Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
striata
R. Br. ex Lindl. stree-
ah
-tuh. Lat. striped (the flowers). Korea, Japan.
Calathea
G. Mey. (Marantaceae). kaluh-
thee
-uh. From Gk. basket (the flowers are held among coloured bracts). 300 spp. herbs. Mex., trop. Am.
burle-marxii
H. A. Kenn. burl-
marx
-ee-ee. After Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx (1909–1994), who collected the plant from which it was described. Brazil.
makoyana
E. Morren. mak-oy-
ah
-nuh. After Lambert Jacob-Makoy (1790–1873), Belgian nurseryman. SE Brazil.
picturata
K. Koch & Linden. pik-tew-
rah
-tuh. Lat. embroidered (the leaves appear). Brazil.
roseopicta
(Linden) Regel. roh-zee-oh-
pik
-tuh. Lat. painted pink (the leaves appear). S Am.
Calceolaria
L. (Calceolariaceae). kal-see-oh-
lah
-ree-uh. Lat. like a little slipper (the flowers). 300 spp., herbs, shrubs. Mex. to S Am.
integrifolia
Murr. in-teg-ri-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with untoothed leaves. Chile.
Calendula
L. (Asteraceae). ka-
len
-dew-luh. From Lat. first day of the month, referring to the long flowering period. 12 spp. herbs. Eur., W Asia.
officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Pot marigold. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Cult.
Calia
Térean & Berland. ex Yakovlev (Fabaceae).
kal
-ee-uh. Gk. beauty. 4 spp., shrubs, trees. SW USA, Mex.
secundiflora
(Ortega) Yakovlev. se-kun-di-
flaw
-ruh. Mescal bean. Lat. with flowers on one side.
Calibrachoa
Cerv. (Solanaceae). kal-ee-brak-
oh
-uh. After Antonio de la Cal y Bracho (1766–1833), Mexican botanist and pharmacologist. 32 spp., perenn. herbs, subshrubs. S USA to S Am.
parviflora
(Juss.) D’Arcy. par-vi-
flaw
-ruh. Seaside petunia. Lat. small-flowered. SW USA to S Am.
calico bush
Kalmia latifolia
calico flower
Aristolochia littoralis
California fuchsia
Epilobium canum
California rosebay
Rhododendron macrophyllum
Calla
L. (Araceae).
kal
-uh. Gk. beautiful. 1 sp., perenn. herb. N temp. regs.
palustris
L. puh-
lus
-tris. Bog arum. Lat. of marshes.
Callicarpa
L. (Lamiaceae). kal-i-
karp
-uh. Beauty berry. Gk. beautiful fruit. 140 spp., shrubs, trees. Tropics and subtropics.
americana
L. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. Of America. USA, N Mex., Caribb.
‘Lactea’
.
lak
-tee-uh. Lat. milky (the fruit).
bodinieri
H. Lév. bod-in-ee-
e
-ree. After French missionary Emile Marie Bodinier (1842–1901), who collected some of the original material from which it was described. China, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. var.
giraldii
(Rehder) Rehder =
C. bodinieri
dichotoma
(Lour.) K. Koch. di-
ko
-tomuh. Gk. dividing in two (the shoots.). E Asia.
japonica
Thunb. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan.
kwangtungensis
Chun. kwang-tung-
en
-sis. Of Guangdong (Kwangtung), S China. China.
Callirhoe
Nutt. (Malvaceae). kal-i-
roh
-ee. Poppy mallow. Gk. beautiful poppy, and a nymph in myth. 9 spp. herbs. USA, Mex.
digitata
Nutt. di-ji-
tah
-tuh. Winecup. Lat. finger-like (the leaf lobes). C and SE USA.
involucrata
(Torr. & A. Gray) A. Gray. in-vo-lue-
krah
-tuh. Purple poppy mallow. With an involucre (of bracts). USA, N Mex.
triangulata
(Leavenw.) A. Gray. trie-ang-ew-
lah
-tuh. Clustered poppy mallow. Lat. triangular (the leaves). E USA.
Callisia
Loefl. (Commelinaceae). ka-
lis
-ee-uh. From Gk. beauty. 20 spp. herbs. Trop. Am.
elegans
Alexander ex H. E. Moore =
C. gentlei
var.
elegans
gentlei
Matuda.
gen
-tuhl-ee. After Belizean botanist Percival Hildebart Gentle (1892–1958), who collected the type specimen in Belize in 1938. Mex., C Am. var.
elegans
(Alexander ex H. E. Moore) D. R. Hunt.
el
-iganz. Striped inchplant. Lat. elegant.
navicularis
(Ortgies) D. R. Hunt. navik-ew-
lah
-ris. Chainplant. Lat. like a small boat (the folded leaves). Mex.
repens
(Jacq.) L.
ree
-puhnz. Creeping inchplant. Lat. creeping. Mex., C and S Am.
