The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (65 page)

triloba
Miq. trie-
loh
-buh. Lat. three-lobed (the leaves). Japan.

Paulownia
Sieb. & Zucc. (Paulowniaceae). paw-
loh
-nee-uh. After Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna (Paulowna) of Russia (1795–1865), daughter of Czar Paul I. 7 spp. trees. China, SE Asia.

elongata
S. Y. Hu. ee-long-
ah
-tuh. Lat. elongated (the inflorescence). China.

fortunei
(Seem.) Hemsl. for-
tewn
-ee-ee. After Scottish botanist Robert Fortune (1812–1880), who collected the type specimen in China. China, Taiwan, Laos, Vietnam.

tomentosa
(Thunb.) Steud. to-men-
toh
-suh. Empress tree. Lat. hairy (the leaves). China.

pawpaw
Asimina triloba

Paxistima
Raf. (Celastraceae). pax-i-
steem
-uh. From Gk. thick stigma. 2 spp. evergreen shrubs. Canada to N Mex.

canbyi
A. Gray.
kan
-bee-ee. After American businessman William Marriott Canby (1831–1904), who collected the type specimen ca. 1868. E USA.

myrsinites
(Pursh) Raf. mur-sin-
ie
-teez. Gk. like myrtle (
Myrtus communis
). SW Canada, W USA, N Mex.

pea
Pisum sativum.
perennial
Lathyrus latifolius
.
sweet
L. odoratus

pea tree
Caragana arborescens

peace lily
Spathiphyllum

peach
Prunus persica

peacock flower
Dietes bicolor, Tigridia pavonia

pear
Pyrus
.
Asian
P. pyrifolia
.
Callery
P. calleryana
.
common
P. communis
.
sand
P. pyrifolia
.
Ussurian
P. ussuriensis
.
willow-leaved
P. salicifolia

pearlbush
Exochorda racemosa

pearlwort
Sagina subulata

pebble plants
Lithops

pecan
Carya illinoinensis

Pelargonium
L’Hér. (Geraniaceae). pel-ar-
goh
-nee-oom. From Gk. stork, referring to the similarity of the fruit to a stork’s beak. 280 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Africa, SW Asia, Australia.

Pennisetum
Rich. (Poaceae). pen-i-
see
-toom. Gk. feather bristle, referring to the inflorescence. 80 spp. grasses. Widespread, trop. to warm temp. regs.

×
advena
Wipff & Veldkamp ad-
veen
-uh. Lat. stranger, foreigner (from its mistaken identity and unknown origin).
P. macrostachyum
×
P. setaceum
. Cult.
‘Rubrum’.
rue
-broom. Purple fountain grass. Lat. red (the foliage).

alopecuroides
(L.) Spreng. al-oh-pekew-
roy
-deez. Lat. like
Alopecurus
. E and SE Asia, Australia.

macrourum
Trin. mak-roh-
ew
-room. Gk. large tail (the long inflorescence). S Africa.

orientale
Rich. o-ree-en-
tah
-lee. Lat. eastern. N Africa, W and C Asia, Himal.

setaceum
(Forssk.) Chiov. see-
tay
-seeoom. Fountain grass. Lat. bristly (the inflorescence). Africa, SW Asia.
‘Rubrum’
=
P
. ×
advena
‘Rubrum’

villosum
R. Br. ex Fresen. vil-
oh
-soom. Feathertop. Lat. softly hairy (the inflorescence). NE Africa, Yemen.

pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium

pennywort
Umbilicus rupestris

Penstemon
Schmidel (Plantaginaceae). pen-
stem
-uhn. Gk. five stamens (present in each flower, one of which is sterile). 250 spp., herbs, shrubs. N and C Am.

barbatus
(Cav.) Roth. bar-
bah
-toos. Lat. bearded (the lower lip of the corolla). SW USA, NW Mex.

campanulatus
(Cav.) Willd. kampan-ew-
lah
-toos. Lat. bell-shaped (the flowers). Mex.

cobaea
Nutt.
koh
-bee-uh. From the resemblance of the flowers to those of
Cobaea
. C USA.

cyananthus
Hook. sie-uhn-
anth
-oos. Gk. blue-flowered. W USA.

digitalis
Nutt. ex Sims. dij-i-
tah
-lis. Lat. like a foxglove (
Digitalis
). E Canada, E and C USA.

eatonii
A. Gray. ee-
ton
-ee-ee. After American botanist Daniel Cady Eaton (1834–1895), who was with Sereno Watson when he collected the type specimen in Utah in 1869. W USA.

fruticosus
(Pursh) Greene. frue-ti-
koh
-soos. Lat. shrubby. SW Canada, NW USA.

glaber
Pursh.
glay
-ber. Lat. glabrous

(the foliage). C USA.

grandiflorus
Nutt. gran-di-
flaw
-roos. Lat. large-flowered. C and NW USA.

heterophyllus
Lindl. het-uh-roh-
fil
-oos. Lat. with variable leaves (the upper leaves are much narrower than the lower). Calif.

hirsutus
(L.) Willd. hir-
sue
-toos. Lat. hairy (the stems). SE Canada, E USA.
‘Pygmaeus’
.
pig
-mee-oos. Lat. dwarf.

