The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (37 page)

Echinacea
Moench (Asteraceae). ek-i-
nay
-see-uh. Purple coneflower. From Lat. sea urchin, referring to the spine-tipped receptacle scales. 9 spp. herbs. USA.

pallida
(Nutt.) Nutt.
pa
-li-duh. Lat. pale (the flowers). E USA.

paradoxa
(Norton) Britton. pa-ruh-
dox
-uh. Lat. unusual (the only sp. with yellow flowers). SC USA.

purpurea
(L.) Moench. pur-
pew
-reeuh. Lat. purple (the flowers). E USA.

Echinops
L. (Asteraceae).
ek
-i-nops. Globe thistle. Gk. like a hedgehog or sea urchin (the flowerheads). 120 spp. herbs. Eur. to C Asia, Africa.

bannaticus
Rochel ex Schrad. buh-
nat
-i-koos. Of Banat (now divided between Romania, Serbia and Hungary). E Eur.

ritro
L.
rit
-roh. A S Eur. name for this plant. Eur. to C Asia.

Echium
L. (Boraginaceae).
ek
-ee-oom. From the name used by Dioscorides, who likened the seeds to a snake’s head and recommended it as an anti-venom, from Gk. viper. 60 spp., herbs, shrubs. Canary Is., Eur., Africa, W Asia.

pininana
Webb & Berth. pin-in-
ah
-nuh. A local name on the island of La Palma. Canary Is.

vulgare
L. vul-
gar
-ree. Viper’s bugloss. Lat. common. Eur.

edelweiss
Leontopodium nivale
subsp.
alpinum

Edgeworthia
Meissn. (Thymelaeaceae). ej-
wurth
-ee-uh. After Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812–1881), Irish botanist. 4 spp. shrubs. China, Himal.

chrysantha
Lindl. kris-
anth
-uh. Gk. golden-flowered. China.

papyrifera
Sieb. & Zucc. =
E. chrysantha

Elaeagnus
L. (Elaeagnaceae). el-ee-
ag
-noos. From Gk. olive, pure. 45 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., N Am., Asia to N Australia.

angustifolia
L. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Russian olive. Lat. narrow-leaved. W Asia.

commutata
Bernh. kom-ew-
tah
-tuh. Silver berry. Lat. changeable (the green leaves turn to silver). USA, Canada.

×
ebbingei
Boom. eb-
ing
-ee-ee. After Dutch nurseryman Johan Wilhelm Everhard Ebbinge (1870–1948), who raised it.
E. macrophylla
×
E. pungens
. Cult.

pungens
Thunb.
pun
-guhnz. Lat. sharp-pointed (the spines). Japan.

umbellata
Thunb. um-buhl-
ah
-tuh. Lat. in umbels (the flowers are in umbel-like clusters). Himal., China, Korea, Japan.

elder
Sambucus nigra
.
American
S. nigra
subsp.
canadensis
.
red-berried
S. racemosa

elecampane
Inula helenium

elephant ears
Caladium

Eleutherococcus
Maxim. (Araliaceae). e-lue-thuh-roh-
kok
-oos. Gk. free seed. 40 spp., shrubs, trees. Himal., E Asia.

sieboldianus
(Makino) Koidz. see-bold-ee-
ah
-noos. After Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866), who studied the flora and fauna of Japan, where it is cultivated and naturalised. China.

elm
Ulmus
.
American
U. americana
.
Caucasian
Zelkova carpinifolia
.
Chinese
U. parvifolia
.
Dutch
U
. ×
hollandica
.
field
U. minor
.
red
U. rubra
.
Scotch
U. glabra
.
Siberian
U. pumila
.
slippery
U. rubra
.
wych
U. glabra

Elymus
L. (Poaceae).
el
-i-moos. From Gk. name of a grain-producing grass. 150 spp. grasses. N temp. regs.

arenarius
L. =
Leymus arenarius

hystrix
L.
his
-trix. Bottlebrush grass. Gk. porcupine or hedgehog (referring to the spiky inflorescence). S Canada, E and C USA.

magellanicus
(E. Desv.) A. Löve. majuh-
lan
-i-koos. Of the Magellan reg. Argentina, Chile, Falkland Is.

Embothrium
J. R. & G. Forst. (Proteaceae). em-
both
-ree-oom. From Gk. in a small pit (the anthers are borne in pits on the perianth segments). 8 spp., trees, shrubs. Andes of S Am.

coccineum
J. R. & G. Forst. kok-
sin
-ee-oom. Chilean firebush. Lat. scarlet (the flowers).

Empress tree
Paulownia tomentosa

endive
Cichorium endivia

Enkianthus
Lour. (Ericaceae). en-kee-
anth
-oos. Gk. pregnant flower (the pink bracts around the flowers of
E. quinqueflorus
appear to be a flower with another inside it). 12 spp., shrubs, trees. Himal. to E and SE Asia.

campanulatus
(Miq.) G. Nicholson. kam-pan-ew-
lah
-toos. Lat. bell-shaped (the flowers). Japan. var.
palibinii
(Craib) Bean. pal-i-
bin
-ee-ee. After Russian botanist Ivan Vladimirovich Palibin (1872–1949), who studied the genus.

cernuus
(Sieb. & Zucc.) Makino.
sern
-ew-oos. Lat. nodding (the flowers). Japan. f.
rubens
(Maxim.) Ohwi.
rue
-buhnz. Lat. red (the flowers).

perulatus
(Miq.) C. K. Schneid. pe-rue-
lah
-toos. Lat. bearing bud scales. Japan, Taiwan.

