The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (23 page)

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Authors: Allen Coombes

BOOK: The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants

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Castanea
Mill. (Fagaceae). kas-
tan
-eeuh. Chestnuts. Lat./Gk. name, probably from a locality in Greece. 8 spp., trees, shrubs. N temp. regs.

dentata
(Marshall) Borkh. den-
tah
-tuh. American chestnut. Lat. toothed (the leaves). SE Canada, E and C USA.

mollissima
Blume. mol-
is
-i-muh. Chinese chestnut. Lat. softest (the hairs of the shoots and leaf undersides). China, Taiwan, Korea.

pumila
(L.) Mill.
pew
-mi-luh. Chinkapin, chinquapin. Lat. dwarf. E and C USA.

sativa
Mill. sa-
tee
-vuh. Spanish chestnut, sweet chestnut. Lat. cultivated. E Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

Catalina ironwood
Lyonothamnus floribundus

Catalpa
Scop. (Bignoniaceae). kuh-
tal
-puh. The Native American name. 12 spp. trees. USA, E Asia.

bignonioides
Walter. big-noh-nee-
oy
-deez. Indian bean tree. Lat. like
Bignonia
. SE USA.

bungei
C. A. Mey.
bunj
-ee-ee. Manchurian catalpa. After Russian botanist Alexander von Bunge (1803–1890). China.

×
erubescens
Carrière. e-rue-
bes
-uhnz. Lat. blushing (the young foliage).
C. bignonioides
×
C. ovata
. Cult.

fargesii
Bureau. far-
jee
-zee-ee. After French missionary and plant collector Paul Guillaume Farges (1844–1912). China.

ovata
G. Don. oh-
vah
-tuh. Chinese catalpa. Lat. ovate (the leaves). China.

speciosa
(Warder) Engelm. spee-see-
oh
-suh. Northern catalpa, western catalpa. Lat. beautiful. E and C USA.

catalpa, Chinese
Catalpa ovata
.
Manchurian
C. bungei
.
northern
C. speciosa
.
western
C. speciosa

Catananche
L. (Asteraceae). kat-uh-
nan
-kee. From Gk. strong force (it was used as a love potion). 5 spp. herbs. Medit.

caerulea
L. kie-
rue
-lee-uh. Cupid’s dart. Lat. sky-blue (the flowers). S Eur.

Catharanthus
G. Don (Apocynaceae). kath-uh-
ran
-thoos. Gk. pure flower. 8 spp. herbs. Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka.

roseus
(L.) G. Don.
roh
-zee-oos. Madagascar periwinkle. Lat. pink (the flowers). Madagascar.

cat’s ears
Antennaria

catmint
Nepeta, N. cataria

catnip
Nepeta cataria

Cattleya
Lindl. (Orchidaceae).
kat
-leeuh. After William Cattley (1788–1835), who flowered
C. labiata
, which was included as packing material in a shipment of other plants from Brazil. 110 spp. orchids. C and S Am.

cauliflower
Brassica oleracea
Botrytis Group

Cautleya
(Benth.) Hook.f. (Zingiberaceae).
kawt
-lee-uh. After Sir Proby Thomas Cautley (1802–1871), English engineer and palaeontologist. 4 spp. tuberous herbs. Himal., China, Thailand, Vietnam.

gracilis
(Sm.) Dandy.
gras
-i-lis. Lat. slender (the stems).

robusta
Baker =
C. spicata

spicata
(Sm.) Baker. spi-
kah
-tuh. Lat. in a spike (the flowers). Himal., S China.

Ceanothus
L. (Rhamnaceae). see-uh-
noh
-thoos. Gk. name used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant. 55 spp., shrubs, trees. Canada to C Am.

americanus
L. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noos. New Jersey tea. Of America. SE Canada, E and C USA.

arboreus
Greene. ar-
bor
-ree-oos. Feltleaf ceanothus. Lat. tree-like. Calif.

‘Burkwoodii’
. burk-
wood
-ee-ee. After the Burkwood & Skipwith nursery, where it was raised.
C
. ×
delileanus
‘Indigo’ ×
C. floribundus
.

cordulatus
Kellogg. kor-dew-
lah
-toos. Mountain whitethorn. Lat. a little heart-shaped. W USA, NW Mex. (B.C.).

cuneatus
(Hook.) Nutt. kew-nee-
ah
-toos. Buckbrush. Lat. wedge-shaped (the leaf base). W USA, NW Mex. (B.C.).

×
delileanus
Spach. duh-lil-ee-
ah
-noos. After French botanist Alire Raffeneau Delile (1778–1850).
C. americanus
×
C. coeruleus
. Cult.

gloriosus
J. T. Howell. glor-ree-
oh
-soos. Point Reyes ceanothus. Lat. glorious. Calif.

griseus
(Trel.) McMinn.
griz
-ee-oos. Carmel ceanothus. Lat. grey (the leaf undersides). Calif. var.
horizontalis
McMinn. ho-ri-zon-
tah
-lis. Lat. spreading horizontally.

impressus
Trel. im-
pres
-oos. Santa Barbara ceanothus. Lat. impressed (the leaf veins). Calif.

integerrimus
Hook. & Arn. in-tuh-
ge
-ri-moos. Deerbrush ceanothus. Lat. entire, untoothed (the leaves). Calif.

