Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
avellana
L. av-uh-
lah
-nuh. Common hazel. Named used by Pliny, from
Abellina, an old name for Damascus. Eur., W Asia.
‘Contorta’
. kon-
tor
-tuh. Corkscrew hazel, Harry Lauder’s walking stick. Lat. twisted (the shoots).
colurna
L. ko-
lurn
-uh. Turkish hazel. The Lat. name. SE Eur., W Asia.
cornuta
Marshall. kor-
new
-tuh. Beaked hazel. Lat. horned (the beaked husk). S Canada, USA. subsp.
californica
(A. DC.) E. Murr. kal-i-
for
-ni-kuh. California hazel. Of California. W USA, SW Canada.
maxima
Mill.
max
-i-muh. Filbert. Lat. largest. SE Eur., W Asia.
Corymbia
K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson (Myrtaceae). ko-
rim
-bee-uh. From Lat. cluster, referring to the corymbose flower clusters. 100 spp. trees. Australia to New Guinea.
citriodora
(Hook.) K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson. sit-ree-oh-
dor
-ruh. Lemon-scented gum. Lat. lemon-scented. E Australia.
Corynabutilon
(K. Schum.) Kearney (Malvaceae). ko-rien-uh-
bew
-ti-lon. Gk. club,
Abutilon
, referring to the shape of the stigma. 6 spp. shrubs. Chile, Argentina.
×
suntense
(C. D. Brickell) Fryxell. sun-
ten
-see. Of Sunte House, West Sussex, England, where it was raised.
C. ochsenii
×
C. vitifolium
. Cult.
vitifolium
(Cav.) Kearney. vi-ti-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. with leaves like
Vitis
. Chile.
Cosmos
Cav. (Asteraceae).
koz
-mos. Gk. ornament. 26 spp. herbs. Warm and trop. Am.
atrosanguineus
(Hook.) Voss. at-roh-san-
gwin
-ee-oos. Chocolate cosmos. Mex. (extinct).
bipinnatus
Cav. bie-pin-
ah
-toos. Lat. twice pinnate (the leaves). S USA, Mex.
sulphureus
Cav. sul-
few
-ree-oos. Lat. like sulphur (the yellow flowers). Mex. to N S Am.
Cotinus
Mill. (Anacardiaceae).
kot
-inoos, kot-
ee
-noos. From Gk. name of the wild olive. 6 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., W Asia, Himal., China, S USA, Mex.
coggygria
Scop. ko-
gig
-ree-uh. Smoke tree. From the Gk. name. Eur. to China.
obovatus
Raf. ob-oh-
vah
-toos. American smoke tree, chittamwood. Lat. obovate (the leaves). SC USA.
Cotoneaster
Medik. (Rosaceae). kot-oh-nee-
as
-ter. Gk./Lat. wild quince. 400 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., W and C Asia, Himal., China, Taiwan.
adpressus
Bois. ad-
pres
-oos. Lat. pressing against (the ground), referring to its low, spreading habit. SW China. var.
praecox
Bois & Berth. =
C. nanshan
atropurpureus
Flinck & B. Hylmö. at-roh-pur-
pew
-ree-oos. Lat. dark purple (the base of the petals). W China (Hubei).
bullatus
Bois. bool-
ah
-toos. Lat. bullate (puckered, the leaves). China (Sichuan).
cochleatus
(Franch.) G. Klotz. kok-lee-
ah
-toos. Lat. shell-like (the leaves). W China.
congestus
Baker. kon-
jes
-toos. Lat. congested (the habit). Himal.
conspicuus
J. B. Comber ex Marquand. kon-
spik
-ew-oos. Lat. conspicuous (the fruit). Tibet.
dammeri
C. K. Schneid.
dam
-uh-ree. After German botanist Carl Lebrecht Udo Dammer (1860–1920), who named the related
C. radicans
. China (Hubei).
dielsianus
E. Pritz. deel-zee-
ah
-noos. After German botanist Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels (1874–1945), who described several species in the genus. W China.
divaricatus
Rehder & E. H. Wilson. di-va-ri-
kah
-toos. Lat. wide-spreading (the branches). China (Hubei).
franchetii
Bois. fran-
shet
-ee-ee. After French botanist Adrien René Franchet (1834–1900), who described many new species from China. China (Yunnan).
frigidus
Wall. ex Lindl.
frij
-i-doos. Lat. cold (the regions where it grows). Himal.
horizontalis
Decne. ho-ri-zon-
tah
-lis. Lat. spreading horizontally. W China.
‘Hybridus Pendulus’
.
hib
-ri-doos
pen
-dew-loos. Lat. weeping hybrid.
integrifolius
(Roxb.) G. Klotz. in-teg-ri-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with entire (untoothed) leaves (it was originally described as a species of
Crataegus
). Himal.
lacteus
W. W. Sm.
lak
-tee-oos. Lat. milky (the flowers). SW China.
lucidus
Schltdl.
lue
-si-doos. Lat. shiny (the leaves). Siberia, Mongolia.
microphyllus
Wall. ex Lindl. mik-
rof
-i-loos. Gk. small-leaved. Nepal.
nanshan
Vilm. ex Mottet.
nan
-shan. From Nanshan. SW China.
procumbens
G. Klotz. proh-
kum
-buhnz. Lat. creeping. SW China.
salicifolius
Franch. sal-i-si-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Salix
. W China.
simonsii
Baker. sie-
monz
-ee-ee. After Charles Simons, apothecary in India, who introduced it to cultivation. Sikkim, Bhutan.
sternianus
(Turrill) Boom. stern-ee-
ah
-noos. After Sir Frederick Stern (1884–1967), of Highdown, W Sussex, from whose garden the type specimen was collected. China (Yunnan).
