Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
vulgare
(L.) Bernh. =
Tanacetum vulgare
weyrichii
(Maxim.) Miyabe. way-
rich
-ee-ee. After Heinrich Weyrich (1828–1863), Russian naval surgeon. E Russia (Sakhalin), Japan (Hokkaido).
Chrysogonum
L. (Asteraceae). kris-
og
-on-oom. Gk. name for another plant, Gk. golden knee, from the yellow flowers and jointed stems. 1 sp., herb. E USA.
virginianum
L. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-noom. Green and gold. Of Virginia.
Cicerbita
Wallr. (Asteraceae). si-
ser
-bi-tuh. From the Italian name for sow thistle (
Sonchus oleraceus
). 20 spp. herbs. Eur., temp. Asia.
alpina
(L.) Wallr. al-
pie
-nuh. Mountain sow thistle. Lat. alpine. Eur.
plumieri
(L.) Kirschl. plue-mee-
e
-ree. After Charles Plumier (1646–1704), French monk, botanist and explorer. C and S Eur.
Cichorium
L. (Asteraceae). ki-
chor
-ree-oom. Lat./Gk. name, originally from Arab. 6 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa, SW Asia.
endivia
L. en-
div
-ee-uh. Endive. Deriv. as for
C. intybus
. Cult.
intybus
L.
in
-ti-boos. Chicory. Probably originally from Egyptian for January, when the plant grows. Medit.
cigar flower
Cuphea ignea
Cimicifuga acerina
(Sieb. & Zucc.) Tanaka =
Actaea japonica
americana
Michx. =
Actaea pachypoda
ramosa
Nakai =
Actaea simplex
Cineraria × hybrida
Willd. =
Pericallis
×
hybrida
Cissus
L. (Vitaceae).
sis
-oos. Gk. name for ivy (
Hedera helix
). 200 spp., mainly climbers. Tropics and subtropics.
antarctica
Vent. an-
tark
-ti-kuh. Kangaroo vine. Of the Antarctic. E Australia.
discolor
Blume.
dis
-ko-lor. Rex begonia vine. Lat. of different colours (the leaves). SE Asia to Australia.
quadrangularis
L. kwod-rang-ew-
lah
-ris. Lat. four-angled (the stems). Trop. Africa, SE Asia.
rhombifolia
Vahl. rom-bi-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with diamond-shaped leaves. Trop. Am.
striata
Ruiz & Pav. stree-
ah
-tuh. Miniature grape ivy. Lat. striped (the shoots). Chile, Argentina, Brazil.
Cistus
L. (Cistaceae).
sis
-toos. From the Gk. name. 20 spp. shrubs. Medit.
×
aguilarii
Pau. ag-wil-
ah
-ree-ee. After Spanish doctor Romualdo Aguilar Blanch, mine owner and friend of the author of the name.
C. ladanifer
×
C populifolius
. Spain.
×
argenteus
Dans. ar-
jen
-tee-oos. Lat. silvery (the foliage).
C
. ×
canescens
×
C. laurifolius
. Cult.
×
corbariensis
Pourr. =
C
. ×
hybridus
creticus
L.
kre
-ti-koos. Lat. of Crete. E Medit.
×
cyprius
Lam.
sip
-ree-oos. Lat. of Cyprus.
C. ladanifer
×
C. laurifolius
. W Medit.
×
dansereaui
P. Silva. don-suh-
roh
-ee. After Canadian botanist Pierre Mackay Dansereau (b. 1911).
C. inflatus
×
C. ladanifer
. Portugal.
×
hybridus
Pourr.
hib
-ri-doos. Lat. hybrid.
C. populifolius
×
C. salviifolius
. SW Eur.
ladanifer
L. luh-
dah
-ni-fuh. Gum cistus. Lat. producing ladanum, a fragrant exudate used in perfumes. SW Eur., N Africa.
laurifolius
L. lo-ri-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Laurus
.
×
laxus
Aiton.
lax
-oos. Lat. loose, open (the inflorescence).
C. laurifolius
×
C. monspeliensis
. Spain, Portugal.
monspeliensis
L. mon-spel-ee-
en
-sis. Lat. of Montpelier, France. SW Eur.
populifolius
L. pop-ew-li-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Populus
. SW Eur.
×
pulverulentus
Pourr. pul-ve-rue-
len
-toos. Lat. dusty (the foliage).
C. albidus
×
C. crispus
. SW Eur.
×
purpureus
Lam. pur-
pew
-ree-oos. Lat. purple (the flowers).
C. creticus
×
C. ladanifer
. Cult.
×
rodiaei
Verg. roh-dee-
ie
-ee. After J. Rodié, who collected the type specimen in Le Var, France.
C. albidus
×
C. ladanifer
. Cult.
salviifoliu
s L. sal-vee-i-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Salvia
. S Eur.
×
skanbergii
Lojac. skan-
berg
-ee-ee. After A. Skanberg of Stockholm, botanist and friend of the author of the name.
C. monspeliensis
×
C. parviflorus
. Greece, Sicily.
