The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (72 page)

purple amaranth
Amaranthus cruentus

purple gromwell
Buglossoides purpurocaerulea

purple top
Verbena bonariensis

Purshia
DC. ex Poir. (Rosaceae).
pursh
-ee-uh. After German botanist Frederick (Friedrich) Traugott Pursh (1774–1820), who described the type species,
P. tridentata
, in another genus. 6 spp. shrubs. SW Canada, W USA, N Mex.

mexicana
(D. Don) S. L. Welsh. mex-i-
kah
-nuh. Cliff rose. Of Mexico. W USA, NW Mex.

tridentata
(Pursh) DC. trie-den-
tah
-tuh. Bitterbrush. Lat. three-toothed (the leaves). SW Canada, W USA.

Puschkinia
Adams (Asparagaceae). poosh-
kin
-ee-uh. After Count Apollos Apollosovich MussinPushkin (1760–1805), Russian plant collector and chemist. 2 spp. bulbous herbs. SW Asia.

libanotica
Zucc. =
P. scilloides

scilloides
Adams. sil-
oy
-deez. Like
Scilla
.

pussy toes
Antennaria

Puya
Molina (Bromeliaceae).
pue
-yuh. The Chilean name of
P. chilensis
. 190 spp. evergreen herbs. S Am.

alpestris
(Poepp.) Gay. al-
pes
-tris. Lat. alpine. Chile, Argentina.

Pyracantha
M. Roem. (Rosaceae). pieruh-
kanth
-uh. Firethorns. Gk. fire thorn, referring to the spiny shoots and red berries. 10 spp., evergreen shrubs, trees. SE Eur., W Asia, Himal., China, Taiwan.

coccinea
M. Roem. kok-
sin
-ee-uh. Lat. scarlet (the fruit). SE Eur., W Asia.

koidzumii
(Hayata) Rehder. koyd-
zuem
-ee-ee. After Japanese botanist Gen-Iti Koidzumi (1883–1953). Taiwan.

rogersiana
(A. B. Jacks.) Chitt. ro-jerz-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Charles Coltman-Rogers (1854–1929), of Stanage Park, Wales, who grew and exhibited it from the original introduction. China.

pyrethrum
Tanacetum cinerariifolium

Pyrus
L. (Rosaceae).
pie
-roos. Pears. Lat. name for pear. 25 spp., deciduous trees, shrubs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

calleryana
Decne. kal-uh-ree-
ah
-nuh. Callery pear. After French missionary Joseph Callery, who collected the type specimen in 1858. China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam.

communis
L.
kom
-ew-nis. Common pear. Lat. common. Cult.

pyrifolia
(Burm.f.) Nakai. pi-ri-
foh
-lee-uh. Asian pear, sand pear. Lat. with leaves like
Pyrus
(it was originally described as a species of
Ficus
). China, Laos, Vietnam.

salicifolia
Pall. sal-i-si-
foh
-lee-uh. Willow-leaved pear. Lat. with leaves like
Salix
. W Asia.

ussuriensis
Maxim. oo-soo-ree-
en
-sis. Ussurian pear. Of the Ussuri River. E Russia, N China, Korea, Japan.

quailbush
Atriplex lentiformis

Queen Anne’s lace
Anthriscus sylvestris

queen-of-the-prairie
Filipendula rubra

Quercus
L. (Fagaceae).
kwer
-koos. Oaks. Lat. name of an oak. 450 spp., trees, shrubs. Canada to Colombia, Eur., N Africa, Asia.

acutissima
Carruth. ak-ew-
tis
-i-muh. Sawtooth oak. Lat. sharpest (the leaf teeth). Himal., E and SE Asia.

alba
L.
al
-buh. White oak. Lat. white (the bark). SE Canada, E USA.

bicolor
Willd.
bi
-ko-lor. Swamp white oak. Lat. two-coloured (the contrasting upper and lower leaf surfaces). SE Canada, E USA.

canariensis
Willd. kuh-nair-ree-
en
-sis. Algerian oak. Lat. of the Canary Is., where it was thought to originate. S Spain, S Portugal, N Africa.

castaneifolia
C. A. Mey. kas-tan-ee-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Chestnut-leaved oak. Lat. with leaves like
Castanea
. W Asia.

cerris
L.
se
-ris. Turkey oak. The Lat. name. Eur., W Asia.

coccinea
Münchh. kok-
sin
-ee-uh. Scarlet oak. Lat. scarlet (the autumn colour). E USA.

dentata
Thunb. den-
tah
-tuh. Daimio oak. Lat. toothed (the leaves). E Asia.

falcata
Michx. fawl-
kah
-tuh. Southern red oak. Lat. sickle-shaped (the leaf lobes). E USA.

frainetto
Ten. fray-
net
-oh. Hungarian oak. From a misspelling of the Italian name,
farnetto
. E Eur., NW Turkey.

gambelii
Nutt. Gambel oak. gam-
bel
-ee-ee. After William Gambel (1821–1849), American explorer, physician and naturalist who collected the type specimen in New Mexico in 1841. SW USA, N Mex.

garryana
Douglas ex Hook. ga-ree-
ah
-nuh. Oregon oak. After Nicholas Garry (ca. 1782–1856), English-born deputy governor of the Hudson’s Bay Co., friend and benefactor of David Douglas. SW Canada, W USA.

