The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (87 page)

Venus’s fly trap
Dionaea muscipula

Venus’s looking glass
Legousia speculum-veneris

Veratrum
L. (Melanthiaceae). ver-
raht
-room. False hellebores. Lat. true black, referring to the roots. 30 spp. perenn. herbs. N hemisph.

album
L.
al
-boom. Lat. white (the flowers). Eur., Asia, Alaska.

californicum
Durand. kal-i-
for
-ni-koom. Of California. W USA.

nigrum
L.
nie
-groom. Lat. black (the dark flowers). Eur., Asia.

Verbascum
L. (Scrophulariaceae). ver-
bas
-koom. Mulleins. From the Lat. name, from Lat. bearded, referring to the hairy filaments. 300 spp. ann., bienn. and perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

bombyciferum
Boiss. bom-bi-
si
-fuh-room. Lat. silk-bearing (silky hairs cover the plant). SW Asia.

chaixii
Vill.
shayz
-ee-ee. Nettle-leaved mullein. After French amateur botanist Abbé Dominique Chaix (1730–1799), whose student, Dominique Villars, named it for him. Eur.

olympicum
Boiss. o-
limp
-i-koom. Lat. of Mount Olympus. Turkey.

phoeniceum
L. fee-
nis
-ee-oom. Purple mullein. Gk. red-purple (the flowers). Eur., C Asia.

thapsus
L.
thap
-soos. Aaron’s rod, common mullein. Gk. name of a plant from Thapsos, a settlement near Syracuse, Sicily. Eur. to China.

Verbena
L. (Verbenaceae). ver-
been
-uh. Lat. name for sacred boughs of olive, myrtle and other plants carried in processions. 200 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. Mainly N and S Am, also Eur., Africa, Asia.

bonariensis
L. bon-ah-ree-
en
-sis. Purple top. Of Buenos Aires, Argentina (named for Our Lady of Bonaria, patroness of Cagliari, Sardinia). S Am.

canadensis
(L.) Britton =
Glandularia canadensis

hastata
L. has-
tah
-tuh. American vervain. Lat. spear-shaped (the leaves). Canada, USA.

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Common vervain. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur., Africa, Asia, N Am.

rigida
Spreng.
rij
-i-duh. Lat. rigid (the shoots). S Am.

stricta
Vent.
strik
-tuh. Hoary vervain. Lat. upright. SE Canada, USA.

tenuisecta
auct. =
Glandularia pulchella

verbena, garden
Glandularia
×
hybrida

Verbesina
L. (Asteraceae). ver-bes-
een
-uh. Lat. like
Verbena
. 200 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs, trees. N to S Am.

alternifolia
(L.) Britton ex Kearney. al-ter-ni-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with alternate leaves. SE Canada, E and C USA.

Vernonia
Schreb. (Asteraceae). ver-
noh
-nee-uh. Ironweeds. After English naturalist William Vernon (ca. 1666–1715), who collected in Maryland in 1697–98. 20 spp. perenn. herbs. SC Canada, USA, N Mex.

arkansana
DC. ar-kuhn-
sah
-nuh. Of Arkansas. SC USA.

fasciculata
Michx. fa-sik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. clustered (the flowerheads). SC Canada, C USA.

gigantea
(Walter) Trel. ex Branner & Coville. jie-
gan
-tee-uh. Lat. very large. SE Canada, E and C USA.

noveboracensis
(L.) Michx. noh-veebo-ruh-
ken
-sis. Of New York, from Lat. new and Eboracum, Roman city where present-day York, UK, is. E USA.

Veronica
L. (Plantaginaceae). vuh-
ron
-i-kuh. Speedwells. After St. Veronica. 450 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread.

albicans
Petrie.
al
-bi-kanz. Lat. whitish (the leaves). NZ (S.I.).
Recurva Group
. ree-
kurv
-uh. Lat. recurved (the leaves).

austriaca
L. os-tree-
ah
-kuh. Of Austria. C and E Eur., W Asia. subsp.
teucrium
(L.) D. A. Webb.
tewk
-reeoom. Like
Teucrium
. Eur. to China.

beccabunga
L. bek-uh-
bung
-guh. Brooklime. From the German name. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia, China.

brachysiphon
(Summerh.) Bean. brakee-
sie
-fon. Gk. with a short tube (the flowers). NZ (S.I.).

buchananii
Hook.f. bew-kan-
an
-ee-ee. After Scottish-born NZ botanist and artist John Buchanan (1819–1898), who, with James Hector, collected the type specimen. NZ (S.I.).

catarractae
G. Forst. kat-uh-
rak
-tie. Lat. of waterfalls. NZ.

cupressoides
Hook. kew-pres-
oy
-deez. Lat. like
Cupressus
(the foliage). NZ (S.I.).

