The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (18 page)

asteroides
(L.) L’Hér. as-tuh-
roy
-deez. White doll’s daisy. Lat. like
Aster
.

Bongardia
C. A. Mey. (Berberidaceae). bon-
gard
-ee-uh. After August Gustav Heinrich von Bongard (1786–1839), German botanist. 1 sp., herb. E Medit.

chrysogonum
(L.) Spach. kris-
og
-onoom. Gk. golden, knee (yellow flowers, jointed stems).

bonnet bellflower
Codonopsis clematidea

borage
Borago officinalis
.
dwarf
B. pygmaea

Borago
L. (Boraginaceae). bo-
rah
-goh. Possibly from Lat. hairy garment, referring to the hairy shoots and leaves. 3 spp. herbs. Eur., Africa, Asia.

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Borage. Lat. sold as a med. herb. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

pygmaea
(DC.) Chater & Greuter.
pig
-mee-uh. Dwarf borage. Lat. dwarf. S Eur.

Boston ivy
Parthenocissus tricuspidata

bottlebrush
Callistemon
.
weeping
C. viminalis

Bougainvillea
Comm. ex Juss. (Nyctaginaceae). bue-guhn-
vil
-eeuh. After French explorer Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (1729–1811). 18 spp. climbers. Trop. Am.

×
buttiana
Holttum & Standl. but-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Mrs R. V. Butt, who brought it from Cartagena, Colombia, to Trinidad in 1910.
B. glabra
×
B. peruviana.
Cult.

glabra
Choisy.
glab
-ruh. Lat. glabrous (the leaves). Brazil.

spectabilis
Willd. spek-
tab
-i-lis. Lat. spectacular. Brazil.

bouncing Bet
Saponaria officinalis

Bouteloua
Lag. (Poaceae). bue-tuh-
lue
-uh. After Esteban Boutelou (1776–1813), Spanish botanist. 40 spp. grasses. Americas.

curtipendula
(Michx.) Torr. kurt-ee-
pen
-dew-luh. Sideoats grama grass. Lat. short, drooping (the flower spikes). N and S Am.

dactyloides
(Nutt.) J. T. Columbus. dak-til-
oy
-deez. Buffalo grass. Like
Dactylis
. Canada, USA, Mex.

gracilis
(Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths.
gras
-i-lis. Blue grama grass. Lat. slender (the stems). Canada, USA, Mex.

Bouvardia
Salisb. (Rutaceae). bue-
var
-dee-uh. After Charles Bouvard (1572–1658), French chemist and physician to Louis XIII. 20 spp. shrubs. Trop. Am.

ternifolia
(Cav.) Schltdl. tern-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves in threes. SW USA, Mex.

bower plant
Pandorea jasminoides

box, Balearic
Buxus balearica
.
Christmas
Sarcococca
.
common
Buxus sempervirens
.
sweet
Sarcococca

box elder
Acer negundo

Brachyscome
Cass. (Asteraceae). brak-i-
skoh
-mee. Gk. a short head of hair, from the short pappus. 80 spp. herbs. Australia, NZ.

iberidifolia
Benth. i-be-ri-di-
foh
-leeuh. Swan River daisy. Lat. with leaves like
Iberis
. W and S Australia.

Brachyglottis
J. R. & G. Forst. (Asteraceae). brak-ee-
glot
-is. Gk. short tongue (referring to the short ray florets). 40 spp. shrubs. Australia, NZ.

compacta
(Kirk) B. Nord. kom-
pak
-tuh. Lat. compact. NZ (N.I.).

monroi
(Hook.f.) B. Nord. mon-
roh
-ee. After Sir David Monro (1813–1877), Scottish-born NZ politician. A shepherd, Roderick
McDonald, collected the type specimen for him. NZ (S.I.).

bramble
Rubus fruticosus

brass buttons
Cotula coronopifolia

Brassica
L. (Brassicaceae).
bras
-i-kuh. Lat. name of the cabbage. 40 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

hirta
Moench.
hur
-tuh. White mustard. Lat. hairy. Medit., W Asia.

juncea
(L.) Czerniak.
jun
-see-uh. Chinese mustard. Lat. rush-like. E Asia.

napus
L.
nah
-poos. Rape. Lat. turnip. Cult.
Napobrassica Group
. nah-poh-
bras
-i-kuh. Swede. Lat. turnip cabbage.

nigra
(L.) W. D. J. Koch.
nie
-gruh. Black mustard. Lat. black (the seeds).

oleracea
L. ol-uh-
ray
-see-uh. Wild cabbage. Lat. vegetable-like. Eur.
Acephala Group
. ay-
kef
-uh-luh. Kale. Lat. without a head.
Botrytis Group
. bo-
trie
-tis. Broccoli, cauliflower. Gk. like a bunch of grapes.
Capitata Group
. kap-i-
tah
-tuh. Cabbage. Lat. with a head.
Gemmifera Group
. gem-
i
-fe-ruh. Brussels sprouts. Lat. bearing buds.
Gongylodes Group
. gon-gil-
oh
-deez. Kohlrabi. Gk. swollen (the tuber).
Italica Group
. i-
tal
-i-kuh. Sprouting broccoli. Lat. Italian.

rapa
L.
rah
-puh. Lat. turnip. N Africa.
Rapifera Group
. ra-
pi
-fuh-ruh. Turnip. Lat. bearing turnips.
Pekinensis Group
. pee-kin-
en
-sis. Chinese cabbage. Of Peking.

