Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
canadensis
L. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Canadian burnet. Of Canada. Canada, USA.
hakusanensis
Makino. hak-ue-san-
en
-sis. Of Mount Hakusan, Japan. Japan, Korea.
menziesii
Rydb. men-
zeez
-ee-ee. After Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), Scottish surgeon and naturalist. W Canada, NW USA.
minor
Scop.
mie
-nuh. Salad burnet. Lat. small. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
obtusa
Maxim. ob-
tew
-suh. Lat. blunt (the leaflets). Japan.
officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Great burnet. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur., Asia, Canada, USA.
tenuifolia
Fisch. ex Link. ten-ew-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with slender leaves (leaflets). NE Asia.
Sansevieria
Thunb. (Asparagaceae). san-sev-ee-
e
-ree-uh. After Italian scientist Raimondo di Sangro (1710–1771), prince of Sansevero. 65 spp. evergreen herbs. Africa, Arabia, S Asia.
trifasciata
Prain. trie-fas-ee-
ah
-tuh. Mother-in-law’s tongue. Lat. in clusters of three (the flowers). Trop. Africa.
‘Laurentii’
. lo-
rent
-ee-ee. After French plant collector Émile Laurent (1861–1904), who introduced it to gardens from Zaire.
Santolina
L. (Asteraceae). sant-o-
lee
-nuh. From Lat. holy flax (
sanctum linum
). 5 spp. shrubs. Medit.
chamaecyparissus
L. kam-ee-sip-uh-
ris
-oos. Lavender cotton. Gk. dwarf cypress. S Eur.
pinnata
Viv. pin-
ah
-tuh. Lat. pinnate (the leaves). Italy. subsp.
neapolitana
(Jord. & Fourr.) Guinea. nee-uh-poli-
tah
-nuh. Lat. of Naples (Lat.
Neapoli
).
rosmarinifolia
L. roz-ma-ri-ni-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Rosmarinus
. SW Eur.
Saponaria
L. (Caryophyllaceae). sa-pon-
ah
-ree-uh. From Lat. soap, which can be made from
S. officinalis
. 30 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Medit. to China.
×
lempergii
hort. lem-
perg
-ee-ee. After Austrian botanist Fritz Lemperg, who raised it.
S. cypria
×
S. haussknechtii
. Cult.
ocymoides
L. ok-i-
moy
-deez. Rock soapwort. Lat. like
Ocimum
. C and S Eur.
officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Bouncing Bet, soapwort. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Madeira, Eur., W Asia, Siberia.
sapphire flower
Browallia speciosa
Sarcococca
Lindl. (Buxaceae). sar-koh-
kok
-uh. Christmas box, sweet box. Gk. fleshy berry, referring to the
fruit. 20 spp. evergreen shrubs. China, Taiwan, Mex., C Am.
confusa
Sealy. kon-
few
-suh. Lat. confused (with other species in gardens). Cult.
hookeriana
Baill. hook-uh-ree-
ah
-nuh. After English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817–1911), who collected it in the Himalaya. Himal., China. var.
digyna
Franch. die-
gie
-nuh. Gk. with two styles.
orientalis
C. Y. Wu ex M. Cheng. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Lat. eastern. China.
ruscifolia
Stapf. rus-ki-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Ruscus
. China. var.
chinensis
(Franch.) Rehder & E. H. Wilson. chin-
en
-sis. Of China.
Sarracenia
L. (Sarraceniaceae).sa-ruh-
seen
-ee-uh. Pitcher plants. After Michel Sarrazin (Sarrasin) (1659–1734), Canadian surgeon and botanist. 11 spp. perenn. herbs. N Am.
alata
(Alph. Wood) Alph. Wood. uh-
lah
-tuh. Lat. winged (the pitchers). SE USA.
leucophylla
Raf. lue-koh-
fil
-uh. Gk. white-leaved (the pitchers). SE USA.
oreophila
Wherry. o-ree-oh-
fil
-uh. Gk. mountain-loving. SE USA.
purpurea
L. pur-
pew
-ree-uh. Lat. purple (the flowers). SE USA.
rubra
Walter.
rue
-bruh. Lat. red (the flowers and pitchers). SE USA.
Sasa
Makino & Shibata (Poaceae).
sah
-suh. The Japanese name. 50 spp. bamboos. China, Japan, Korea, E Russia.
kurilensis
(Rupr.) Makino & Shibata. koo-ril-
en
-sis. Of the Kuril Is. E Russia (Sakhalin), Japan, Korea.
palmata
(hort. ex Burb.) E. G. Camus. pahl-
mah
-tuh. Lat. hand-like (the arrangement of the leaves). E Russia, Japan. f.
nebulosa
(Makino) Suzuki. neb-ew-
loh
-suh. Lat. like a little cloud (the blotched stems).
tessellata
(Munro) Makino & Shibata =
Indocalamus tessellatus
tsuboiana
Makino. tsue-boh-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Japanese bamboo grower Isuke Tsuboi. Japan.
veitchii
(Carrière) Rehder.
veech
-ee-ee. After British plant collector and nurseryman John Gould Veitch (1839–1870), who introduced it to England ca. 1861. Japan.