×
Citrofortunella microcarpa
(Bunge) Wijnands =
Citrus
×
microcarpa
mitis
(Blanco) J. Ingram & H. E. Moore =
Citrus
×
microcarpa
citron
Citrus medica
Citrullus
Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae). sit-
rool
-oos. From the resemblance of the fruit to
Citrus
. 4 spp. herbs. Trop. and S Africa.
lanatus
(Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. luh-
nah
-toos. Watermelon. Lat. woolly (the shoots and leaves). Trop. Africa.
Citrus
L. (Rutaceae).
sit
-roos. Lat. name for
C. medica
. 25 spp., trees, shrubs. China, SE Asia, Australia.
× aurantiifolia
(Christm.) Swingle. o-ran-tee-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lime. Lat. with leaves like
C
. ×
aurantium. C. maxima
×
C
. sp. Cult.
×
aurantium
L. o-
ran
-tee-oom. Grapefruit, orange. Lat. golden.
C. maxima
×
C. reticulata
. Cult.
grandis
(L.) Osbeck =
C. maxima
hystrix
DC.
his
-trix. Kaffir lime. Gk. porcupine (the shoots are spiny). Trop. Asia.
japonica
Thunb. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Kumquat. Of Japan. S China.
×
limon
(L.) Osbeck.
lee
-mon. Lemon.
C. medica
×
C
. sp. Cult.
maxima
(Burm.) Merr.
max
-i-muh. Pomelo. Lat. largest (the fruit). SE Asia.
medica
L.
med
-i-kuh. Citron. Lat. of medicine. N India?
×
microcarpa
Bunge. mik-roh-
kar
-puh. Calamondin. Gk. small-fruited.
C. japonica
×
C. reticulata
. Cult.
×
paradisi
Macfad. =
C
. ×
aurantium
reticulata
Blanco. re-tik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Clementine, mandarin, satsuma, tangerine. Lat. net-veined. S China.
×
sinensis
(L.) Osbeck =
C.
×
aurantium
trifoliata
L. trie-foh-lee-
ah
-tuh. Lat. with three leaves (leaflets). China.
Cladrastis
Raf. (Fabaceae). kla-
dras
-tis. From Gk. shoot, fragile, referring to the brittle shoots. 7 spp. trees. USA, E Asia.
delavayi
(Franch.) Prain. del-uh-
vay
-ee. Chinese yellowwood. After French missionary Jean Marie Delavay (1834–1895), who collected the type specimen in 1888. China, Bhutan.
kentukea
(Dum. Cours.) Rudd. ken-
tew
-kee-uh. Yellowwood. Of Kentucky. E and C USA.
lutea
(F. Michx.) K. Koch =
C. kentukea
sinensis
Hemsl. =
C. delavayi
Clarkia
Pursh (Onagraceae).
klark
-eeuh. After American explorer William Clark (1770–1838), of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 40 spp. herbs. SW Canada, W USA, S Am.
amoena
(Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr. uh-
mee
-nuh. Farewell to spring, satin flower. Lat. delightful, showy. SW Canada, W USA.
unguiculata
Lindl. un-gwik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. with a claw (on the petals). Calif.
clary
Salvia sclarea
.
annual
S. viridis
.
meadow
S. pratensis
.
whorled
S. verticillata
Clematis
L. (Ranunculaceae).
klem
-uh-tis. Gk. name of a climbing plant. 320 spp., climbers, herbs. N and S temp. regs., trop. mts.
alpina
(L.) Mill. al-
pie
-nuh. Lat. alpine. Eur.
armandii
Franch. ar-
man
-dee-ee. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected the type specimen in 1870. China, N Myanmar.
×
aromatica
Lenné & K. Koch. a-roh-
ma
-ti-kuh. Lat. aromatic (the flowers).
C. flammula
×
C. integrifolia
. Cult.
campaniflora
Brot. kam-pan-i-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with bell-shaped flowers. Spain, Portugal.
×
cartmanii
hort. kart-
man
-ee-ee. After Joe Cartman of New Zealand, from whose seed it was raised.
C. marmoraria
×
C. paniculata
. Cult.
cirrhosa
L. si-
roh
-suh. Lat. with tendrils (the curling leaf stalks). Medit. var.
balearica
(Rich.) Willk. & Lange. bal-ee-
a
-ri-kuh. Of the Balearic Is.
crispa
L.
kris
-puh. Lat. curled, wavy (the corolla lobes). SE USA.
×
diversifolia
DC. die-vers-i-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with variable leaves.
C. integrifolia
×
C. viticella
. Cult.
×
durandii
T. Durand ex Kuntze. due-
rand
-ee-ee. After the French nursery of Durand Frères, where it was raised. Cult.
fasciculiflora
Franch. fa-sik-ew-li-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with clustered flowers. S China, N Myanmar, N Vietnam.
flammula
L.
flam
-ew-luh. Lat. a little flame (referring to a flame-like pain caused by smelling a crushed leaf). S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
florida
Thunb.
flo
-ri-duh. Lat. flowering. S China.
‘Sieboldii’
. see-
bold
-ee-ee. After German physician and botanist Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866), who introduced it to gardens in 1862.