The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (88 page)

dilatatum
Thunb. di-luh-
tah
-toom. Lat. enlarged, expanded. China, Japan, Korea.

farreri
Stearn.
fa
-ruh-ree. After English plant collector and author Reginald John Farrer (1880–1920), who sent seeds of it to the Royal Horticultural Society from China. China.

×
globosum
Coombes. glo-
boh
-soom. Lat. globose (the habit).
V. calvum
×
V. davidii
. China.

×
hillieri
Stearn.
hil
-ee-uh-ree. After Hillier Nurseries, UK, where it was raised.
V. erubescens
×
V. henryi
. Cult.

×
juddii
Rehder.
jud
-ee-ee. After William Henry Judd (1888–1946), propagator at the Arnold Arboretum, who raised it in 1920.
V. bitchiuense
×
V. carlesii
. Cult.

lantana
L. lan-
tah
-nuh. Wayfaring tree. Lat. name for
Viburnum
. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

lentago
L. len-
tah
-goh. Sheepberry. Lat. flexible (the shoots). Canada, USA.

macrocephalum
Fortune. mak-roh-
kef
-uh-loom. Chinese snowball. Gk. with a large head (of flowers). China.

odoratissimum
Ker Gawl. oh-do-ruh-
tis
-i-moom. Lat. most fragrant. E and SE Asia. var.
awabuki
(K. Koch) Zabel. ah-wuh-
bue
-kee. The Japanese name. Japan, Taiwan.

opulus
L.
op
-ew-loos. Guelder rose. Lat. name for a kind of maple. Eur., C Asia. var.
americanum
Aiton. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noom. Of America. Canada, USA. var.
sargentii
(Koehne) Takeda. sar-
jent
-ee-ee. After American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927), first director of the Arnold Arboretum, who introduced it to Europe. E Asia.

plicatum
Thunb. pli-
kah
-toom. Japanese snowball. Lat. folded together (the leaves). China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan.

‘Pragense’
. prahg-
en
-see. Of Prague, where it was raised.
V. rhytidophyllum
×
V. utile
.

prunifolium
L. prue-ni-
foh
-lee-oom. Black haw. Lat. with leaves like
Prunus
. E and C USA.

rhytidophyllum
Hemsl. ri-ti-
dof
-i-loom. Gk. with wrinkled leaves. China.

sargentii
Koehne =
V. opulus
var.
sargentii

sieboldii
Miq. see-
bold
-ee-ee. After Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866), who studied the flora and fauna of Japan. Japan.

tinus
L.
teen
-oos. Laurustinus. The Lat. name. Medit.

trilobum
Marshall =
V. opulus
var.
americanum

Vicia
L. (Fabaceae).
vis
-ee-uh. The Lat. name, from Lat. to bind, referring to the tendrils. 160 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. N temp. regs., Africa, S Am.

faba
L.
fah
-buh. Broad bean. The Lat. name. Cult.

Viguiera multiflora
(Nutt.) S. F. Blake =
Heliomeris multiflora

Vinca
L. (Apocynaceae).
ving
-kuh. From the Lat. name, from Lat. to wind about (
pervincire
, hence periwinkle; it was used in wreaths). 5 spp., perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

difformis
Pourr. di-
form
-is. From Lat. misshapen (the flowers). Portugal.

major
L.
may
-juh. Greater periwinkle. Lat. larger. S Eur.
‘Oxyloba’
. ox-ee-
loh
-buh. Gk. with pointed lobes (the corolla).

minor
L.
mie
-nuh. Lesser periwinkle. Lat. smaller. Eur.

rosea
L. =
Catharanthus roseus

Viola
L. (Violaceae). vie-
oh
-luh,
vie
-oluh. Violets. Lat. name for several plants with fragrant flowers. 500 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Widespread, mainly N hemisph.

canadensis
L. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Canada violet. Of Canada. Canada, USA, N Mex.

cornuta
L. kor-
newt
-uh. Horned violet. Lat. horned (the long spur on the corolla). Pyrenees, Spain.

labradorica
Schrank. lab-ruh-
do
-rikuh. Labrador violet. Of Labrador. Canada, Greenland, N and E USA.

odorata
L. oh-do-
rah
-tuh. Sweet violet. Lat. fragrant. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

pedata
L. ped-
ah
-tuh. Bird’s foot violet. Lat. deeply divided into cut lobes (the leaves). SE Canada, E and C USA.

pedatifida
G. Don. ped-at-i-
feed
-uh. Lat. pedately (as above) cut (the leaves). Canada, E and C USA.

pubescens
Aiton. pew-
bes
-uhnz. Lat. hairy (the leaves). Canada, E and C USA.

riviniana
Rchb. ri-vin-ee-
ah
-nuh. After German physician and botanist Augustus Quirinus Rivinus (1652–1723). Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

sororia
Willd. so-
ro
-ree-uh. Lat. a sister to (a related species). Canada, USA.

tricolor
L.
tri
-ko-lor. Heartsease. Lat. three-coloured (the flowers). Eur., W Asia.