palmeri
A. Gray.
palm
-uh-ree. After English-born botanist and archaeologist Edward Palmer (1829–1911), who collected the type specimen
with Elliott Coues in Arizona in 1866. SW USA.

pinifolius
Greene. pin-i-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Pinus
. SW USA, N Mex.

procerus
Douglas ex Graham.
pros
-uhruhs. Lat. tall. W Canada, W USA.

rydbergii
A. Nelson. rid-
berg
-ee-ee. After Swedish-born American botanist Per Axel Rydberg (1860–1931), for his generous assistance to the author, Aven Nelson. W USA.

smallii
A. Heller.
smawl
-ee-ee. After American botanist John Kunkel Small (1869–1938), who collected the type specimen with author Amos Arthur Heller in North Carolina in 1890. SE USA.

strictus
Benth.
strik
-toos. Lat. upright. W USA.

whippleanus
A. Gray. wip-uhl-ee-
ah
-noos. After Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818–1863), American army surveyor on whose expedition to find a rail route to the Pacific in 1853 John Bigelow collected the type specimen in New Mexico. W USA.

peony
Paeonia

Peperomia
Ruiz & Pav. (Piperaceae). pe-puh-
roh
-mee-uh. Gk. like pepper. 1600 spp. herbs. Widespread, trop. and subtrop. regs.

argyreia
(Miq.) E. Morren. ar-gi-
ree
-uh. Lat. silvery (the foliage). Brazil.

caperata
Yunck. cap-uh-
rah
-tuh. Lat. wrinkled (the leaves). Brazil?

maculosa
(L.) Hook. mak-ew-
loh
-suh. Lat. spotted (the stems). Mex. to S Am.

obtusifolia
(L.) A. Dietr. ob-tew-si-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. blunt-leaved. Florida to S Am.

pepper, bell
Capsicum annuum
Grossum Group.
bird
C. frutescens
.
Cayenne
C. annuum
Longum Group.
cherry
C. annuum
Cerasiforme Group.
chili
C. annuum
Longum Group.
cone
C. annuum
Conoides Group.
red chili
C. frutescens
.
red cone
C. annuum
Fasciculatum Group

pepper tree
Pseudowintera colorata

peppermint
Mentha
×
piperita.
narrow-leaved black
Eucalyptus nicholii

Pericallis
D. Don (Asteraceae). pe-ree-
kal
-is. Gk. around beauty (the showy flowerheads). 14 spp., herbs, shrubs. Macaronesia.

×
hybrida
(Regel) B. Nord.
hib
-ri-duh. Cineraria. Lat. hybrid. Cult.

lanata
(L’Hér.) B. Nord. luh-
nah
-tuh. Lat. woolly (the leaves and stems). Tenerife.

Peritoma
DC. (Cleomaceae). pe-ri-
toh
-muh. Gk. cut around, referring to the base of the calyx. 6 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. S Canada, USA, Mex.

serrulata
(Pursh) DC. se-rue-
lah
-tuh. Rocky Mountain bee plant. Lat. finely toothed (the leaves). S Canada, USA.

periwinkle, greater
Vinca major
.
lesser
V. minor

Perovskia
Kar. (Lamiaceae). pe-
rov
-skee-uh. After Vasily Alekseevich Perovsky (1794–1857), Russian general. 7 spp. subshrubs. SW Asia to China.

atriplicifolia
Benth. a-tri-plis-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Atriplex
. Afghanistan to NW China.

Persea
Mill. (Lauraceae).
per
-see-uh. Gk. name used by Dioscorides and Theophrastus for an evergreen tree with edible fruit, thought to be
Mimusops laurifolia
. 150 spp., trees, shrubs. New World trop. and subtrop. regs.

americana
Mill. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. Avocado. Of America. S Mex., C Am.

Persian ironwood
Parrotia persica

Persian lilac
Melia azedarach

Persian shield
Strobilanthes dyeriana

Persicaria
(L.) Mill. (Polygonaceae). per-si-
kair
-ree-uh. Lat./Gk. peach-like (Lat.
persica
), referring to the leaves of some species. 100 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Widespread.

affinis
(D. Don) Ronse Decr.
af
-i-nis. Lat. related to (
P. vivipara
). Himal., Tibet.

alpina
(All.) H. Gross. al-
pie
-nuh. Lat. alpine. Eur. to China.

amplexicaulis
(D. Don) Ronse Decr. am-plex-i-
kawl
-is. Lat. clasping the stem (the leaf bases). Afghanistan to China.

bistorta
(L.) Samp. bis-
tort
-uh. Bistort. Lat. twice twisted (the rhizomes). Eur., Morocco, W Asia to Japan.

campanulata
(Hook.f.) Ronse Decr. kam-pan-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. bell-shaped (the flowers). Himal., W China.

capitata
(Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross. kap-i-
tah
-tuh. Lat. in a head (the flowers). Himal., China, SE Asia.

microcephala
D. Don. mik-roh-
kef
-uh-luh. Gk. small-headed (the inflorescence). Himal., China.

orientalis
(L.) Spach. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Prince’s feather. Lat. eastern. Iran to Japan, SE Asia, Australia.