The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (80 page)

chinensis
(Link) C. K. Schneid. chin-
en
-sis. Goatnut, jojoba. Of China, where it was thought to originate when it was named
Buxus chinensis
.

Sinacalia
H. Rob. & Brettell (Asteraceae). sie-nuh-
kal
-ee-uh. From Lat./Gk. China, and the related
Cacalia
. 4 spp. perenn. herbs. China.

tangutica
(Maxim.) R. Nord. tan-
gew
-ti-kuh. Of Gansu.

Sinningia
Nees (Gesneriaceae). sin-
ing
-ee-uh. After William Sinning, gardener at the University of Bonn, where the type species was raised from Brazilian seed before 1825. 60 spp., herbs, shrubs. Trop. Am.

speciosa
(Lodd. et al.) Hiern. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Gloxinia. Lat. showy. Brazil.

Sinocalycanthus chinensis
(Cheng & Chang) Cheng & Chang =
Calycanthus chinensis

Sinopodophyllum
T. S. Ying (Berberidaceae). sie-noh-pod-oh-
fil
-oom. Lat./Gk. China, and the related
Podophyllum
, in which it was once
included. 1 sp., perenn. herb. Himal., China.

hexandrum
(Royle) T. S. Ying. hex-
an
-droom. Gk. with six stamens. var.
chinense
(Sprague) Stearn ex J. M. H. Shaw & Cubey. chin-
en
-see. Of China. var.
emodi
(Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson) J. M. H. Shaw. em-
oh
-dee. Lat. of the Himalaya.

Sisyrinchium
L. (Iridaceae). sis-i-
rink
-ee-oom. Gk. name of a plant, possibly from Gk. a shaggy coat, referring to the covering on the corm. 140 spp. perenn. or ann. herbs. Americas.

angustifolium
Mill. an-gus-ti-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. narrow-leaved. E Canada, E and C USA.

bellum
S. Watson.
bel
-oom. Lat. beautiful. W USA, NW Mex. (B.C.).

bermudiana
L. ber-mew-dee-
ah
-nuh. Blue-eyed grass. Of Bermuda. Bermuda.

californicum
(Ker Gawl.) Dryand. kal-i-
for
-ni-koom. Of California. SW Canada, W USA.

campestre
E. P. Bicknell. kam-
pes
-tree. Lat. of fields. Canada, E and C USA.

idahoense
E. P. Bicknell. ie-duh-hoh-
en
-see. Of Idaho. W Canada, W and C USA.

palmifolium
L. pahl-mi-
foh
-lee-um. Lat. with palm-like leaves. S Am.

striatum
Sm. stree-
ah
-toom. Lat. striped (the flowers). Chile, Argentina.

Skimmia
Thunb. (Rutaceae).
skim
-ee-uh. From the Japanese name. 4 spp., evergreen shrubs, trees. Himal., E Asia.

×
confusa
N. P. Taylor. kon-
few
-suh. Lat. confused (with another species).
S. anquetilia
×
S. japonica
. Cult.

japonica
Thunb. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. Japan. subsp.
reevesiana
(Fortune) N. P. Taylor & Airy Shaw. reevz-ee-
ah
-nuh. After John Reeves (1774–1856), a tea inspector with the East India Company. China, SE Asia.

skullcap
Scutellaria

skunk cabbage
Lysichiton americanus
.
Asian
L. camtschatkensis

skunkbush
Rhus trilobata

sloe
Prunus spinosa

Smilax
L. (Smilacaceae).
smie
-lax. Gk. name of a plant. 350 spp., herbs, woody climbers. Widespread from trop. to warm temp. regs.

aspera
L.
as
-puh-ruh. Lat. rough (the prickly shoots). Medit., S Asia, trop. Africa.

smoke tree
Cotinus coggygria
.
American
C. obovatus

Smyrnium
L. (Apiaceae).
smir
-neeoom. Gk. myrrh-scented. 7 spp. bienn. herbs. Eur., Medit.

olusatrum
L. ol-ew-
sat
-room. Alexanders. From Lat. pot herb, black (the seeds). W and S Eur., Medit.

perfoliatum
L. per-foh-lee-
ah
-toom. Lat. with the leaf base encircling the stem. S and C Eur.

snakeroot, black
Actaea racemosa
.
white
Ageratina altissima

snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus

sneezeweed
Helenium
.
common
H. autumnale
.
orange
Hymenoxys hoopesii

sneezewort
Achillea ptarmica

snow-in-summer
Cerastium tomentosum

snow on the mountain
Euphorbia marginata

snowball, Chinese
Viburnum macrocephalum
.
Japanese
V. plicatum

snowbell, American
Styrax americanus
.
Japanese
S. japonicus

snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
.
mountain
S. oreophilus
.
western
S. occidentalis

snowbrush
Ceanothus velutinus

snowdrop
Galanthus
.
common
G. nivalis

snowdrop tree
Halesia carolina

snowflake, autumn
Acis autumnalis
.
spring
Leucojum vernum
.
summer
L. aestivum

soapwort
Saponaria officinalis
.
rock
S. ocymoides

Solanum
L. (Solanaceae). so-
lah
-noom. Lat. name used by Pliny for a nightshade. 1200 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, climbers, shrubs, trees. Mainly trop. and subtrop. regs.

