The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (75 page)

purpurea
Sm. pur-
pew
-ree-uh. Lat. purple (the flowers). Himal.

scillifolia
(Gagnep.) Cowley. sil-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Scilla
. China (Yunnan).

rose
Rosa
.
apothecaries’
R. gallica
‘Officinalis’.
burnet
R. spinosissima
.
Carolina
R. carolina
.
dog
R. canina
.
Himalayan musk
R. brunonii
.
Nootka
R. nutkana
.
Persian yellow
R. foetida
‘Persiana’.
prairie
R. arkansana, R. setigera
.
prickly
R. acicularis
.
red
R. gallica
.
swamp
R. palustris

rose-bay willow herb
Chamerion angustifolium

rose of Sharon
Hibiscus syriacus, Hypericum calycinum

rosemallow, African
Hibiscus acetosella
.
crimson-eyed
H. moscheutos
.
halberdleaf
H. laevis
.
scarlet
H. coccineus
.
woolly
H. moscheutos
subsp.
lasiocarpos

rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
.
bog
Andromeda polifolia

roseroot
Rhodiola rosea

Rosmarinus
L. (Lamiaceae). roz-
ma
-rin-oos. The Lat. name, from Lat. sea dew. 3 spp. shrubs. Medit.

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

rowan
Sorbus aucuparia

rubber plant
Ficus elastica

Rubus
L. (Rosaceae).
rue
-boos. The Lat. name. 250 spp., shrubs, herbs. Widespread.

cockburnianus
Hemsl. koh-burn-ee-
ah
-noos. After H. Cockburn of HM Consular Service, Chungking (now Chongqing), and Rev. G. Cockburn of the Church of Scotland mission in China, for their assistance to Antwerp Pratt, who collected the type specimen. China.

fruticosus
L. frue-ti-
koh
-soos. Blackberry, bramble. Lat. shrubby. Eur.

idaeus
L. i-
dee
-oos. Raspberry. Lat. of Mount Ida. Eur. to Japan.

lineatus
Reinw. ex Blume. lin-ee-
ah
-toos. Lat. lined (referring to the conspicuous leaf veins). Himal., W China, SE Asia.

×
loganobaccus
L. H. Bailey. loh-gahnoh-
bak
-oos. Loganberry. After American judge and horticulturist James Harvey Logan (1841–1928), who raised it, and Lat. berry. Cult.

odoratus
L. oh-do-
rah
-toos. Thimble-berry. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). E N Am.

parviflorus
Nutt. par-vi-
flaw
-roos. Salmonberry, thimbleberry. Lat. small-flowered. Canada, USA, N Mex.

phoenicolasius
Maxim. feen-i-ko-
lay
-see-oos. Japanese wineberry. Gk. purple-haired (the shoots). China, Korea, Japan.

spectabilis
Pursh. spek-
tab
-i-lis. Salmonberry. Lat. spectacular. SW Canada, W USA.

thibetanus
Franch. ti-bet-
ah
-noos. Of Tibet. China.

tricolor
Focke.
tri
-ko-lor. Lat. three-coloured. China (Sichuan, Yunnan).

Rudbeckia
L. (Asteraceae). rood-
bek
-ee-uh. Coneflowers. For Olaus (Olof) Johannes Rudbeck (1630–1702) and Olaus (Olof) Olai Rudbeck (1660–1740), father and son, professors at Uppsala University, Sweden. 23 spp. ann., bienn. and perenn. herbs. N Am.

amplexicaulis
Vahl. am-plex-i-
kawl
-is. Lat. with leaves clasping the stem. C and SE USA.

fulgida
Aiton.
fool
-ji-duh. Orange coneflower. Lat. shining. E USA. var.
deamii
(S. F. Blake) Perdue.
deem
-ee-ee. After American forester Charles Clemon Deam (1865–1953), who collected the type specimen in Indiana in 1916. USA (Indiana, Ohio). var.
speciosa
(Wenderoth) Perdue. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Showy cone-flower. Lat. showy. var.
sullivantii
(C. L. Boynton & Beadle) Cronquist. sul-i-
vant
-ee-ee. After American surveyor William Starling Sullivant (1803–1873), who collected the type specimen in Ohio in 1840.

hirta
L.
hirt
-uh. Black-eyed Susan. Lat. hairy (the leaves and stems). E USA.

laciniata
L. luh-sin-ee-
ah
-tuh. Cutleaf coneflower. Lat. deeply cut (the leaves). S Canada, E and C USA.

maxima
Nutt.
max
-i-muh. Great coneflower. Lat. largest. SE USA.

occidentalis
Nutt. ok-si-den-
tah
-lis. Western coneflower. Lat. western. W USA.

subtomentosa
Pursh. sub-to-men-
toh
-suh. Sweet coneflower. Lat. somewhat hairy. E USA.

triloba
L. trie-
loh
-buh. Brown-eyed Susan. Lat. three-lobed (the leaves). E and C USA.

rue
Ruta graveolens

Rumex
L. (Polygonaceae).
rue
-mex. Docks. Possibly from Lat. to suck
(the leaves were sucked to quench thirst). 200 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Widespread, mainly temp. regs.

acetosa
L. a-see-
toh
-suh. Garden sorrel. Lat. acid (the taste of the leaves). Eur. to Japan, N Africa.

sanguineus
L. san-
gwin
-ee-oos. Bloody dock. Lat. bloody (the leaf veins). Eur., W Asia.

scutatus
L. skue-
tah
-toos. French sorrel. Lat. shield-shaped (the leaves). Eur., W Asia.

