Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
rediviva
L. re-di-
vee
-vuh. Perennial honesty. Lat. coming back to life (i.e., perennial).
lungwort
Pulmonaria
lupin
Lupinus
.
Carolina
Thermopsis villosa
.
tree
Lupinus arboreus
Lupinus
L. (Fabaceae). lue-
pie
-noos. Lupins. The Lat. name, from Lat. wolf. 220 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. Americas, Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
arboreus
Sims. ar-
bor
-ree-oos. Tree lupin. Lat. tree-like. Calif.
argenteus
Pursh. ar-
jen
-tee-oos. Lat. silvery (the foliage). W Canada, W and C USA.
chamissonis
Eschsch. kam-i-
soh
-nis. After German botanist and poet Adelbert von Chamisso (1781–1838), who collected in California with the author Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz. Calif.
perennis
L. pe-
ren
-is. Lat. perennial. SE Canada, E USA.
polyphyllus
Lindl. pol-ee-
fil
-oos. Gk. with many leaves (leaflets). W Canada, W USA.
sericeus
Pursh. suh-
rik
-ee-oos. Lat. silky (the leaves). W Canada, W USA.
succulentus
Douglas ex Lindl. suk-ew-
len
-toos. Lat. fleshy (the shoots). SW USA, NW Mex. (B.C.).
texensis
Hook. tex-
en
-sis. Texas bluebonnet. Of Texas. Texas.
Luzula
DC. (Juncaceae).
luz
-ew-luh. From Lat. a little light, from the way some species reflect light when covered in dew. 108 spp. perenn. herbs. Widespread in temp. and arctic regs. and trop. mts.
maxima
(Reichard) DC. =
L. sylvatica
nivea
(Nathh.) DC.
niv
-ee-uh. Snow rush. Lat. snow-white (the flowers). Eur. (Pyrenees, Alps).
sylvatica
(Huds.) Gaudin. sil-
vat
-ikuh. Great wood rush. Lat. of woods. Eur., W Asia.
Lychnis coronaria
(L.) Desr. =
Silene coronaria
flos-cuculi
L. =
Silene flos-cuculi
flos-jovis
(L.) Desr. =
Silene flos-jovis
viscaria
L. =
Silene viscaria
Lycium
L. (Solanaceae).
lie
-see-oom. Gk./Lat. name for a spiny shrub from Lycia (now in Turkey). 80 spp. shrubs. Widespread.
barbarum
L.
bar
-buh-room. Duke of Argyll’s tea tree. Lat. foreign. China.
Lycopersicum esculentum
Mill. =
Solanum lycopersicum
Lycopus
L. (Lamiaceae). lie-
koh
-poos. From Gk. wolf’s foot, from a supposed resemblance of the leaves. 14 spp. perenn. herbs. N Am., Eur., Asia, Australia.
americanus
Muhl. ex W. P. C. Barton. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noos. American bugle-weed. Of America. Canada, USA.
europaeus
L. ew-roh-
pee
-oos. Gypsywort. European. Eur., Asia.
Lyonothamnus
A. Gray (Rosaceae). lie-on-oh-
tham
-noos. After American forester and nurseryman William Scrugham Lyon (1851–1916), who discovered it, and Gk. shrub. 1 sp., evergreen tree or shrub. Calif. Is.
floribundus
A. Gray. flo-ri-
bun
-doos. Catalina ironwood. Lat. flowering profusely. Santa Catalina Is. subsp.
asplenifolius
(Greene) Raven. uhsplen-i-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with fern-like leaves.
Lysichiton
Schott (Araceae). li-si-
kie
-ton. From Gk. dissolve, cloak, referring to the large spathe, which soon withers. 2 spp. perenn. herbs. NE Asia, W N Am.
americanus
Hulten & H. St. John. uh-me-ri-
kah
-noos. Skunk cabbage. Of America. W Canada, W USA.
camtschatcensis
(L.) Schott. kamtshat-
ken
-sis. Asian skunk cabbage. Of Kamchatka. E Russia, Japan.
Lysimachia
L. (Primulaceae). li-si-
mak
-ee-uh. Loosestrife. After Lysimachos (360–281 BCE), king of Thrace, Macedonia and Asia Minor, who is said to have used a piece of the plant to calm a bull. 150 spp., herbs, shrubs. Widespread.
atropurpurea
L. at-roh-pur-
pew
-ree-uh. Lat. dark purple (the flowers). SE Eur.
ciliata
L. sil-ee-
ah
-tuh. Fringed loose-strife. Lat. edged with long hairs (the leaves). Canada, USA.
clethroides
Duby. kleth-
roy
-deez. Gooseneck loosestrife. Lat. like
Clethra
(the inflorescence). E Asia.
ephemerum
L. ef-
em
-uh-room. Lat./Gk. lasting one day (i.e., short-lived). S Eur., N Africa.
japonica
Thunb. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Of Japan. E Asia. var.
minutissima
Masam. min-ew-
tis
-i-muh. Dwarf creeping Jenny. Lat. smallest. Japan.
nummularia
L. num-ew-
lair
-ree-uh. Creeping Jenny, moneywort. Lat. coin-like (the leaves). S and E Eur., W Asia.
punctata
L. punk-
tah
-tuh. Dotted loosestrife. Lat. spotted (the leaf undersides). Eur., W Asia.
Lythrum
L. (Lythraceae).
lith
-room. From Gk. blood, referring to the flower colour. 35 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. Widespread.
salicaria
L. sal-i-
kair
-ree-uh. Purple loosestrife. Lat. like
Salix
(the leaves). Eur., N Africa, Asia, Australia.