crispum
Ruiz & Pav.
kris
-poom. Lat. wavy-edged (the leaves). Argentina, Chile.

jasminoides
Paxton =
S. laxum

laxum
Spreng.
lax
-oom. Lat. open (the inflorescence). S Am.

lycopersicum
L. lie-koh-
pers
-i-koom. Tomato. Gk. wolf apple. S Am.

melongena
L. me-lon-
jeen
-uh. Aubergine. Gk. apple-bearing. Cult.

pseudocapsicum
L. sue-do-
kap
-si-koom. Jerusalem cherry. Gk. false
Capsicum
. Mex. to S Am.

tuberosum
L. tew-buh-
roh
-soom. Potato. Lat. bearing tubers. Cult.

Soleirolia
Gaudich. (Urticaceae). so-lay-
rol
-ee-uh. After French naturalist Joseph Francis Soleirol (1781–1863), who collected it in Corsica. 1 sp., perenn. herb. W Medit.

soleirolii
(Req.) Dandy. so-lay-
rol
-ee-ee. Baby’s tears, mind-your-own-business. Deriv. as for genus.

Solidago
L. (Asteraceae). so-lid-
ah
-goh. Goldenrods. From Lat. to make whole, referring to med. properties. 100 spp. perenn. herbs. Americas, Eur., N Africa, Asia.

caesia
L.
seez
-ee-uh. Lat. grey-blue (the stems). SE Canada, E USA.

canadensis
L. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Of Canada. SE Canada, NE USA.

flexicaulis
L. flex-i-
kawl
-is. Lat. with bending stems. SE Canada, E USA.

graminifolia
(L.) Salisb. =
Euthamia graminifolia

juncea
Aiton.
jun
-see-uh. Lat. rush-like. SE Canada, E USA.

nemoralis
Aiton. nem-o-
rah
-lis. Lat. of woods. SE Canada, E USA.

ohioensis
Riddell. oh-hie-oh-
en
-sis. Of Ohio. SE Canada, NE USA.

ptarmicoides
(Torr. & A. Gray) B. Boivin. tar-mik-
oy
-deez. Prairie goldenrod. Lat. like
Achillea ptarmica
. S Canada, E and C USA.

riddellii
Frank. ri-
del
-ee-ee. After American physician and botanist John Leonard Riddell (1807–1865), who collected the type specimen in Ohio. SE Canada, NE USA.

rigida
L.
rij
-i-duh. Lat. rigid (the stems). SE Canada, E and C USA.

speciosa
Nutt. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Lat. showy. E and C USA.

ulmifolia
Muhl. ex Willd. ul-mi-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Ulmus
. SE Canada, E and C USA.

virgaurea
L. virg-
aw
-ree-uh. Lat. golden rod. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

Sollya heterophylla
Lindl. =
Billardiera heterophylla

Solomon’s seal
Polygonatum

Sophora
L. (Fabaceae).
sof
-o-ruh. From the Arabic name of a related tree. 50 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread.

davidii
(Franch.) Skeels. da-
vid
-ee-ee. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected it in China. SW China.

japonica
L. =
Styphnolobium japonicum

microphylla
Aiton. mik-
rof
-i-luh. Gk. small-leaved. NZ.

tetraptera
J. F. Mill. tet-
rap
-tuh-ruh. Gk. four-winged (the fruit). NZ.

Sorbaria
(Ser. ex DC.) A. Braun (Rosaceae). sor-
bair
-ree-uh. Lat. like
Sorbus
(the foliage). 4 spp. shrubs. Asia.

sorbifolia
(L.) A. Braun. sorb-i-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Sorbus
. Siberia to Japan.

tomentosa
(Lindl.) Rehder. to-men-
toh
-suh. Lat. hairy (the shoots and leaves). Himal. var.
angustifolia
(Wenz.) Rahn. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with narrow leaves (leaflets). Afghanistan, Pakistan.

Sorbus
L. (Rosaceae).
sor
-boos. Lat. name for
S. aucuparia
. 120 spp., trees, shrubs. Eur., N Africa, Asia, N Am.

alnifolia
(Sieb. & Zucc.) K. Koch. al-ni-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Alnus
. E Asia.

americana
Marshall. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. American mountain ash. Of America. E Canada, E and C USA.

aria
(L.) Crantz.
ah
-ree-uh. Whitebeam. Gk. name for this or a related plant. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

aucuparia
L. aw-kew-
pair
-ree-uh. Mountain ash, rowan. Lat. bird-catching (the fruit was used as bait to catch birds). Eur., Asia.

commixta
Hedl. kom-
ix
-tuh. Lat. mixed together. E Russia, Japan, Korea.

domestica
L. do-
mes
-ti-kuh. Service tree. Lat. of the home. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.