Read The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants Online
Authors: Allen Coombes
telephium
L. te-
lef
-ee-oom. Gk. name of a plant. Eur. subsp.
ruprechtii
Jalas. rue-
prekt
-ee-ee. After Franz Joseph Ruprecht (1814–1870), who described it under another name. NE Eur.
self-heal
Prunella vulgaris
Selinum
L. (Apiaceae). se-
leen
-oom. Gk. name of a related plant. 8 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., Asia.
wallichianum
(DC.) Raizada & H. O. Saxena. wol-ik-ee-
ah
-noom. After Nathaniel Wallich (1786–1854), Danish botanist and surgeon with the East India Company, who collected it in the Himalaya. Himal., Tibet.
Semiaquilegia ecalcarata
(Maxim.) Sprague & Hutch. =
Aquilegia ecalcarata
Semiarundinaria
Makino ex Nakai (Poaceae). sem-ee-uh-run-di-
nah
-reeuh. Lat. half, the related
Arundinaria
. 10 spp. bamboos. E China, Japan.
fastuosa
(Lat.-Marl. ex Mitford) Makino ex Nakai. fas-tew-
oh
-suh. Lat. proud. Japan.
yashadake
(Makino) Makino. yash-uh -
dah
-kee. The Japanese name. Japan.
Sempervivum
L. (Crassulaceae). semper-
vie
-voom. Houseleeks. Lat. always alive. 40 spp. succulents. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
arachnoideum
L. a-rak-
noyd
-ee-oom. Cobweb houseleek. Gk. cobweb-like (the hairs). C and S Eur.
atlanticum
(Ball) Ball. at-
lan
-ti-koom. Of the Atlas Mts. Morocco.
calcareum
Jord. kal-
kair
-ree-oom. Lat. growing on chalk or limestone. France, Italy.
cantabricum
Huber. kan-
tab
-ri-koom. Of Cantabria (reg. of N Spain). N and C Spain.
ciliosum
Craib. sil-ee-
oh
-soom. Lat. fringed with hairs (the leaves). SE Eur.
marmoreum
Griseb. mar-
mor
-reeoom. Lat. marbled. E Eur.
montanum
L. mon-
tah
-noom. Lat. of mountains. C and S Eur.
tectorum
L. tek-
tor
-room. Lat. growing on roofs. C and S Eur., Morocco.
Senecio
L. (Asteraceae). se-
nek
-ee-oh. From Lat. an old man, referring to the grey-white hairs of the fruit. 1000 spp., ann. and perenn. herbs, climbers, shrubs. Widespread.
articulatus
(L.f.) Sch. Bip. ar-tik-ew-
lah
-toos. Candle plant. Lat. jointed (the shoots). S Africa.
aureus
L. =
Packera aurea
cineraria
DC. =
Jacobaea maritima
compactus
Kirk. =
Brachyglottis compacta
macroglossus
DC. mak-roh-
glos
-oos. Cape ivy. Gk. with a large tongue, referring to the ray flowers. S Africa.
monroi
Hook.f. =
Brachyglottis monroi
polyodon
DC. pol-ee-
oh
-don. Gk. with many teeth (the leaves). S Africa.
Senna
Mill. (Fabaceae).
sen
-uh. The Arabic name. 260 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread, mainly trop. regs.
hebecarpa
(Fernald) H. S. Irwin & Barneby. hee-bee-
karp
-uh. Gk. with hairy fruit. SE Canada, E USA.
marilandica
(L.) Link. ma-ri-
land
-ikuh. Of Maryland. E and C USA.
sensitive plant
Mimosa pudica
Sequoia
Endl. (Cupressaceae). see-
kwoy
-uh. After Native American silversmith Sequoyah (ca. 1767–1843), who created a syllabary for the Cherokee language. 1 sp., conifer. Calif., Oregon.
sempervirens
(D. Don) Endl. sem-per-
vie
-ruhnz. California redwood, coast redwood. Lat. evergreen.
