaves (leaflets). SE Canada, E and C USA, Mex.

Pteris
L. (Pteridaceae).
te
-ris. Gk. name of a fern, from Gk. feather. 300 spp. ferns. Widespread in warm and trop. regs.

cretica
L.
kret
-i-kuh. Cretan brake. Lat. of Crete. S Eur., trop. and subtrop. Africa and Asia.

Pterocarya
Kunth (Juglandaceae). te-roh-
ka
-ree-uh. Wingnuts. Gk. wing nut, referring to the winged fruit. 6 spp. deciduous trees. Caucasus, E Asia.

fraxinifolia
(Lam.) Spach. frax-in-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Caucasian wingnut. Lat. with leaves like
Fraxinus
. Caucasus.

× rehderiana
C. K. Schneid. ray-duhree-
ah
-nuh. After Alfred Rehder (1863–1949), American botanist of the Arnold Arboretum, who raised it in 1879.
P. fraxinifolia
×
P. stenoptera
. Cult.

stenoptera
C. DC. sten-
op
-tuh-ruh. Chinese wingnut. Lat. narrow wing (on the rachis). China, Taiwan, Korea.

Pterostyrax
Sieb. & Zucc. (Styracaceae). te-roh-
stie
-rax. Gk. wing, and the related
Styrax
, referring to the winged fruit of the type species,
P. corymbosus
. 4 spp. deciduous trees. E Asia.

corymbosus
Sieb. & Zucc. ko-rim-
boh
-soos. Lat. in corymbs (the flowers). China, Japan.

hispidus
Sieb. & Zucc.
his
-pi-doos. Lat. bristly (the fruit). Japan.

Pulmonaria
L. (Boraginaceae). pulmon-
ah
-ree-uh. Lungwort. From Lat. lungs, referring to the appearance of the spotted leaves and supposed med. properties. 16 spp. med. herbs. Eur., W and C Asia to W China.

angustifolia
L. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. narrow-leaved. Eur.

longifolia
(T. Bastard) Boreau. long-gi-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. long-leaved. W Eur.

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

rubra
Schott.
rue
-bruh. Lat. red (the flowers). E Eur.

saccharata
Mill. sak-uh-
rah
-tuh. Lat. sprinkled with sugar (the spotted leaves). Italy, France.

Pulsatilla vulgaris
Mill. =
Anemone pulsatilla

pumpkin
Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, C. pepo

Punica
L. (Lythraceae).
pew
-ni-kuh. From the Lat. name, which meant apple of Carthage. 2 spp., trees, shrubs. W and C Asia.

granatum
L. gruh-
nah
-toom. Pomegranate. Lat. containing grain (seeds).