Sasaella
Makino (Poaceae). sah-suh-
el
-uh. Diminutive of
Sasa
. 11 spp. bamboos. Japan.
masamuneana
(Makino) Hatus. & Muroi ex Sugim. mas-uh-mewn-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Japanese botanist Genkei Masamune (1899–1993), who collected the type specimen in 1928.
ramosa
(Makino) Makino. ra-
moh
-suh. Lat. branched.
Sassafras
Nees & Eberm. (Lauraceae).
sas
-uh-fras. From the French and Spanish name, possibly derived from a Native American name. 3 spp. trees. SE Canada, E USA, China, Taiwan.
albidum
(Nutt.) Nees.
al
-bi-doom. Sassafras. Lat. white (the lower leaf surface). SE Canada, E USA.
satin flower
Clarkia amoena
satsuma
Citrus reticulata
Satureja
L. (Lamiaceae). sat-ew-
ree
-uh. Lat. (from Arabic) name of a
herb. 38 spp., herbs, shrubs. Medit., W Asia.
hortensis
L. hor-
ten
-sis. Summer savoury. Lat. of gardens. S Eur., Turkey.
montana
L. mon-
tah
-nuh. Winter savoury. Lat. of mountains. S Eur., W Asia.
spicigera
(K. Koch) Boiss. spi-
si
-juhruh. Lat. bearing spikes (of flowers). W Asia.
savin
Juniperus sabina
savoury, summer
Satureja hortensis
.
winter
S. montana
sawwort
Serratula
Saxegothaea
Lindl. (Podocarpaceae). sax-i-
goth
-ee-uh. After Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1818–1861), husband of Queen Victoria. 1 sp., conifer. Chile, Argentina.
conspicua
Lindl. kon-
spik
-ew-uh. Prince Albert’s yew. Lat. conspicuous.
Saxifraga
L. (Saxifragaceae). sax-i-
frah
-guh. Saxifrages. Lat. stone, break (they often grow in crevices). 450 spp., mainly perenn. herbs. Eur., Asia, N and S Am.
cuneifolia
L. kew-nee-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with wedge-shaped leaves. C Eur.
fortunei
Hook.f. for-
tewn
-ee-ee. After Robert Fortune (1812–1880), Scottish botanist and plant collector. It was described from his introduction. E Asia.
hirsuta
L. hir-
sue
-tuh. Kidney saxifrage. Lat. hairy (the leaves). W Eur.
oppositifolia
L. o-po-si-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Purple saxifrage. Lat. with opposite leaves. Canada, USA, Eur., temp. Asia.
paniculata
Mill. pan-ik-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. in panicles (the flowers). C and S Eur., W Asia.
stolonifera
Curtis. stoh-lon-
if
-uh-ruh. Mother of thousands. Lat. bearing stolons. China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan.
umbrosa
L. um-
broh
-suh. Lat. growing in shade. Pyrenees.
×
urbium
D. A. Webb.
urb
-ee-oom. London pride. Lat. of towns.
S. hirsuta
×
S. umbrosa
. Cult.
saxifrage
Saxifraga
.
kidney
S. hirsuta
.
purple
S. oppositifolia
Scabiosa
L. (Dipsacaceae). ska-bee-
oh
-suh. Scabious. Lat. itch, from med. properties. 80 spp., herbs, shrubs. Eur., Africa, Asia.
atropurpurea
L. at-roh-pur-
pew
-reeuh. Sweet scabious. Lat. dark purple (the flowers).
caucasica
M. Bieb. kaw-
kas
-i-kuh. Lat. of the Caucasus. W Asia.
columbaria
L. ko-loom-
bah
-ree-uh. Lat. dove-like. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.
ochroleuca
L. ok-roh-
lue
-kuh. Gk. yellowish white (the flowers). Eur. to N China.
scabious
Scabiosa.
alpine
Cephalaria alpina
.
devil’s bit
Succisa pratensis
.
giant
Cephalaria gigantea
.
sweet
Scabiosa atropurpurea
Scaevola
L. (Goodeniaceae). skie-
voh
-luh. Lat. left-handed, from the appearance of the corolla. 80 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. SE Asia to Australia.
aemula
R. Br.
eem
-ew-luh. Fairy fan flower. Lat. emulating. SE Australia.
Schefflera
J. R. & G. Forst. (Araliaceae).
shef
-luh-ruh. After Jacob Christoph Scheffler (1698–1742), German botanist and physician. 600 spp., shrubs, trees, climbers. Tropics and subtropics.
actinophylla
(Endl.) Harms. ak-tinoh-
fil
-uh. Gk. ray leaf (from the arrangement of the leaflets). New Guinea, NE Australia.
arboricola
(Hayata) Merr. ar-bo-
ri
-ko-luh. Lat. living on trees (it is epiphytic). Taiwan.
elegantissima
(Masters) Lowry & Frodin. el-i-gan-
tis
-i-muh. Lat. most elegant. New Caledonia.
Schisandra
Michx. (Schisandraceae). ski-
san
-druh. From Gk. divided man, referring to the separated anther cells. 22 spp. woody climbers. E and SE Asia.
chinensis
(Turcz.) Baill. chin-
en
-sis. Of China. China, E Russia, Korea, Japan.
grandiflora
(Wall.) Hook.f. & Thomson. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Himal., Tibet.
rubriflora
Rehder & E. H. Wilson. rue-bri-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. red-flowered. Assam to SW China.