×
pallidus
Lindl.
pa
-li-doos. Lat. pale (the flowers). Cult.

prostratus
Benth. pro-
strah
-toos. Squawcarpet. Lat. prostrate (the habit). Calif.

sanguineus
Pursh. san-
gwin
-ee-oos. Redstem ceanothus. Lat. bloody (the red stems). SW Canada, W USA.

thyrsiflorus
Eschsch. thur-si-
flaw
-roos. Blueblossom. Lat. with flowers in a thyrse. W USA. var.
repens
McMinn.
ree
-puhnz. Creeping blue-blossom. Lat. creeping.

×
veitchianus
Hook. vee-chee-
ah
-noos. After Messrs Veitch & Sons, through which nursery it was introduced to gardens.
C. rigidus
×
C. thyrsiflorus
. Cult.

velutinus
Douglas. vel-ew-
tee
-noos, vel-
ue
-ti-noos. Snowbrush. Lat. velvety (the leaf undersides). SW Canada, W USA.

ceanothus, Carmel
Ceanothus griseus
.
deerbrush
C. integerrimus
feltleaf
C. arboreus
.
Point Reyes
C. gloriosus
.
redstem
C. sanguineus
.
Santa Barbara
C. impressus

cedar
Cedrus
.
Atlas
C. atlantica
.
Chilean
Austrocedrus chilensis
.
Cyprian
Cedrus brevifolia
.
incense
Calocedrus decurrens
.
Japanese
Cryptomeria japonica
.
pencil
Juniperus virginiana
.
western red
Thuja plicata
.
white
Chamaecyparis thyoides

cedar of Goa
Cupressus lusitanica

cedar of Lebanon
Cedrus libani

Cedrela sinensis
A. Juss. =
Toona sinensis

Cedrus
Trew (Pinaceae).
seed
-roos. Cedars. Gk./Lat. name. 4 spp. conifers. N Africa, SW Asia, Himal.

atlantica
(Endl.) Carr. at-
lan
-ti-kuh. Atlas cedar. Lat. of the Atlas Mts. N Africa.
Glauca Group
.
glaw
-kuh. Lat. bluish white (the foliage).

brevifolia
(Hook.f.) A. Henry. bre-vi-
foh
-lee-uh. Cyprian cedar. Lat. short-leaved. Cyprus.

deodara
(Roxb.) G. Don. dee-oh-
dah
-ruh. Deodar. The Indian name. W Himal.

libani
A. Rich. li-
bah
-nee. Cedar of Lebanon. Lat. of Lebanon (Lat.
Libanus
). SW Asia.

celandine, greater
Chelidonium majus
.
lesser
Ficaria verna

Celastrus
L. (Celastraceae). sel-
as
-troos. 30 spp. climbers. N Am., E Asia, Africa, Australia.

orbiculatus
Thunb. or-bik-ew-
lah
-toos. Oriental bittersweet. Lat. orbicular (the leaves). E Asia.

scandens
L.
skan
-duhnz. American bittersweet. Lat. climbing. N Am.

celeriac
Apium graveolens
var.
rapaceum

celery
Apium graveolens

Celosia
L. (Amaranthaceae). sel-
oh
-zee-uh. 60 spp., herbs, shrubs. Trop. Am., Africa, Asia.

argentea
L. ar-
jen
-tee-uh. Lat. silvery (the flowers). India.
Cristata Group
. kris-
tah
-tuh. Cockscomb. Lat. crested (the inflorescence).
Plumosa Group
. plue-
moh
-suh. Plume flower. Lat. feathery (the inflorescence).
Spicata Group
. spi-
kah
-tuh. Lat. in spikes (the flowers).

Celtica
F. M. Vázquez & Barkworth (Poaceae).
kelt
-i-kuh. Lat. of the Celts (in the Iberian peninsula). 1 sp., grass. SW Eur., N Africa.

gigantea
(Link) F. M. Vázquez & Barkworth. jie-
gan
-tee-uh. Lat. very large.

Celtis
L. (Cannabaceae).
kel
-tis. Hackberry, nettle tree. Gk. name of a tree with edible fruit. 60 spp., trees, shrubs. N temp. regs., tropics.

australis
L. os-
trah
-lis. Mediterranean hackberry. Lat. southern. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

laevigata
Willd. lee-vi-
gah
-tuh. Southern hackberrry, sugarberry. Lat. smooth (the leaves). E and C USA, NE Mex.

occidentalis
L. ok-si-den-
tah
-lis. Common hackberry. Lat. western. E and C USA, S Canada.

reticulata
Torr. re-tik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Netleaf hackberry. Lat. net-veined (the leaves). SW USA, N Mex.

sinensis
Pers. sin-
en
-sis. Chinese hack-berry. Lat. of China. China, Taiwan, Japan.

Centaurea
L. (Asteraceae). sen-
tor
-ree-uh. Knapweed. After the centaurs of Gk. myth., which are said to have discovered its med. properties. 650 spp. herbs. Widespread, mainly Medit., SW Asia.