Mvirgatum
L. vir-
gah
-toom. Lat. twiggy. Eur., W and C Asia, N China.
Maackia
Rupr. (Fabaceae).
mah
-keeuh. After Russian explorer and naturalist Richard Otto (Karlovic) Maack (1825–1886), who, together with Carl Maximowicz, collected the type specimen of
M. amurensis
in 1855. 12 spp. deciduous trees. E Asia.
amurensis
Rupr. & Maxim. am-ew-
ren
-sis. Of the Amur River. NE Asia.
Machaeranthera
Nees (Asteraceae). mak-uh-
ran
-thuh-ruh. Gk. with sword-like anthers. 2 spp. ann. and bienn. herbs. W USA, N Mex.
bigelovii
(A. Gray) Greene =
Dieteria bigelovii
coloradoensis
(A. Gray) Osterh. =
Xanthisma coloradoense
tanacetifolia
(Kunth) Nees. tan-uhsee-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Tansyaster. Lat. with leaves like
Tanacetum
.
Macleaya
R. Br. (Papaveraceae). muh-
klay
-uh. After William Macleay (1767–1848), Scottish entomologist. 2 spp. perenn. herbs. China, Japan.
cordata
(Willd.) R. Br. kor-
dah
-tuh. Plume poppy. Lat. heart-shaped (the leaves).
×
kewensis
Turrill. kew-
en
-sis. Of Kew (whence it was described).
M. cordata
×
M. microcarpa
. Cult.
microcarpa
(Maxim) Fedde. mik-roh-
kar
-puh. Gk. small-fruited. China.
Maclura
Nutt. (Moraceae). ma-
klue
-ruh. After William Maclure (1763–1840), Scottish-born American geologist. 12 spp., trees, shrubs, vines. Africa, Asia, USA, Australia.
pomifera
(Raf.) C. K. Schneid. pom-
if
-uh-ruh. Osage orange. Lat. bearing apples. USA.
Madagascar periwinkle
Catharanthus roseus
madrone, Pacific
Arbutus menziesii
magic tree
Cantua buxifolia
Magnolia
L. (Magnoliaceae). mag-
noh
-lee-uh. After Pierre Magnol (1638–1715), French botanist. 235 spp. deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. E and SE Asia to New Guinea, SE Canada to S Am.
acuminata
(L.) L. uh-kew-mi-
nah
-tuh. Cucumber tree. Lat. taper-pointed (the leaves). SE Canada, E USA.
×
brooklynensis
Kalmb. brook-lin-
en
-sis. Of Brooklyn (Botanic Garden), where it was first raised.
M. acuminata
×
M. liliiflora
. Cult.
campbellii
Hook.f. & Thomson. kam-
bel
-ee-ee. After Archibald Campbell (1805–1874), Scottish political resident at Darjeeling, who travelled with Hooker in the Himalaya. E Himal. to S China.
denudata
Desr. dee-new-
dah
-tuh. Lat. naked (it flowers before the leaves emerge). E and S China.
grandiflora
L. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Bull bay. Lat. large-flowered. SE USA.
hypoleuca
Sieb. & Zucc. =
M. obovata
kobus
DC.
koh
-boos. From the Japanese name. Japan, Korea.
liliiflora
Desr. li-lee-i-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with flowers like
Lilium
. China.
×
loebneri
Kache.
lobe
-nuh-ree. After German horticulturist Max Löbner, who raised it in the early 20th cent.
M. kobus
×
M. stellata
. Cult.
macrophylla
Michx. mak-
rof
-i-luh. Gk. large-leaved. E USA.
obovata
Thunb. ob-oh-
vah
-tuh. Lat. obovate (the leaves). Japan.
salicifolia
(Sieb. & Zucc.) Maxim. sali-si-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Salix
. Japan.
sargentiana
Rehder & E. H. Wilson. sar-jent-ee-
ah
-nuh. After American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927), first director of the Arnold Arboretum, to where it was introduced by Wilson in 1908. China (Sichuan, Yunnan).
sieboldii
K. Koch. see-
bold
-ee-ee. After German physician and botanist Philip Franz von Siebold (1796–1866). China, Korea. subsp.
sinensis
(Rehder & E. H. Wilson) Spongberg. sin-
en
-sis. Lat. of China. China (Sichuan).
×
soulangeana
Soulange-Bodin. sue-lan-jee-
ah
-nuh. After French horticulturist Étienne SoulangeBodin (1774–1846), who raised it.
M. denudata
×
M. liliiflora
. Cult.
‘Lennei’
.
len
-ee-ee. After German horticulturist Peter Joseph Lenné (1789–1866).
stellata
(Sieb. & Zucc.) Maxim. stel-
ah
-tuh. Lat. star-like (the flowers). Japan.
tripetala
(L.) L. trie-
pet
-uh-luh. Umbrella tree. Lat. with three petals (outer tepals). E USA.
virginiana
L. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. Swamp bay, sweet bay. Of Virginia. E USA, Cuba.
×
wieseneri
Carrière.
veez
-nuh-ree. After Mr Wiesener, from whose garden it was described.
M. obovata
×
M. sieboldii
. Cult.
wilsonii
Rehder. wil-
soh
-nee-ee. After English botanist Ernest Henry (‘Chinese’) Wilson (1876–1930), who collected the type specimen in Sichuan in 1904 and introduced it to cultivation in 1908. China.