The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (68 page)

cembra
L.
sem
-bruh. Arolla pine. An Italian name for
Pinus pinea
. C and S Eur.

contorta
Douglas ex Loudon. kon-
tor
-tuh. Shore pine. Lat. twisted (the stems of trees growing on the coast). W Canada, W USA. var.
latifolia
Engelm. lat-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lodgepole pine. Lat. broad-leaved.

coulteri
D. Don.
kool
-tuh-ree. Big-cone pine. After Irish physician and botanist Thomas Coulter (1793–1843), who collected plants in Mexico and SW USA; he collected the type specimen ca. 1832. Calif., NW Mex.

densiflora
Sieb. & Zucc. dens-i-
flaw
-ruh. Japanese red pine. Lat. densely flowered. NE Russia, NE China, Korea, Japan.

edulis
Engelm.
ed
-ew-lis. Colorado pinyon. Lat. edible (the seeds). W and C USA, N Mex.

flexilis
E. James.
flex
-i-lis. Limber pine. Lat. flexible (the shoots). SW Canada, W and C USA.

heldreichii
H. Christ. hel-
driek
-ee-ee. Bosnian pine. After German botanist Theodor Heinrich Hermann von Heldreich (1822–1902), who collected the type specimen in 1863. SE Eur.
‘Schmidtii’
.
shmit
-ee-ee. After Eugen Schmidt, who discovered it near Sarajevo in 1926.

jeffreyi
Balf.
jef
-ree-ee. Jeffrey pine. After Scottish botanist John Jeffrey (1826–1854), who collected the type specimen in California in 1852. W USA, NW Mex.

koraiensis
Sieb. & Zucc. ko-ray-
en
-sis. Korean pine. Of Korea. NE Russia, NE China, Korea, Japan.

monticola
Douglas ex D. Don. mon-
ti
-ko-luh. Western white pine. Lat. living on mountains. SW Canada, W USA.

mugo
Turra.
mew
-goh. Mountain pine. A name used in 18th-cent. Italy for this species. C and E Eur.

nigra
J. F. Arnold.
nie
-gruh. Austrian pine. Lat. black (the bark). C and SE Eur. subsp.
laricio
Maire. la-
ris
-eeoh. Corsican pine. Italian name for larch trees. Italy, Corsica.

palustris
Mill. puh-
lus
-tris. Longleaf pine. Lat. of marshes. SE USA.

parviflora
Sieb. & Zucc. par-vi-
flaw
-ruh. Japanese white pine. Lat. small-flowered. Japan, South Korea.

patula
Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham.
pat
-ew-luh. Lat. wide-spreading (the branches). Mex.

peuce
Griseb.
pew
-see. Macedonian pine. Gk. name for pine and fir trees. SE Eur.

pinaster
Aiton. pin-
as
-ter. Maritime pine. The Lat. name, probably of
P. sylvestris
, meaning similar but inferior (for eating) to the pine (
P. pinea
). S Eur., Morocco.

pinea
L. pie-
nee
-uh. Stone pine, umbrella pine. Lat. of pines (the edible seeds were called
nux pinea
). S Eur., SW Asia.

ponderosa
P. & C. Lawson. pon-duh-
roh
-suh. Western yellow pine. Lat. heavy (the wood). SW Canada, W USA.

pumila
(Pall.) Regel.
pew
-mi-luh. Dwarf Siberian pine. Lat. dwarf. Siberia to Japan.

radiata
D. Don. ray-dee-
ah
-tuh. Monterey pine. Lat. radiating (cracks on the cone scales). Calif., NW Mex.

resinosa
Aiton. re-zi-
noh
-suh. Red pine. Lat. resinous (it produces large
amounts of resin when cut). Canada, NE USA.

rigida
Mill.
ri
-ji-duh. Pitch pine. Lat. rigid (the cone scales). SE Canada, E USA.

strobus
L.
stroh
-boos. Eastern white pine, Weymouth pine. Gk. cone, or the name of a resinous tree. Canada, E USA.

sylvestris
L. sil-
ves
-tris. Scots pine. Lat. of woods. Eur. to N China.
‘Watereri’
.
war
-tuh-ruh-ree. After English nurseryman and plant breeder Anthony Waterer (1822–1896), who discovered it.

taeda
L. tie-
ee
-duh. Loblolly pine. Lat. name of a pitch-producing tree (the wood is resinous). E USA.

thunbergii
Parl. thun-
berg
-ee-ee. Black pine. After Swedish botanist and physician Carl Peter Thunberg (1743–1828), plant collector in Japan and S Africa, who described it as
P. sylvestris
. Japan, S Korea.

virginiana
Mill. vir-jin-ee-
ah
-nuh. Scrub pine. Of Virginia. E USA.

wallichiana
A. B. Jacks. wol-ik-ee-
ah
-nuh. Blue pine. After Nathaniel Wallich (1786–1854), Danish botanist and surgeon with the East India Company, who collected plants in India and Nepal. Himal., W China.

pinyon, Colorado
Pinus edulis

pipevine
Aristolochia macrophylla

Piptanthus
Sweet (Fabaceae).pip-
tanth
-oos. From Gk. to fall, flower (the corolla, calyx and stamens fall together). 2 spp. shrubs. Himal., W China.

laburnifolius
(D. Don) Stapf =
P. nepalensis

nepalensis
(Hook.) Sweet. nep-uh-
len
-sis. Of Nepal.

