The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (13 page)

dioicus
(Walter) Fernald. die-
oy
-koos. Goat’s beard. Gk. dioecious. Eur., Asia, N Am.

Arundinaria
Michx. (Poaceae). uh-run-di-
nair
-ree-uh. Lat. like
Arundo
. 1 sp., bamboo. E USA.

gigantea
(Walter) Muhl. jie-
gan
-teeuh. Giant cane. Lat. very large. subsp.
tecta
(Walter) McClure.
tek
-tuh. Switch cane. Lat. a covering (the large sheaths covering the inflorescence). SE USA.

Arundo
L. (Poaceae). uh-
run
-doh. Lat. reed. 3 spp. grasses. Medit.

donax
L.
doh
-naks. Giant reed. Gk. name for a kind of reed.

asarabacca
Asarum europaeum

Asarina
Mill. (Plantaginaceae). az-uh-
ree
-nuh. Spanish name for an antirrhinum, meaning like
Asarum
. 1 sp., perenn. herb. SW Eur.

procumbens
Mill. proh-
kum
-buhnz. Lat. creeping.

Asarum
L. (Aristolochiaceae).
az
-uh-room. Lat. name, from Gk. 80 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs.

arifolium
Michx. a-ri-
foh
-lee-oom. Littlebrownjug. Lat. with leaves like
Arum
. SE USA.

canadense
L. kan-uh-
den
-see. Wild ginger. Of Canada. E USA, SE Canada.

caudatum
Lindl. kaw-
dah
-toom. Lat. with a tail-like point (the calyx lobes). W USA, SW Canada.

caulescens
Maxim. kaw-
les
-uhnz. Lat. developing a stem. China.

europaeum
L. ew-roh-
pee
-oom. Asarabacca. Of Europe. W Eur.

maximum
Hemsl.
max
-i-moom. Lat. largest. China (Hubei, Sichuan).

naniflorum
hort. nahn-i-
flaw
-room. Lat. with small flowers. SE USA (Carolinas).

shuttleworthii
Britten & Bak.f. shut-uhl-
wurth
-ee-ee. After English naturalist Robert James Shuttleworth (1810–1874), who first recognised it as distinct. SE USA.

splendens
(F. Maekawa) C. Y. Cheng & C. S. Yang.
splen
-duhnz. Lat. splendid. China.

Asclepias
L. (Apocynaceae). uh-
sklee
-pee-uhs. Milkweed. Classical name, from Asklepios, Gk. god of medicine, for their med. properties. 120 spp., herbs, shrubs. Americas, Africa.

asperula
(Decne.) Woodson. uh-
spe
-rue-luh. Spider milkweed. Lat. somewhat rough (the shoots). W USA.

curassavica
L. koo-ruh-
sav
-i-kuh. Blood flower, swallowwort. Of Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles). S Am.

exaltata
L. ex-awl-
tah
-tuh. Poke milk-weed. Lat. very tall. E USA, E Canada.

incarnata
L. in-kar-
nah
-tuh. Swamp milkweed. Lat. flesh-coloured (the flowers). USA, E Canada.

physocarpa
(E. Mey.) Schltr. fie-soh-
kar
-puh. Balloon plant. Gk. bladder, fruit. S Africa.

purpurascens
L. pur-pew-
ras
-uhnz. Purple milkweed. Purplish (the flowers). E USA, E Canada.

speciosa
Torr. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Showy milkweed. Lat. showy. W USA, W Canada.

sullivantii
Engelm. ex A. Gray. sul-i-
van
-tee-ee. Prairie milkweed. After American bryologist William Starling Sullivant (1803–1873), who collected the type specimen. SE Canada, C USA.

syriaca
L. si-ree-
ah
-kuh. Common milkweed. Of Syria, where it was thought to originate. N Am.

tuberosa
L. tew-buh-
roh
-suh. Butterfly milkweed. Lat. bearing tubers. USA, E Canada.

verticillata
L. vur-ti-si-
lah
-tuh. Whorled milkweed. Lat. whorled (the leaves). N Am.

ash
Fraxinus.
Arizona
F. velutina
.
black
F. nigra
.
blue
F. quadrangulata
.
European
F. excelsior
.
green
F. pennsylvanica
.
Manchurian
F. mandshurica
.
manna
F. ornus
.
narrow-leaved
F. angustifolia
.

Oregon
F. latifolia
.
red
F. pennsylvanica
.
velvet
F. velutina
.
white
F. americana

Asimina
Adans. (Annonaceae). uh-
sim
-i-nuh. From
assimin
, the Native American name. 8 spp., shrubs, trees. E USA, SE Canada.

triloba
(L.) Dunal. trie-
loh
-buh. Pawpaw. Lat. three-lobed (the calyx).