×
wittrockiana
Gams. wit-rok-ee-
ah
-nuh. Pansy. After Swedish botanist Veit Brecher Wittrock (1839–1914), who wrote a history of garden pansies. Cult.

violet
Viola
.
bird’s foot
V. pedata
.
Canada
V. canadensis
.
horned
V. cornuta
.
Labrador
V. labradorica
.
sweet
V. odorata

viper’s bugloss
Echium vulgare

virgin’s bower
Clematis virginiana

Virginia bluebells
Mertensia virginica

Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica

Vitaliana primuliflora
Bertol. =
Androsace vitaliana

Vitex
L. (Lamiaceae).
vie
-tex. Lat. name for this or another tree, possibly from Lat. to plait (the flexible shoots were used to make fences and baskets). 250 spp., trees, shrubs. Widespread in trop. and temp. regs.

agnus-castus
L.
an
-yoos-
kast
-oos. Chaste tree. Lat. chaste lamb, from the Gk. name. S Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

Vitis
L. (Vitaceae).
vie
-tis. Lat. name for grapevine. 60 spp. woody climbers. N temp. regs., subtropics.

coignetiae
Pulliat ex Planch. koin-
yet
-ee-ie. After the wife of Jean Francisque Coignet (1835–1902), French mining engineer in Japan. It was described from plants raised from seeds she sent to France. E Russia (Sakhalin), Japan.

riparia
Michx. ri-
pah
-ree-uh. Lat. of riverbanks. Canada, E and C USA.

vinifera
L. vin-
if
-uh-ruh. Grapevine. Lat. wine-producing. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

wake robin
Trillium

Waldsteinia
Willd. (Rosaceae). wold-
stien
-ee-uh. After Franz de Paula Adam von Waldstein (1759–1823), Austrian botanist and soldier. 6 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs.

ternata
(Stephan) Fritsch. ter-
nah
-tuh. Lat. divided into three (the leaves). C and E Eur., E Asia.

wallflower
Erysimum cheiri

walnut
Juglans
.
black
J. nigra
.
common
J. regia
.
Japanese
J. ailantifolia

wandering Jew
Tradescantia zebrina

wandflower
Dierama

Washington thorn
Crataegus phaenopyrum

Washingtonia
H. Wendl. (Arecaceae). wosh-ing-
toh
-nee-uh. After George Washington (1732–1799), first US president. 2 spp. palms. SW USA, NW Mex.

filifera
(Linden ex André) H. Wendl. fi-
li
-fuh-ruh. California fan palm. Lat. bearing threads (the frayed edges of the leaf divisions). SW USA, NW Mex. (B.C.).

robusta
H. Wendl. roh-
bus
-tuh. Mexican fan palm. Lat. robust (though less robust than
W. filifera
). NW Mex.

water figwort
Scrophularia aquatica

water lettuce
Pistia stratiotes

water milfoil
Myriophyllum

water poppy
Hydrocleys nymphoides

water violet
Hottonia palustris

watercress
Nasturtium officinale

waterlily
Nymphaea
.
European
N. alba
.
fragrant
N. odorata

watermelon
Citrullus lanatus

Watsonia
Mill. (Iridaceae). wot-
soh
-nee-uh. After English physician and naturalist Sir William Watson (1715–1787), friend of the author, Philip Miller. 52 spp. cormous herbs. S Africa.

aletroides
(Burm.f.) Ker Gawl. a-let-
roy
-deez. Like
Aletris
, referring to the flowers.

borbonica
(Pourr.) Goldblatt. bor-
bon
-i-kuh. Of Île Bourbon (now Réunion), where it was thought to originate.

pillansii
L. Bolus. pi-
lanz
-ee-ee. After South African botanist Neville Stuart Pillans (1884–1964), who collected the type specimen in 1919.

wattle
Acacia
.
black
A. melanoxylon
.
hedge
A. paradoxa
.
kangaroo
A. paradoxa
.
knife-leaf
A. cultriformis
.
Ovens
A. pravissima
.
sallow
A. longifolia
.
silver
A. dealbata
.
swamp
A. retinodes
.
Sydney golden
A. longifolia
.
Wally’s
A. pataczekii

wax plant
Hoya carnosa

wayfaring tree
Viburnum lantana

Weigela
Thunb. (Diervillaceae). wie-
geel
-uh,
vie
-guh-luh. After Christian
Ehrenfried von Weigel (1748–1831), German scientist. 10 spp. deciduous shrubs. NE Asia.

florida
(Bunge) A. DC.
flo
-ri-duh. Lat. flowering. China, Japan, Korea.