Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
Chamaelirium
Willd. (Melanthiaceae). kam-ee-
li
-ree-oom. Gk. dwarf, lily. 1 sp., tuberous herb. E USA, SE Canada.
luteum
(L.) A. Gray.
lue
-tee-oom. Blazing star, fairywand. Lat. yellow (the flowers age to).
Chamaemelum
Mill. (Asteraceae). kam-ee-
mel
-oom. Gk. dwarf, apple, from the scent. 2 spp. herbs. Eur., Medit.
nobile
(L.) All.
noh
-bi-lee. Chamomile. Lat. renowned (healing properties). W Eur.
Chamaerops
L. (Arecaceae).
kam
-eerops. Gk. dwarf, bush, referring to its shrubby habit. 1 sp., palm. W Medit.
humilis
L.
hew
-mil-is. Dwarf fan palm. Lat. low (growing). var.
argentea
André. ar-
jen
-tee-uh. Lat. silvery (the foliage). N Africa.
Chamerion
(Raf.) Raf. (Onagraceae). ka-
me
-ree-on. From Gk. dwarf,
Nerium
. 8 spp. herbs. N temp. regs.
angustifolium
(L.) Holub. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-oom. Rose-bay willow herb. Lat. narrow-leaved.
chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
.
dyers’
Anthemis tinctoria
chaste tree
Vitex agnus-castus
checkerberry
Gaultheria procumbens
Cheilanthes
Sw. (Pteridaceae). kie-
lanth
-eez. Gk. lip or edge, flower, referring to the marginal sporangia. 150 spp. ferns. Widespread.
lanosa
(Michx.) D. C. Eaton. lan-
oh
-suh. Hairy lip fern. Lat. woolly (the fronds). E USA.
sinuata
(Lag. ex Sw.) Domin =
Astrolepis sinuata
tomentosa
Link. to-men-
toh
-suh. Woolly lip fern. Lat. hairy (the fronds). S USA.
Cheiranthus cheiri
L. =
Erysimum cheiri
Chelidonium
L. (Papaveraceae). kel-i-
doh
-nee-oom. From Gk. swallow (it was said to restore their sight). 1 sp., herb. Eur., N Asia.
majus
L.
may
-joos. Greater celandine, swallowwort. Lat. large.
Chelone
L. (Plantaginaceae). kee-
loh
-nee. Turtlehead. Gk. turtle, tortoise, from the resemblance of the flowers to a turtle’s head. 4 spp. herbs. SE Canada, E USA.
barbata
Cav. =
Penstemon barbatus
glabra
L.
glab
-ruh. Balmony, white turtlehead. Lat. smooth (the leaves).
lyonii
Pursh. lie-
on
-ee-ee. Pink turtle-head. After John Lyon (1765–1814), Scottish plant collector in the E USA, who discovered it. SE USA.
obliqua
L. o-
bleek
-wuh. Red turtle-head. Lat. oblique (the mouth of the corolla). E USA.
chenar tree
Platanus orientalis
chenille plant
Acalypha hispida
Chenopodium
L. (Amaranthaceae). kee-noh-
poh
-dee-oom. Gk. goose foot, referring to the shape of the leaves. 100 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Widespread.
album
L.
al
-boom. Fat hen, goosefoot. Lat. white (the leaves).
ambrosioides
L. =
Dysphania ambrosioides
bonus-henricus
L.
boh
-noos-
hen
-rikoos. Good King Henry. Lat. good Henry, from the German name
Guter Heinrich
, possibly a corruption of
heimrich
(German, home, good to eat). Eur.
botrys
L. =
Dysphania botrys
capitatum
(L.) Ambrosi. kap-i-
tah
-toom. Indian paint, strawberry blite. Lat. in a head (the flowers). N Am.
chequer tree
Sorbus torminalis
cherry, bird
Prunus padus
.
black
P. serotina
.
Carolina laurel
P. caroliniana
.
choke
P. virginiana
.
cornelian
Cornus mas
.
downy
Prunus tomentosa
.
Fuji
P. incisa
.
Jerusalem
Solanum pseudocapsicum
.
Manchurian
Prunus maackii
.
pin
P. pensylvanica
.
rum
P. serotina
.
sand
P. pumila
.
sour
P. cerasus
.
sweet
P. avium
.
western choke
P. virginiana
var.
melanocarpa
.
western sand
P. pumila
var.
besseyi
cherry pie
Heliotropium arborescens
chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
chestnut
Castanea
.
American
C. dentata
.
Chinese
C. mollissima
.