×
hispanica
Lam. his-
pan
-i-kuh. Lat. of Spain.
Q. cerris
×
Q. suber
. S Eur.

ilex
L.
ie
-lex. Holm oak. The Lat. name. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

imbricaria
Michx. im-bri-
kair
-ree-uh. Shingle oak. Lat. tile-like (the wood was used to make roof tiles). E USA.

lobata
Née. loh-
bah
-tuh. Valley oak. Lat. lobed (the leaves). Calif.

lyrata
Walter. lie-
rah
-tuh. Overcup oak. Lat. lyre-shaped (the leaves). E USA.

macrocarpa
Michx. mak-roh-
kar
-puh. Bur oak. Gk. large-fruited. S Canada, E and C USA.

montana
Willd. mon-
tah
-nuh. Chestnut oak. Lat. of mountains. E USA.

muehlenbergii
Engelm. mue-luhn-
berg
-ee-ee. Yellow chestnut oak. After American botanist Gotthilf Henry Ernst Muhlenberg (1753–1815), who first described it as
Q. castanea
. SE Canada, E USA, N Mex.

nigra
L.
nie
-gruh. Water oak. Lat. black (the bark). SE USA.

nuttallii
E. J. Palmer =
Q. texana

pagoda
Raf. puh-
goh
-duh. Swamp Spanish oak. Like a pagoda (the leaf shape). SE USA.

palustris
Münchh. puh-
lus
-tris. Pin oak. Lat. of marshes. SE Canada, E USA.

petraea
(Matt.) Liebl. pe-
tree
-uh. Sessile oak. Lat. of rocky places. Eur., W Asia.

phellos
L.
fel
-os. Willow oak. Gk. cork (referring to the bark of old trees). E USA.

robur
L.
roh
-buh. English oak. Lat. name of an oak with very hard wood. Eur., W Asia.

rubra
L.
rue
-bruh. Red oak. Lat. red (the leaf veins). SE Canada, E USA.

rysophylla
Weath. ris-
o
-fil-uh. Loquat oak. Gk. with wrinkled leaves. E Mex.

shumardii
Buckley. shue-
mard
-ee-ee. Swamp red oak. After Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820–1869), American geologist and physician. E USA.

suber
L.
sue
-buh. Cork oak. Lat. name for cork and the cork oak. SW Eur., N Africa.

texana
Buckley. tex-
ah
-nuh. Nuttall’s oak. Of Texas. S USA.

velutina
Lam. vel-ew-
teen
-uh, vel-
ue
-ti-nuh. Black oak. Lat. velvety (the leaf underside). SE Canada, E USA.

virginiana
Mill. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. Live oak. Of Virginia. SE USA.

quince
Cydonia oblonga
.
flowering
Chaenomeles

rabbit berry
Shepherdia canadensis

radish
Raphanus sativus

ragged robin
Silene flos-cuculi

Ramonda
Rich. (Gesneriaceae). ruh-
mon
-duh. After French botanist Louis François Ramond de Carbonnière (1755–1827), who explored the Pyrenees. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. S Eur.

myconi
(L.) Rchb. mie-
koh
-nee. After Francisco Micó (1528–1592), Spanish physician and botanist. Pyrenees.

Ranunculus
L. (Ranunculaceae). ruh-
nunk
-ew-loos. Buttercups. Lat. a little frog (many grow in water). 300 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Widespread.

aconitifolius
L. ak-o-nie-ti-
foh
-leeoos. With leaves like
Aconitum
. C and S Eur.

acris
L.
ak
-ris. Meadow buttercup. Lat. sharp (referring to the taste). Canada, USA, Eur., W Asia.

asiaticus
L. ay-see-
at
-i-koos. Lat. Asian. SE Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

ficaria
L. =
Ficaria verna

gramineus
L. gram-
in
-ee-oos. Lat. grass-like (the leaves). C and S Eur.

lingua
L.
ling
-wuh. Greater spearwort. Lat. tongue-like (the leaves). Eur., W and C Asia.

repens
L.
ree
-puhnz. Creeping buttercup. Lat. creeping. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

rape
Brassica napus

Raphanus
L. (Brassicaceae).
raf
-uhnoos. Lat. name for radish. 3 spp. bienn. and perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

sativus
L. sa-
tee
-voos. Radish. Lat. cultivated. Cult.

raspberry
Rubus idaeus

Ratibida
Raf. (Asteraceae). rat-i-
beed
-uh. Deriv. obscure. 7 spp. perenn. herbs. Canada, USA, Mex.

columnaris
(Sims) D. Don =
R. columnifera

columnifera
(Nutt.) Wooton & Standl. ko-loom-
nif
-uh-ruh. Mexican hat, prairie coneflower. Lat. bearing columns (referring to the shape of the receptacle). S Canada, USA, Mex.

pinnata
(Vent.) Barnhart. pin-
ah
-tuh. Drooping prairie coneflower. Lat. pinnate (the leaves). SE Canada, E and C USA.

rattlebox
Ludwigia alternifolia

red cardinal
Erythrina herbacea

red-hot cat tail
Acalypha hispida

red-hot poker
Kniphofia

redbud
Cercis canadensis
.
California
C. occidentalis
.
Chinese
C. chinensis
.
Texas
C. canadensis
var.
texana
.
western
C. occidentalis