Eomecon
Hance (Papaveraceae). ee-
o
-mee-kon. Gk. eastern poppy. 1 sp., herb. E China.

chionantha
Hance. kee-on-
anth
-uh. Dawn poppy, snow poppy. Gk. snow flower (the flowers are white).

Epilobium
L. (Onagraceae). ep-i-
loh
-bee-oom. Gk. upon a pod, referring to the position of the flowers at the tip of the ovary. 165 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Widespread.

angustifolium
L. =
Chamerion angustifolium

canum
(Greene) Raven.
kah
-noom. California fuchsia. Lat. grey (the foliage). W USA, N Mex.

Epimedium
L. (Berberidaceae). ep-i-
mee
-dee-oom. Barrenwort, bishop’s mitre. From Gk. name used by Dioscorides, possibly for
E. alpinum
. 50 spp. herbs. S Eur., N Africa to China and Japan.

acuminatum
Franch. uh-kew-min-
ah
-toom. Lat. taper-pointed (the leaflets). China.

×
cantabrigiense
Stearn. kan-tuh-brig-ee-
en
-see. Lat. of Cambridge, where it was raised.
E. alpinum
×
E. pubigerum
. Cult.

davidii
Franch. da-
vid
-ee-ee. After French missionary, botanist and zoologist Armand David (1826–1900), who collected the type specimen in 1870. China (Sichuan, Yunnan).

epsteinii
Stearn. ep-
stien
-ee-ee. After American rock gardener Harold Epstein (1903–1997), who had a particular interest in the genus. China (Hunan).

grandiflorum
C. Morren. gran-di-
flaw
-room. Lat. large-flowered. Japan.

leptorrhizum
Stearn. lep-toh-
ree
-zoom. Gk. with slender rhizomes. China.

ogisui
Stearn. oh-gi-
sue
-ee. After Japanese plant collector Mikinori Ogisu, who discovered it and collected the type specimen in 1992. China (Sichuan).

×
omeiense
Stearn. om-ay-
en
-see. Of Emei Shan (Mt. Omei).
E. acuminatum
×
E. fangii
. China (Sichuan).

×
perralchicum
Stearn. pe-
ral
-chi-koom. From the names of the parents.
E. perralderianum
×
E. pinnatum
subsp.
colchicum
. Cult.

perralderianum
Coss. pe-ral-duh-ree-
ah
-noom. After Henri Rene le Tour-neux de la Perraudière (1831–1861), French naturalist. N Africa.

pinnatum
Fisch. ex DC. pin-
ah
-toom. Lat. pinnate (the leaves). Caucasus, N Iran. subsp.
colchicum
(Boiss.) N. Busch.
kol
-chi-koom. Lat. of Colchis on the Black Sea (now part of Georgia).

pubigerum
(DC.) C. Morren & Decne. pew-
bij
-uh-room. Lat. bearing hairs (the leaves). SE Eur., W Asia.

stellulatum
Stearn. stel-ew-
lah
-toom. Lat. bearing little stars (referring to the flowers). China (Hubei, Sichuan).

×
versicolor
C. Morren. ver-
si
-ko-lor. Lat. variably coloured (the flowers).
E. grandiflorum
×
E. pinnatum
subsp.
colchicum
. Cult.

×
warleyense
Stearn. wor-lee-
en
-see. Of Warley Place, Essex, UK, the garden of Ellen Willmott, who raised it.
E. alpinum
×
E. pinnatum
subsp.
colchicum
. Cult.

wushanense
T. S. Ying. wue-shan-
en
-see. Of Wu Shan. China (Sichuan).

×
youngianum
Fisch. & C. A. Mey. yung-ee-
ah
-noom. After Mr Young of Epsom, Surrey, who sent it to RBG Edinburgh in 1838.
E. diphyllum
×
E. grandiflorum
. Cult.

Epipactis
Zinn. (Orchidaceae). ep-ee-
pak
-tis. Helleborine. From Gk. name used by Dioscorides for a plant used to curdle milk, from Gk. upon, curdled. 50 spp. orchids. Eur., Africa, Asia, N Am.

gigantea
Douglas ex Hook. jie-
gan
-tee-uh. Giant helleborine. Lat. very large. SW Canada, W USA, N Mex.

palustris
(L.) Crantz. puh-
lus
-tris. Marsh helleborine. Lat. of marshes. Eur. to Caucasus and Mongolia.

Epipremnum
Scott (Araceae). ep-ee-
prem
-noom. Gk. upon a tree trunk, referring to their epiphytic habit. 15 spp. climbers. Trop. Asia, Pacific Is.

aureum
(Linden & André) G. S. Bunting.
aw
-ree-oom. Devil’s ivy, golden pothos. Lat. golden (the leaves are blotched with yellow). Moorea (Society Is.).

pinnatum
(L.) Engl. pin-
ah
-toom. Lat. pinnate (the adult foliage). SE Asia, Pacific Is. to Queensland, Australia.

Equisetum
L. (Equisetaceae). ek-wi-
see
-toom. Horsetails. Lat. horse hair (they are likened to a horse’s tail). 15 spp. herbs. Widespread.

hyemale
L. hee-
mah
-lee. Scouring rush. Lat. of winter (the evergreen stems persist in winter). N Am., Eur., Asia. subsp.
affine
(Engelm.) Calder & Roy L. Taylor.
af
-i-nee. Lat. related to (
E. hyemale
; it was originally described as a var. of
E. robustum
).

scirpoides
Michx. skirp-
oy
-deez. Dwarf scouring rush. Like
Scirpus
(those species now placed in
Eleocharis
). Canada, NE USA, Greenland, Eur., Asia.