Brazilian plume
Justicia carnea

briar, Austrian
Rosa foetida
.
Austrian copper
R. foetida
‘Bicolor’.
sweet
R. rubiginosa

bridal wreath
Francoa sonchifolia

Brimeura
Salisb. (Asparagaceae). brie-
mew
-ruh. After Marie de Brimeur, 16th-cent. French gardener. 3 spp. bulbous herbs. SW Eur.

amethystina
(L.) Chouard. am-uh-this-
tee
-nuh. Lat. violet (the flowers). Pyrenees, N Spain.

Briza
L. (Poaceae).
bree
-zuh. Quaking grass. Gk. name for rye. 20 spp. grasses. Eur., Asia, Mex. to S Am.

maxima
L.
max
-i-muh. Great quaking grass. Lat. largest. Medit.

media
L.
mee
-dee-uh. Common quaking grass. Lat. medium. Eur., Asia.

subaristata
Lam. sub-a-ris-
tah
-tuh. Lat. somewhat aristate (the lemmas). Mex. to S Am.

broccoli
Brassica oleracea
Botrytis Group.
sprouting
B. oleracea
Italica Group

Brodiaea
Sm. (Asparagaceae). brohdee-
ie
-uh. After James Brodie (1724–1844), Scottish botanist. 16 spp. cormous herbs. W N Am.

californica
Lindl. ex Lem. kal-i-
for
-nikuh. Of California. Calif.

coronaria
(Salisb.) Jeps. ko-ro-
nair
-ree-uh. Lat. of garlands. W USA, SW Canada.

elegans
Hoover.
el
-i-ganz. Lat. elegant. W USA.

brome
Bromus

Bromus
L. (Poaceae).
broh
-moos. Brome. From Gk. name of an edible grass. 150 spp. grasses. Widespread.

inermis
Leysser. in-
er
-mis. Lat. unarmed (the awnless lemmas). Eur., Asia.

broom
Cytisus, Genista
.
common
Cytisus scoparius.
Mount Etna
Genista aetnensis
.
pineapple
Cytisus battandieri.
pink
Carmichaelia carmichaeliae
purple
Chamaecytisus purpureus
.
Spanish
Genista hispanica, Spartium junceum

broombush
Hypericum prolificum

Broussonetia
L’Hér. ex Vent. (Moraceae). brue-son-
et
-ee-uh. After Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet (1761–1807), French naturalist. 8 spp., trees, shrubs. Asia, Madagascar.

papyrifera
(L.) Vent. pa-pi-
rif
-uh-ruh. Paper mulberry. Lat. bearing paper. E Asia.

Browallia
L. (Solanaceae). broh-
wah
-lee-uh. After Johan Browall (1707–1755), Swedish botanist. 5 spp., herbs, shrubs. S USA to S Am.

americana
L. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. Jamaican forget-me-not. Of America. Trop. Am.

speciosa
Hook. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Sapphire flower. Lat. showy. Trop. Am.

brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba

Brugmansia
Pers. (Solanaceae). broog-
man
-zee-uh. After Sebald Justinus Brugmans (1763–1819), Dutch botanist. 5 spp. shrubs. S Am.

arborea
(L.) Lagerh. ar-
bor
-ree-uh. Lat. tree-like.

×
candida
Pers.
kan
-di-duh. Lat. white (the flowers).
B. aurea
×
B. versicolor
. Cult.

×
insignis
(Barb. Rodr.) Lockw. in-
sig
-nis. Lat. notable.
B. suaveolens
×
B. versicolor
. Cult.

sanguinea
(Ruiz & Pav.) D. Don. san-
gwin
-ee-uh. Lat. bloody (the flowers).

suaveolens
(Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Bercht. & C. Presl. sway-vee-
oh
-luhnz. Lat. sweet-smelling.

versicolor
Lagerh. ver-
si
-ko-lor. Lat. variably coloured (the flowers).

Brunfelsia
L. (Solanaceae). brun-
fel
-see-uh. After Otto Brunfels (1488–1534), German botanist. 45 spp., shrubs, trees. Trop. Am.

pauciflora
(Cham. & Schltdl.) Benth. paw-si-
flaw
-ruh. Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Lat. few-flowered.

Brunnera
Steven (Boraginaceae).
broon
-uh-ruh. After Samuel Brunner (1790–1844), Swiss botanist and plant collector. 3 spp. herbs. E Eur., W Asia.

macrophylla
(Adams) I. M. Johnst. mak-
rof
-i-luh. Gk. large-leaved. Caucasus.

Brussels sprouts
Brassica oleracea
Gemmifera Group

buckbrush
Ceanothus cuneatus

buckeye
Aesculus
.
California
A. californica
.
Ohio
A. glabra
.
red
A. pavia
.
yellow
A. flava

buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica
.
alder
Frangula alnus
.
cascara
F. purshiana
.
Italian
Rhamnus alaternus

buckwheat
Fagopyrum esculentum
.
green
F. tataricum
.
tall
F. dibotrys