Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
×
agrippinum
Baker. uh-
grip
-i-noom. After Julia Agrippina (15–59), Roman empress and mother of Nero.
C. autumnale
×
C. variegatum
. Cult.
autumnale
L. aw-toom-
nah
-lee. Lat. of autumn (flowering). Eur.
bornmuelleri
Freyn =
C. speciosum
bulbocodium
Ker Gawl. bul-boh-
koh
-dee-oom. Gk. bulb wool, from the covering on the bulb. Eur., Caucasus.
×
byzantinum
Ker Gawl. biz-uhn-
tee
-noom. Of Byzantium (now Istanbul).
C. autumnale
×
C. cilicium
. SW Asia.
cilicicum
(Boiss.) Dammer. si-
li
-si-koom. Lat. of Cilicia (now S Turkey). SW Asia.
speciosum
Steven. spee-see-
oh
-soom. Lat. showy. Turkey, Iran.
tenorei
Parl. =
C. cilicicum
Coleus blumei
Benth. =
Plectranthus scutellarioides
colicroot
Liatris squarrosa
Colletia
Comm. ex Juss. (Rhamnaceae). ko-
let
-ee-uh. After Philibert Collet (1643–1718), French botanist. 5 spp. shrubs. S Am.
armata
Miers =
C. hystrix
cruciata
Gillies & Hook. =
C. paradoxa
hystrix
Clos.
his
-trix. Lat. porcupine (it is very spiny). Chile, Argentina.
paradoxa
(Spreng.) Escal. pa-ruh-
dox
-uh. Lat. unusual. Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil.
Collinsia
Nutt. (Plantaginaceae). kol-
in
-zee-uh. After Zaccheus Collins (1764–1831), American naturalist. 20 spp. herbs. N Am.
bicolor
Benth. =
C. heterophylla
heterophylla
G. Buist ex Graham. he-te-roh-
fil
-uh. Chinese houses. Lat. with variable leaves. Calif., Mex. (B.C.).
Colocasia
Schott (Araceae). kol-oh-
kay
-zee-uh. The Gk. name, from Arabic. 7 spp. perenn. herbs. NE India, SE Asia.
esculenta
(L.) Schott. esk-ew-
lent
-uh. Taro. Lat. edible (the tubers). Cult.
Colquhounia
Wall. (Lamiaceae). kuh-
huen
-ee-uh. After Sir Robert David Colquhoun (1786–1838), who collected many plants in N India. 6 spp. shrubs. Himal., China, SE Asia.
coccinea
Wall. kok-
sin
-ee-uh. Lat. scarlet (the flowers).
columbine
Aquilegia
.
Colorado blue
A. coerulea
.
common
A. vulgaris
.
golden
A. chrysantha
.
longspur
A. longissima
.
Rocky Mountain blue
A. saximontana
.
Skinner’s
A. skinneri
.
Utah
A. scopulorum
.
western
A. formosa
Columnea
L. (Gesneriaceae). ko-
loom
-nee-uh. After Fabius Columna (1567–1650), Italian botanist. 75 spp. climbers, often epiphytic. Trop. Am.
schiedeana
Schltdl. shee-dee-
ah
-nuh. After German botanist Christian Julius Wilhelm Schiede (1798–1836), who, with colleague Ferdinand Deppe, collected the type specimen in Veracruz in 1836. Mex.
Colutea
L. (Fabaceae). ko-
lue
-tee-uh. From the Gk. name. 28 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., Africa, W and C Asia.
arborescens
L. ar-bor-
res
-uhnz. Bladder senna. Lat. becoming tree-like. S Eur.
×
media
Willd.
mee
-dee-uh. Lat. intermediate (between the parents).
C. arborescens
×
C. orientalis
. Cult.
comfrey
Symphytum officinale
Commelina
L. (Commelinaceae). komel-
ee
-nuh. After Dutch botanists Jan (1629–1692) and Caspar (1668–1731) Commelijn, represented by the
two showy large petals. 170 spp. herbs. Mainly tropics and subtropics.
coelestis
Willd. =
C. tuberosa
Coelestis Group
dianthifolia
Delile. die-anth-i-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Dianthus
. C USA, N Mex.
tuberosa
L. tew-buh-
roh
-suh. Lat. bearing tubers. S Mex., C and S Am.
Coelestis Group
. see-
les
-tis. Lat. sky-blue (the flowers).
compass plant
Silphium laciniatum
Comptonia
L’Hér. ex Aiton (Myricaceae). komp-
toh
-nee-uh. After Henry Compton (1632–1713), bishop of London 1675–1713. 1 sp., shrub. USA, Canada.
peregrina
(L.) J. M. Coult. pe-re-
gree
-nuh. Sweetfern. Lat. travelling (it spreads by suckers).
coneflower
Rudbeckia
.
cut-leaf
R. laciniata
.
drooping prairie
Ratibida pinnata
.
great
Rudbeckia maxima
.
orange
R. fulgida
.
prairie
Ratibida columnifera.
purple
Echinacea
.
showy
Rudbeckia fulgida
var.
speciosa
.
sweet
R. subtomentosa
.
western
R. occidentalis
Conoclinium
DC. (Asteraceae). kon-oh-
klin
-ee-oom. Gk. cone bed, referring to the conical receptacles. 4 spp. herbs. Canada, USA, Mex.
coelestinum
(L.) DC. see-lest-
ee
-noom. Blue mistflower. Lat. sky-blue (the flowers). SE Canada, E and C USA.