×
suecicus
G. Klotz.
swes
-i-koos. Lat. of Sweden.
C. conspicuus
×
C. dammeri
. Cult.
×
watereri
Exell.
war
-tuh-ruh-ree. After the nursery of John Waterer Sons & Crisp, where it originated.
C. frigidus
×
C. salicifolius
. Cult.
cotton grass
Eriophorum
.
common
E. angustifolium
cottonwood
Populus
.
black
P. trichocarpa
.
eastern
P. deltoides
.
narrowleaf
P. angustifolia
Cotula
L. (Asteraceae).
kot
-ew-luh. Gk. a small cup (the flowerheads). 50 spp. herbs. Africa, Mex., S Am.
coronopifolia
L. ko-ro-noh-pi-
foh
-leeuh. Brass buttons. With leaves like
Coronopus
. S Africa.
hispida
(DC.) Harv.
his
-pi-duh. Lat. with bristly hairs (the foliage). S Africa.
minor
(Hook.f.) Hook.f. =
Leptinella minor
squalida
(Hook.f.) Hook.f. =
Leptinella squalida
Cotyledon
L. (Crassulaceae). kot-i-
lee
-don. Gk. a cup-shaped hollow, referring to the leaves of some species. 10 spp. succulent shrubs. E and S Africa, Arabia.
ladismithensis
Poelln. =
C. tomentosa
subsp.
ladismithensis
orbiculata
L. or-bik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. orbicular (the leaves, sometimes). S Africa.
tomentosa
Harv. to-men-
toh
-suh. Bear’s paws. Lat. hairy (the leaves). S Africa. subsp.
ladismithensis
(Poelln.) Toelken. lay-dee-smith-
en
-sis. Of Ladysmith, S Africa.
courgette
Cucurbita pepo
cow parsley
Anthriscus sylvestris
cow parsnip, American
Heracleum maximum
Cowania mexicana
D. Don =
Purshia mexicana
cowberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
cowslip
Primula veris
coyotebrush
Baccharis pilularis
crab (apple), European
Malus sylvestris
.
garland
M. coronaria
.
Japanese
M. floribunda
.
Oregon
M. fusca
.
prairie
M. ioensis
.
Siberian
M. baccata
.
sweet
M. coronaria
Crambe
L. (Brassicaceae).
kram
-bee. Lat./Gk. name for cabbage, from the similar leaves. 35 spp. herbs. Eur., W and C Asia, Africa.
cordifolia
Steven. kor-di-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with heart-shaped leaves. Caucasus.
maritima
L. muh-
ri
-ti-muh. Sea kale. Lat. of the sea (it grows on coasts). Eur., W Asia.
cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon
.
European
V. oxycoccus
cranesbill
Geranium
.
Armenian
G. psilostemon
.
bloody
G. sanguineum
.
dusky
G. phaeum
.
Himalayan
G. himalayense
.
meadow
G. pratense
.
spotted
G. maculatum
.
wood
G. sylvaticum
crape myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica
Crassula
L. (Crassulaceae).
kras
-ewluh. From Lat. thick, referring to the succulent leaves. 200 spp., herbs, shrubs, mainly succulent. Widespread.
arborescens
(Mill.) Willd. ar-bor-
res
-uhnz. Lat. becoming tree-like. S Africa.
argentea
Thunb. =
C. ovata
ovata
(Mill.) Druce. oh-
vah
-tuh. Jade plant. Lat. ovate (the leaves). S Africa.
Crataegus
L. (Rosaceae). kruh-
tee
-goos. Hawthorn. From Gk. strength, referring to the hard wood. 140 spp., trees, shrubs. N temp. regs.
aestivalis
(Walter) Torr. & A. Gray. ees-ti-
vah
-lis. Mayhaw. Lat. of summer (flowering). SE USA.
arnoldiana
Sarg. =
C. mollis
azarolus
L. az-uh-
rol
-oos. Azarole. The Italian name, from the Arabic name of the fruit. SE Eur., W and C Asia, N Africa.
coccinea
L. kok-
sin
-ee-uh. Scarlet hawthorn. Lat. scarlet (the fruit). E Canada, E and C USA.
columbiana
Howell =
C. douglasii
crus-galli
L. kroos-
gal
-ee. Cockspur thorn. Lat. a cock’s spur (referring to the long spines). E Canada, E and C USA.
douglasii
Lindl. dug-
las
-ee-ee. After Scottish botanist and plant collector David Douglas (1799–1834), who introduced it to cultivation in England in 1828. S Canada, W and C USA.