Piptatherum
P. Beauv. (Poaceae). pip-
tath
-uh-room. From Gk. to fall, bristle, referring to the deciduous awns. 30 spp. grasses. Eur. to China, N Am.

miliaceum
(L.) Coss. mil-ee-
ay
-seeoom. Rice millet. Lat. like
Milium
. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

pistachio
Pistacia vera
.
Chinese
P. chinensis

Pistacia
L. (Anacardiaceae). pi-
stas
-eeuh. From Gk. name of the pistachio (
P. vera
). 12 spp., deciduous and evergreen trees, shrubs. Medit. and E Africa to China, SE Asia, Texas, Mex., C Am.

chinensis
Bunge. chin-
en
-sis. Chinese pistachio. Of China. China, Taiwan, Philippines.

vera
L.
veer
-ruh. Pistachio. Lat. true. W and C Asia.

Pistia
L. (Araceae).
pis
-tee-uh. From Gk. water, where it grows. 1 sp., aquatic herb. Africa, Asia, N and S Am., Australia.

stratiotes
L. strat-ee-
oh
-teez. Water lettuce. Gk. soldier, from Gk. name of a water plant.

Pisum
L. (Fabaceae).
pee
-soom. Lat. name for pea. 2 spp. ann. herbs. S and E Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

sativum
L. sa-
tee
-voom. Pea. Lat. cultivated. Cult.

pitcher plant
Sarracenia

Pittosporum
Banks ex Gaertn. (Pittosporaceae). pit-
os
-po-room. From Gk. pitch, seed, referring to the sticky coating on the seeds. 150 spp., evergreen trees, shrubs. Madeira, SE Asia to Australia, NZ, Pacific and Indian Ocean Is.

crassifolium
Banks & Sol. ex A. Cunn. kras-i-
foh
-lee-oom. Lat. thick-leaved. NZ.

eugenioides
A. Cunn. ew-jeen-ee-
oy
-deez. Lemonwood. Lat. like
Eugenia
. NZ.

‘Garnettii’
. gar-
net
-ee-ee. After Arthur Garnett, who found it in a NZ nursery.

ralphii
Kirk.
ralf
-ee-ee. After surgeon and botanist Thomas Shearman Ralph (1813–1891), who collected the type specimen ca. 1870. NZ.

tenuifolium
Gaertn. ten-ew-i-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. thin-leaved. NZ.

tobira
(Thunb.) W. T. Aiton. to-
bie
-ruh. From the Japanese name. E China, Taiwan, S Korea, Japan.

plane
Platanus
.
American
P. occidentalis
.
London
P
. ×
hispanica
.
oriental
P. orientalis

Plantago
L. (Plantaginaceae). plan-
tah
-goh. Plantains. From Lat. sole of the foot, referring to the way the leaves of the type species,
P. major
, often lie flat against the ground. 200 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, shrubs. Widespread.

major
L.
may
-juh. Common plantain. Lat. larger (than other species). Eur., Asia.

plantain
Plantago
.
common
P. major
.
Indian
Arnoglossum
.
pale Indian
A. atriplicifolium
.
water
Alisma, A. plantago-aquatica

plantain lily
Hosta

Platanus
L. (Platanaceae).
plat
-uhnoos. Planes. Gk. name for
P. orientalis
. 8 spp. trees. SE Canada, USA, Mex., SE Eur., Turkey, SE Asia.

×
hispanica
Mill. ex Münchh. London plane. Lat. of Spain.
P. occidentalis
×
P. orientalis
. Cult.

occidentalis
L. ok-si-den-
tah
-lis. American plane/sycamore. Lat. western. SE Canada, USA, N Mex.

orientalis
L. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Chenar tree, oriental plane. Lat. eastern. SE Eur., Turkey. f.
digitata
(Gordon) Jankó. di-ji-
tah
-tuh. Lat. with finger-like divisions (the leaf lobes).

Platycladus
Spach (Cupressaceae). plat-ee-
klay
-doos. Gk. with broad or flattened shoots. 1 sp., conifer. China, Korea.

orientalis
(L.) Franco. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Chinese arborvitae. Lat. eastern.
‘Rosedalis’
. rohz-
dah
-lis. Of the Rosedale Nursery, Texas, where it originated.

Platycodon
A. DC. (Campanulaceae). plat-ee-
koh
-don. Gk. a wide bell, referring to the flower shape. 1 sp., perenn. herb. China, Korea, Japan, E Russia.

grandiflorus
(Jacq.) A. DC. gran-di-
flaw
-roos. Balloon flower. Lat. large-flowered.

Plecostachys
Hilliard & B. L. Burtt (Asteraceae). plek-oh-
stak
-is. Gk. plaited spike, referring to the
intricately branched habit. 2 spp. shrubs. S Africa.

serpyllifolia
(Berg.) Hilliard & B. L. Burtt. ser-pil-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with thyme-like leaves.

Plectranthus
L’Hér. (Lamiaceae). plek-
tranth
-oos. Gk. spur flower, referring to the spur on the corolla of the type species. 200 spp., perenn. herbs, subshrubs. Old World tropics and subtropics.

amboinicus
(Lour.) Spreng.am-boh-
in
-i-koos. Cuban oregano. Of Amboina Is. (Indonesia). E and S Africa.

argentatus
S. T. Blake. ar-jen-
tah
-toos. Silver spurflower. Lat. silvery (the foliage). Australia.

scutellarioides
(L.) R. Br. skue-tuhlah-ree-
oy
-deez. Lat. like
Scutellaria
. SE Asia to Australia.

Pleioblastus
Nakai (Poaceae). plie-oh-
blast
-oos. Gk. many buds, referring to the many buds at each node, leading to clustered branches. 40 spp. bamboos. China, Vietnam, Japan.