×
franciscana
Eastw. fran-sis-
kah
-nuh. Of San Francisco (whence it was described).
V. elliptica
×
V. speciosa
. Cult.

gentianoides
Vahl. jent-shee-uhn-
oy
-deez. Lat. like
Gentiana
. E Eur., W Asia.

grandis
Fisch. ex Spreng.
gran
-dis. Lat. large. C and NE Asia.

hulkeana
F. Muell. hulk-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Thomas H. Hulke, who collected the type specimen. NZ.

liwanensis
K. Koch. li-van-
en
-sis. Of Livana (now Artvin), NE Turkey (whence it was described). NE Turkey.

longifolia
L. long-gi-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. long-leaved. Eur. to China.

lyallii
Hook.f. lie-
al
-ee-ee. After Scottish explorer David Lyall (1817–1895), who collected the type specimen. NZ.

macrantha
Hook.f. mak-
ranth
-uh. Gk. large-flowered. NZ (S.I.).

ochracea
(Ashwin) Garn-Jones. ok-
ray
-see-uh. Gk. ochre-yellow (the foliage). NZ (S.I.).

odora
Hook.f. oh-
dor
-ruh. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). NZ.

perfoliata
R. Br. per-foh-lee-
ah
-tuh. Digger’s speedwell. Lat. with the leaf base encircling the stem. SE Australia.

pimeleoides
Hook.f. pie-mee-lee-
oy
-deez. Lat. like
Pimelea
. NZ (S.I.).

pinguifolia
Hook.f. ping-gwi-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with waxy leaves. NZ (S.I.).
‘Pagei’
.
pay
-jee-ee. After Edward Page, foreman of Dunedin Botanical Garden, NZ.

prostrata
L. pro-
strah
-tuh. Lat. prostrate. Eur., W Asia.

rakaiensis
J. B. Armstr. rak-ie-
en
-sis. Of the Rakaia Valley, where the type specimen was collected. NZ (S.I.).

salicifolia
G. Forst. sal-i-si-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Salix
. NZ, S Chile.

spicata
L. spi-
kah
-tuh. Lat. in spikes (the flowers). Eur. to N China. subsp.
incana
(L.) Walters. in-
kah
-nuh. Lat. grey (the foliage).

topiaria
(L. B. Moore) Garn.-Jones. toh-pee-
ah
-ree-uh. Lat. used in ornamental gardening. NZ (S.I.).

umbrosa
M. Bieb. um-
broh
-suh. Lat. growing in shade. E Eur., Caucasus.

vernicosa
Hook.f. vern-i-
koh
-suh. Lat. varnished (the leaves appear). NZ (S.I.).

‘Youngii’
.
yung
-ee-ee. After James
Young (1862–1934), curator of Christchurch Botanic Garden, where it was first grown in the 1920s.

Veronicastrum
Heist. ex Fabr. (Plantaginaceae). vuh-ron-i-
kas
-troom. Lat. somewhat like
Veronica
. 20 spp. perenn. herbs. N Am., E Asia.

virginicum
(L.) Farw. vir-
jin
-i-koom. Culver’s root. Of Virginia. S Canada, E and C USA.

vervain, American
Verbena hastata
.
common
V. officinalis
.
hoary
V. stricta

Vesalea
M. Martens & Galeotti (Linnaeaceae). ves-
ah
-lee-uh. After Andreas van Wessel (Lat.
Vesalius
) (1514–1564), Flemish anatomist. 2 spp. shrubs. Mex.

floribunda
M. Martens & Galeotti. flo-ri-
bun
-duh. Lat. flowering profusely.

Vestia
Willd. (Solanaceae).
vest
-ee-uh. After Lorenz Chrysanth von Vest (1776–1840), Austrian scientist and physician. 1 sp., shrub. Chile.

foetida
(Ruiz & Pav.) Hoffmanns.
feet
-i-duh. Lat. fetid (the leaves).

lycioides
Willd. =
V. foetida

vetch, horseshoe
Hippocrepis comosa.
kidney
Anthyllis vulneraria.
spring
Lathyrus vernus

vetchling
Lathyrus

Viburnum
L. (Adoxaceae). vie-
burn
-oom. Lat. name for
V. lantana
. 200 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., N Africa, Asia, N and S Am.

acerifolium
L. ay-suh-ri-
foh
-lee-oom. Dockmackie. Lat. maple-leaved. SE Canada, E USA.

awabuki
K. Koch =
V. odoratissimum
var.
awabuki

×
bodnantense
Aberc. ex Stearn. bodnuhn-
ten
-see. Of Bodnant Garden, N Wales, where it was raised (not for the first time).
V. farreri
×
V. grandiflorum
. Cult.

×
burkwoodii
Burkwood & Skipwith. After the Burkwood & Skipwith nursery, where it was raised.
V. carlesii
×
V. utile
. Cult.

×
carlcephalum
Burkwood ex R. B. Pike. karl-
kef
-uh-loom. From the names of the parents,
V. carlesii
×
V. macrocephalum
. Cult.

carlesii
Hemsl. karl-
ee
-zee-ee. After William Richard Carles (1848–1929), English diplomat in Korea, who collected one of the specimens from which it was described. Japan, Korea.

cassinoides
L. kas-i-
noy
-deez. Blue haw. Lat. like
Cassine
(the leaves). E N Am.

cinnamomifolium
Rehder. sin-uhmohm-i-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. with leaves like
Cinnamomum
. W China.

cylindricum
Buch. Ham. ex D. Don. si-
lin
-dri-koom. Lat. cylindrical (the flowers). Himal., China, SE Asia.

davidii
Franch. da-
vid
-ee-ee. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected the type specimen in 1869. W China.

dentatum
L. den-
tah
-toom. Arrowwood. Lat. toothed (the leaves). E Canada, E and C USA.