Ruscus
L. (Asparagaceae).
rus
-koos. From the Lat. name. 6 spp. evergreen shrubs. Macaronesia to W Asia.

aculeatus
L. uh-kew-lee-
ah
-toos. Butcher’s broom. Lat. prickly (the foliage). Medit., W Asia.

rush
Juncus
.
Baltic
J. balticus
.
Dudley’s
J. dudleyi
.
flowering
Butomus umbellatus
.
great wood
Luzula sylvatica
.
slender
Juncus tenuis
.
snow
Luzula nivea
.
soft
Juncus effusus

Russelia
Jacq. (Plantaginaceae). rus-
el
-ee-uh. After Alexander Russell (1715–1768), English physician and naturalist. 50 spp. shrubs. Mex. to Colombia.

equisetiformis
Schltdl. & Cham. ee-kwiz-i-tee-
form
-is. Firecracker plant, fountain plant. Lat. like
Equisetum
. Mex.

Russian olive
Elaeagnus angustifolia

Russian vine
Fallopia baldschuanica

Ruta
L. (Rutaceae).
rue
-tuh. From the Gk. name. 7 spp., herbs, shrubs. Macaronesia to SW Asia.

graveolens
L. grav-ee-
oh
-luhnz. Rue. Lat. strongly scented (the foliage). S Eur.

Saccharum
L. (Poaceae).
sak
-uh-room. From Gk. sugar, which is produced from some species. 40 spp. grasses. Old World trop. and subtrop. regs.

ravennae
(L.) L. ra-
ven
-ie. Ravenna grass. Lat. of Ravenna, Italy. S Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

saffron
Crocus sativus

sage
Salvia officinalis
.
blue
S. azurea
.
Jerusalem
Phlomis fruticosa
.
mealy
Salvia farinacea
.
scarlet
S. coccinea
.
silver
S. argentea
.
white
S. apiana

sagebrush, big
Artemisia tridentata
.
black
A. nova
.
sand
A. filifolia
.
white
A. ludoviciana

sagewort, prairie
Artemisia frigida

Sagina
L. (Caryophyllaceae). suh-
geen
-uh. From Lat. fodder (sheep were fed on a related plant). 20 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. N temp. regs., trop. mts.

subulata
(Sw.) C. Presl. sub-ew-
lah
-tuh. Pearlwort. Lat. awl-shaped (the leaves). Eur.

Sagittaria
Rupp. ex L. (Alismataceae). sag-i-
tah
-ree-uh. Arrowhead. From Lat. arrow, referring to the leaf shape. 40 spp. aquatic herbs. Widespread.

latifolia
Willd. lat-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. broad-leaved. S Canada to Ecuador.

sagittifolia
L. sag-i-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with arrow-shaped leaves. Eur., W Asia.

Saintpaulia
H. Wendl. (Gesneriaceae). saint-
pawl
-ee-uh. After Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire (1860–1910), German governor of a province of Tanganyika (now in Tanzania), who discovered
S. ionantha
and sent seeds to his father, which gave the plants from which it was described. 6 spp. perenn. herbs. E Africa.

ionantha
H. Wendl. ie-on-
anth
-uh. African violet. Gk. with violet flowers. Tanzania.

salal
Gaultheria shallon

Salix
L. (Salicaceae).
sa
-lix. Willows. The Lat. name. 450 spp., trees, shrubs. Americas, Eur., Africa, Asia.

acutifolia
Willd. uh-kew-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with sharp-pointed leaves. E Eur., W and C Asia.

alba
L.
al
-buh. White willow. Lat. white (the leaves). Eur. to China, N Africa.
‘Britzensis’
. britz-
en
-sis. Scarlet willow. Of Britz, near Berlin, where it was raised at the Späth nursery. var.
caerulea
(Sm.) W. D. J. Koch. kie-
rue
-lee-uh. Cricket bat willow. Lat. blue (the foliage). var.
sericea
Gaudin. suh-
rik
-ee-uh. Lat. silky (the leaves). var.
vitellina
(L.) Stokes. vi-tuh-
leen
-uh. Golden willow. Lat. egg-yolk yellow (the shoots).

amygdaloides
Anderss. uh-mig-duh-
loy
-deez. Peach-leaf willow. Lat.
almond-like (the leaves). Canada, USA, N Mex.

arenaria
L. =
S. repens
subsp.
arenaria

babylonica
L. bab-i-
lon
-i-kuh. Weeping willow. Lat. of Babylon. It was thought to be the willow of Babylon mentioned in the Bible, now known to be
Populus euphratica
. China. var.
pekinensis
Henry. pee-kin-
en
-sis. Peking willow. Of Peking (Beijing). NE China, Korea.

bebbiana
Sarg. beb-ee-
ah
-nuh. After American botanist Michael Schuck Bebb (1833–1895), who studied willows. Canada, USA, NE Russia.

caprea
L. ka-
pree
-uh. Goat willow, pussy willow. Lat. of goats. Eur. to E Russia, N China.