Callistemon
R. Br. (Myrtaceae). kal-ee-
stem
-on. Bottlebrushes. Gk.
beautiful stamens. 34 spp., shrubs, trees. Australia, New Caledonia.
citrinus
(Curtis) Skeels. sit-
ree
-noos. Lat. lemon-scented (the leaves). E Australia.
linearis
DC. lin-ee-
ah
-ris. Lat. linear (the leaves). SE Australia.
pallidus
DC.
pa
-li-doos. Lat. pale (the flowers). SE Australia.
rigidus
R. Br.
rij
-i-doos. Lat. rigid (the leaves). E Australia.
salignus
DC. sa-
lig
-noos. Lat. willow-like (the leaves). SE Australia.
sieberi
DC.
see
-buh-ree. After Prague-born botanist Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1798–1844), who collected the type specimen. SE Australia.
speciosus
(Sims) Sweet. spee-see-
oh
-soos. Lat. showy. W Australia.
subulatus
Cheel. sub-ew-
lah
-toos. Lat. awl-shaped (the leaves). SE Australia.
viminalis
(Gaertn.) Cheel. vi-mi-
nah
-lis. Weeping bottlebrush. Lat. willow-like (the leaves). E Australia.
viridiflorus
(Sims) Sweet. vi-ri-dee-
flaw
-roos. Lat. green-flowered. Tasmania.
Callistephus
Cass. (Asteraceae). kal-ee-
stee
-foos. Gk. beautiful crown (the flowerheads). 1 sp., herb. China.
chinensis
(L.) Nees. chin-
en
-sis. China aster. Of China.
Calluna
Salisb. (Ericaceae). kuh-
lue
-nuh. From Gk. to make beautiful (the twigs were used as brushes). 1 sp., shrub. Eur., N Africa, N and W Asia.
vulgaris
(L.) Hull. vul-
gar
-ris. Heather, ling. Lat. common.
Calocedrus
Kurz (Cupressaceae). kal-oh-
seed
-roos. Gk. beautiful cedar. 3 spp. coniferous trees. E Asia, W N Am.
decurrens
(Torr.) Florin. dee-
ku
-ruhnz. Incense cedar. Lat. decurrent (the leaf base continuing along the stem). W N Am.
Calochortus
Pursh (Liliaceae). kal-oh-
kor
-toos. Gk. beautiful grass (referring to the slender leaves). 70 spp. bulbous herbs. W N Am. to C Am.
albus
(Benth.) Douglas ex Benth.
al
-boos. White fairy lantern. Lat. white (the flowers). Calif., Mex. (B.C.).
concolor
(Baker) Purdy & L. H. Bailey.
kon
-ko-lor. Goldenbowl mariposa lily. Lat. of the same colour. S Calif., Mex. (B.C.).
luteus
Douglas ex Lindl.
lue
-tee-oos. Yellow mariposa lily. Calif.
splendens
Douglas ex Benth.
splen
-duhnz. Splendid mariposa lily. Lat. splendid. Calif., Mex. (B.C.).
superbus
Purdy ex Howell. sue-
per
-boos. Lat. superb. Calif.
venustus
Douglas ex Benth. ven-
oos
-toos. Butterfly mariposa lily. Lat. handsome. Calif.
Caltha
L. (Ranunculaceae).
kal
-thuh. From Gk. goblet, from the shape of the flowers. 10 spp. perenn. herbs. Widespread.
leptosepala
DC. lep-toh-
sep
-uh-luh. White marsh marigold. Gk. with narrow sepals. W USA, W Canada.
palustris
L. puh-
lus
-tris. Marsh marigold. Lat. of marshes. Eur., Asia, N Am.
polypetala
Hochst. ex Lorent =
C. palustris
Calycanthus
L. (Calycanthaceae). kalee-
kan
-thoos. Gk. calyx flower, referring to the similar petals and sepals. 3 spp. shrubs. China, USA.
chinensis
W. C. Cheng & S. Y. Chang. chin-
en
-sis. Of China. China.
fertilis
Walter =
C. floridus
var.
laevigatus
floridus
L.
flo
-ri-doos. Carolina all-spice. Lat. flowering. E USA. var.
laevigatus
(Willd.) Torr. & A. Gray. lee-vi-
gah
-toos. Lat. smooth (the leaves).
occidentalis
Hook. & Arn. ok-si-den-
tah
-lis. California allspice. Lat. western. Calif.
Calylophus serrulatus
(Nutt.) P. H. Raven =
Oenothera serrulata
Camassia
Lindl. (Asparagaceae). kuh-
mas
-ee-uh. From the Native American name. 6 spp. bulbous herbs. N Am.
cusickii
S. Watson. kew-
zik
-ee-ee. After American botanist William Conklin Cusick (1842–1922), who collected the type specimen in Oregon in 1886. W USA (Oregon, Idaho).
esculenta
(Nutt.) Lindl. =
C. quamash
leichtlinii
(Baker) S. Watson. liekt-
lin
-ee-ee. After German horticulturist Max Leichtlin (1831–1910), who grew it. W USA, SW Canada. subsp.
suksdorfii
(Greenm.) Gould. sooks-
dorf
-ee-ee. After American botanist William Nikolaus Suksdorf (1850–1932), who collected specimens in Washington State in 1880, 1883 and 1900 from which it was described.
quamash
(Pursh) Greene.
ka
-mash. From the Native American name. W Canada, W USA.
scilloides
(Raf.) Cory. sil-
oy
-deez. Like
Scilla
. SE Canada, E and C USA.
Camellia
L. (Theaceae). kuh-
me
-leeuh. After Georg Josef Kamel (Lat.
Camellus
) (1661–1706), Brno-born missionary and botanist. 120 spp., shrubs, trees. E and SE Asia.
hiemalis
Nakai. hee-
mah
-lis. Lat. of winter (flowering). Cult.
japonica
L. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. Japan, Korea, Taiwan.
oleifera
Abel. oh-lee-
if
-uh-ruh. Lat. oil-bearing (the seeds). China, N Laos, N Myanmar, N Vietnam.
reticulata
Lindl. re-tik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. net-veined (the leaves). SW China.