Spanish
C. sativa
.
sweet
C. sativa
Chiastophyllum oppositifolium
(Ledeb.) A. Berger =
Umbilicus oppositifolius
chicory
Cichorium intybus
Chilean bellflower
Lapageria rosea
Chilean firebush
Embothrium coccineum
Chimonanthus
Lindl. (Calycanthaceae). kim-on-
anth
-oos. Gk. winter flower (they flower in winter). 6 spp. shrubs. China.
praecox
(L.) Link.
prie
-koks. Winter-sweet. Lat. early (flowering).
Chimonobambusa
Makino (Poaceae). ki-mo-noh-bam-
bew
-suh. Gk. winter,
Bambusa.
In some, the shoots appear in winter. 37 spp. bamboos. E Asia, mainly China.
marmorea
(Mitf.) Makino. mar-
mor
-ree-uh. Marbled bamboo. Lat. marbled (the young culm sheaths). Japan.
quadrangularis
(Fenzi) Makino. kwod-rang-ew-
lah
-ris. Lat. four-angled (the shoots). China.
tumidissinoda
D. Ohrnb. tew-mi-disi-
noh
-duh. Walking stick bamboo. Lat. with very swollen nodes. China.
Chinese gooseberry
Actinidia deliciosa
Chinese houses
Collinsia heterophylla
Chinese lantern
Physalis alkekengi
chinkapin
Castanea pumila
chinquapin
Castanea pumila
Chionanthus
L. (Oleaceae). kee-on-
an
-thoos. Gk. snow flower, referring to the white flowers. 60 spp., shrubs, trees. E Asia, USA, Africa.
retusus
Lindl. ree-
tew
-soos. Chinese fringe tree. Lat. blunt with a shallow notch (the leaf tip). E Asia.
virginicus
L. vir-
jin
-i-koos. Fringe tree. Of Virginia. E and C USA.
Chionodoxa forbesii
Baker =
Scilla forbesii
gigantea
Whittall =
Scilla luciliae
luciliae
Boiss. =
Scilla luciliae
sardensis
Whittall ex Barr & Sayden =
Scilla sardensis
×
Chitalpa
T. S. Elias & Wisura (Bignoniaceae). chi-
tal
-puh. From the names of the parents (
Catalpa
×
Chorisia
). Shrubs, trees. Cult.
taschkentensis
T. S. Elias & Wisura. tash-kent-
en
-sis. Of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where it was raised.
Catalpa bignonioides
×
Chorisia linearis
.
chittamwood
Cotinus obovatus
chives
Allium schoenoprasum
.
Chinese
A. tuberosum
Chlidanthus
Herb. (Amaryllidaceae). kli-
dan
-thoos. Gk. luxury flower. 4 spp. bulbous herbs. Bolivia, Peru.
fragrans
Herb.
fray
-gruhnz. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). Peru.
Chlorophytum
Ker Gawl. (Asparagaceae). klo-roh-
fie
-toom. Gk. green plant. 150 spp. herbs. Trop. and S Africa.
comosum
(Thunb.) Jacq. ko-
moh
-soom. Spider plant. Lat. long-haired (the drooping leaves).
chocolate cosmos
Cosmos atrosanguineus
chokeberry
Aronia
.
black
A. melanocarpa
.
red
A. arbutifolia
.
purple
A
. ×
prunifolia
Choisya
Kunth (Rutaceae).
choy
-zee-uh. After Jacques Denis Choisy
(1799–1859), Swiss botanist. 7 spp. shrubs. SW USA, Mex.
×
dewitteana
Geerinck. duh-wit-ee-
ah
-nuh. After French nurseryman Dominique de Witte.
C. dumosa
var.
arizonica
×
C. ternata
. Cult.
ternata
Kunth. ter-
nah
-tuh. Mexican orange blossom. Lat. in threes (the leaflets). Mex.
Christmas rose
Helleborus niger
Chrysanthemum
L. (Asteraceae). kris-
an
-thuh-moom. Gk. golden flower, referring to
C. coronarium
(now
Glebionis coronaria
), the original type species. 30 spp., herbs, sub-shrubs. E Eur., Asia.
alpinum
L. =
Leucanthemopsis alpina
balsamita
L. =
Tanacetum balsamita
carinatum
Schousb. =
Glebionis carinata
cinerariifolium
(Trevir.) Vis. =
Tanacetum cinerariifolium
coccineum
Willd. =
Tanacetum coccineum
coronarium
L. =
Glebionis coronaria
frutescens
L. =
Argyranthemum frutescens
hosmariense
=
Rhodanthemum hosmariense
leucanthemum
L. =
Leucanthemum vulgare
maximum
Ramond =
Leucanthemum maximum
×
morifolium
Ramat. mo-ri-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. with leaves like
Morus
. Cult.
nipponicum
(Franch. ex Maxim.) Matsum. =
Nipponanthemum nipponicum
pacificum
Nakai =
Ajania pacifica
parthenium
(L.) Bernh. =
Tanacetum parthenium
segetum
L. =
Glebionis segetum