Asparagus
Tourn. ex L. (Asparagaceae). uh-
spa
-ruh-goos. The Lat. name. 120 spp., herbs, climbers. Eur., Africa, Asia.

aethiopicus
L. ee-thee-
op
-i-koos. Asparagus fern. Of Ethiopia (originally applied to all Africa). C and S Africa.
Sprengeri Group
.
spreng
-uhree. After Carl Ludwig Sprenger (1846–1917), German botanist and nurseryman who introduced it.

asparagoides
(L.) Druce. uh-spa-ruh-
goy
-deez. Like
Asparagus
(originally named in another genus). S Africa.

densiflorus
hort. =
A. aethiopicus

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Garden asparagus. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur., N Africa.

plumosus
Baker =
A. setaceus

setaceus
(Kunth) Jessop. see-
tay
-seeoos. Lat. bristly. Africa.

sprengeri
Regel =
A. aethiopicus
Sprengeri Group

asparagus, garden
Asparagus officinalis
aspen
Populus tremula
.
bigtooth
P. grandidentata
.
quaking
P. tremuloides

Asperula odorata
L. =
Galium odoratum

asphodel
Asphodelus
.
yellow
Asphode-line lutea
.
white
Asphodelus albus

Asphodeline
Rchb. (Xanthorrhoeaceae). as-fod-uh-
lee
-nee. Like
Asphodelus
. 17 spp. herbs. Medit., W Asia.

liburnica
(Scop.) Rchb. li-
burn
-i-kuh. Of Liburnia, now part of Croatia. SE Eur.

lutea
(L.) Rchb.
lue
-tee-uh. Yellow asphodel. Lat. yellow (the flowers). Medit.

taurica
(Pall.) Endl.
tow
-ri-kuh. Of the Taurus Mts. S Turkey.

Asphodelus
L. (Xanthorrhoeaceae). as-
fod
-uh-loos. Asphodel. From the Gk. name. 17 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Eur. to Himal., N Africa.

albus
Mill.
al
-boos. White asphodel. Lat. white (the flowers). C and S Eur.

ramosus
L. ra-
moh
-soos. Lat. branched (the inflorescence). S Eur., N Africa.

Aspidistra
Ker Gawl. (Asparagaceae). as-pi-
dis
-truh. From Gk. a small round shield, from the shape of the stigma. 95 spp. herbs. E Asia.

elatior
Blume. ee-
lay
-tee-or. Cast-iron plant. Lat. tall. China.

lurida
hort. =
A. elatior

Asplenium
L. (Aspleniaceae). uh-
splee
-nee-oom. Spleenwort. Gk. name used by Dioscorides, not, spleen, referring to med. properties. 700 spp. ferns. Widespread.

nidus
L.
nee
-doos. Bird’s nest fern. Lat. nest. Trop. Asia.

platyneuron
(L.) Oakes. plat-ee-
new
-ron. Ebony spleenwort. Gk. broad-veined. Tropics.

scolopendrium
L. skol-oh-
pen
-dreeoom. Hart’s tongue fern. Gk. centipede (from the arrangement of the sori on the fronds). Eur., E USA, E Canada.

trichomanes
L. trie-koh-
may
-neez. Maidenhair spleenwort. Gk. name for a fern.

Astelia
Banks & Sol. ex R. Br. (Asteliaceae). uh-
steel
-ee-uh. Gk. without a trunk (stemless). 25 spp. herbs. Pacific Is., NZ, Australia, Chile.

banksii
A. Cunn.
banks
-ee-ee. After Sir Joseph Banks (1743–1820), English botanist and explorer who collected the type specimen on Cook’s first voyage. NZ.

chathamica
(Skottsb.) L. B. Moore. chuh-
tam
-i-kuh. Of the Chatham Is. NZ.

nervosa
Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f. ner-
voh
-suh. Bush flax. Lat. veined (conspicuously, the leaves). NZ.

Aster
L. (Asteraceae).
as
-tuh. Lat. star (the flowerheads). 180 spp., perenn. herbs, shrubs. Eur., Asia, 1 sp. in N Am.

acris
L. =
A. sedifolius

alpinus
L. al-
pie
-noos. Alpine aster. Lat. alpine. Asia, with a subsp. in N Am.

amellus
L. uh-
mel
-oos. Italian aster. Lat. name for this or a similar plant. Eur., W Asia.

azureus
Lindl. =
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense

bigelovii
A. Gray =
Dieteria bigelovii

carolinianus
Walter =
Symphyotrichum carolinianum

chilensis
Nees =
Symphyotrichum chilense

coloradoensis
A. Gray =
Xanthisma coloradoense

cordifolius
L. =
Symphyotrichum cordifolium

diplostephioides
(DC.) C. B. Clarke. dip-loh-stef-ee-
oy
-deez. Gk. like a double crown (the flowerheads). Himal., China.

divaricatus
L. =
Eurybia divaricata

drummondii
Lindl. =
Symphyotrichum drummondii

dumosus
L. =
Symphyotrichum dumosum

ericoides
L. =
Symphyotrichum ericoides

×
frikartii
Silva Tar. & C. K. Schneid. fri-
kar
-tee-ee. After Swiss nursery-man Carl Ludwig Frikart (1879–1964), who raised it.
A. amellus
×
A. thomsonii
. Cult.

glaucodes
S. F. Blake =
Eurybia glauca

×
herveyi
A. Gray =
Eurybia
×
herveyi

horizontalis
Desf. =
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
var.
horizontale