Convallaria
L. (Asparagaceae). konvuh-
lair
-ree-uh. From Lat. valley, referring to the habitat. 1 sp., perenn. herb. N temp. regs.
majalis
L. muh-
jah
-lis. Lily of the valley. Lat. of May (flowering). Eur., W Asia. var.
montana
(Raf.) H. E. Ahles. mon-
tah
-nuh. American lily of the valley. Lat. of mountains. SE USA.
montana
Raf. =
C. majalis
var.
montana
Convolvulus
L. (Convolvulaceae). kon-
vol
-vew-loos. Lat. to twine (many are climbers). 125 spp., herbs, shrubs. Widespread.
althaeoides
L. al-thee-
oy
-deez. Like
Althaea
. Medit.
cneorum
L. nee-
or
-room. From the Gk. name of an olive-like shrub. SE Eur., N Africa.
mauritanicus
Boiss. =
C. sabatius
sabatius
Viv. suh-
bah
-tee-oos. Of Savona (Sabbatia), NW Italy. Italy, N Africa.
tricolor
L.
tri
-ko-lor. Lat. three-coloured (the flowers). Medit.
copperleaf
Acalypha wilkesiana
Coprosma
J. R. & G. Forst. (Rubiaceae). ko-
proz
-muh. Gk. dung smell, referring to the foliage. 90 spp., shrubs, trees. Indonesia to Australia, NZ, Pacific Is.
acerosa
A. Cunn. a-suh-
roh
-suh. Lat. needle-like (the leaves). NZ.
brunnea
(Kirk) Cockayne ex Cheesem.
broon
-ee-uh. Lat. brown (the foliage). NZ.
cheesemanii
W. R. B. Oliv. cheez-
man
-ee-ee. After Thomas Frederick Cheeseman (1845–1923), English-born NZ botanist. NZ.
×
kirkii
Cheesem.
kirk
-ee-ee. After English-born botanist Thomas Kirk (1828–1898), who collected the type specimen in 1868.
C. acerosa
×
C. repens
. NZ.
petriei
Cheesem.
pet
-ree-ee. After Scottish-born botanist and plant collector Donald Petrie (1846–1925). NZ.
propinqua
A. Cunn. proh-
ping
-kwuh. Lat. close to (another species). NZ.
repens
A. Rich.
ree
-puhnz. Lat. creeping (sometimes). NZ.
robusta
Raoul. roh-
bus
-tuh. Lat. robust. NZ.
coral bean
Erythrina herbacea
coral drops
Bessera elegans
coral pea
Hardenbergia violacea
coral plant
Berberidopsis corallina
coral tree
Erythrina crista-galli
coralbells
Heuchera sanguinea
coralberry
Ardisia crenata, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Cordyline
Comm. ex R. Br. (Asparagaceae). kor-di-
lie
-nee. From Gk. club, referring to the thick, fleshy roots. 24 spp., shrubs, trees. SE Asia to Australia, Pacific Is.
australis
(G. Forst.) Endl. os-
trah
-lis. Cabbage tree. Lat. southern. NZ.
‘Albertii’
. al-
bert
-ee-ee. After Albert I (1875–1934), king of Belgium 1909–34.
fruticosa
(L.) A. Chev. frue-ti-
koh
-suh. Lat. shrubby. Papua New Guinea, W Pacific Is.
stricta
(Sims) Endl.
strik
-tuh. Lat. upright. E Australia.
terminalis
(L.) Kunth =
C. fruticosa
Coreopsis
L. (Asteraceae). ko-ree-
op
-sis. Tickseed. Gk. like a bug (the seeds resemble ticks). 35 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Americas.
alternifolia
L. =
Verbesina alternifolia
auriculata
L. o-rik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lobed tickseed. Lat. with small lobes (the leaves, sometimes). E USA.
basalis
(A. Dietr.) S. F. Blake. buh-
sah
-lis. Goldenmane tickseed. Lat. from the base (branching, in the type specimen). SE USA.
grandiflora
Hogg ex Sweet. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Large flower tickseed. Lat. large-flowered. SE Canada, E and C USA.
lanceolata
L. lahn-see-oh-
lah
-tuh. Lanceleaf tickseed. Lat. lance-shaped (the leaves). SE Canada, E and C USA.
palmata
Nutt. pahl-
mah
-tuh. Stiff tickseed. Lat. hand-like (the leaf lobing). E and C USA.
rosea
Nutt.
roh
-zee-uh. Pink tickseed. Lat. pink (the flowers). E N Am.
tinctoria
Nutt. tink-
tor
-ree-uh. Golden tickseed. Lat. of dyers (the flowers give a yellow dye). Canada, USA, N Mex.
tripteris
L.
trip
-te-ris. Tall tickseed. Lat. three-winged (the three-lobed leaves). SE Canada, E and C USA.
verticillata
L. vur-ti-si-
lah
-tuh. Whorled tickseed. Lat. whorled (the leaves). E USA.