Sequoiadendron
J. Buchholz (Cupressaceae). see-kwoy-uh-
den
-dron. From
Sequoia
and Gk. tree. 1 sp., conifer. Calif.
giganteum
(Lindl.) J. Buchholz. jie-
gant
-ee-oom. Giant redwood, Wellingtonia. Lat. very large.
Serratula
L. (Asteraceae). se-ruh-
tew
-luh. Sawwort. Lat. a little saw, referring to the toothed leaves. 70 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.
seoanei
Willk. say-oh-
ahn
-ee-ee. After Víctor López Seoane y Pardo-Montenegro (1832–1900), Spanish naturalist. SW Eur., N Africa.
service tree
Sorbus domestica
.
wild
S. torminalis
Sesleria
Scop. (Poaceae). sez-
le
-ree-uh. After Leonard Sesler (d. 1785), Italian physician and botanist. 30 spp. grasses. Eur., W Asia.
autumnalis
(Scop.) F. W. Schulz. aw-toom-
nah
-lis. Autumn moor grass. Lat. of autumn (flowering). SE Eur.
caerulea
(L.) Ard. kie-
rue
-lee-uh. Blue moor grass. Lat. blue (the leaves). Eur.
heufleriana
Schur. hoyf-luh-ree-
ah
-nuh. Balkan moor grass. After Ludwig Samuel Joseph David
Alexander Heufler zu Rasen (1817–1885), Austrian botanist. E Eur., Caucasus.
nitida
Ten.
nit
-i-duh. Lat. glossy (the foliage). Italy, Sicily.
Setaria
P. Beauv. (Poaceae). see-
tair
-ree-uh. From Lat. bristle, referring to the bristly inflorescence. 110 spp. grasses. Widespread in warm temp. and trop. regs.
italica
(L.) P. Beauv. i-
tal
-i-kuh. Lat. of Italy. Foxtail bristle grass. Eur., N Africa, Asia.
seven son flower
Heptacodium miconioides
shallot
Allium cepa
Aggregatum Group
sheepberry
Viburnum lentago
shell ginger
Alpinia zerumbet
Shepherdia
Nutt. (Elaeagnaceae). shep-
erd
-ee-uh. After John Shepherd (1764–1836), English botanist and friend of the author, Thomas Nuttall. 3 spp. shrubs. Canada, USA.
argentea
(Pursh) Nutt. ar-
jen
-tee-uh. Buffalo berry. Lat. silvery (the foliage). W Canada, W and C USA.
canadensis
(L.) Nutt. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Rabbit berry. Of Canada.
Shibataea
Makino ex Nakai (Poaceae). shib-uh-
tay
-uh. After Keita Shibata (1877–1949), Japanese botanist. 7 spp. bamboos. China.
kumasaca
(Steud.) Nakai. kue-muh-
sah
-kuh. Japanese name of a bamboo. E China.
shooting star
Primula meadia
.
pretty
P. pauciflora
.
sierra
P. jeffreyi
shrimp plant
Justicia brandegeeana
Siberian melic
Melica altissima
Sidalcea
A. Gray (Malvaceae). sid-
al
-see-uh. From
Sida
and
Alcea
, two related genera. 20 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. W N Am.
candida
A. Gray.
kan
-di-duh. Prairie mallow. Lat. white (the flowers). W USA.
Silene
L. (Caryophyllaceae). sie-
leen
-ee. Campions. Gk. name for one of the species, probably after Silenus of Gk. myth. 700 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. N hemisph.
acaulis
(L.) Jacq. ay-
kawl
-is. Moss campion. Lat. stemless. Eur., Canada, USA, Greenland, E Russia.
alba
(Mill.) E. H. L. Krause =
S. latifolia
subsp.
alba
armeria
L. ar-
meer
-ree-uh. Lat. name for a species of
Dianthus
. Eur., Turkey.
caroliniana
Walter. ka-ro-lin-ee-
ah
-nuh. Of the Carolinas. E USA.
coronaria
(L.) Clairv. ko-ro-
nair
-ree-uh. Dusty miller, rose campion. Lat. of garlands. Eur., W and C Asia.
dioica
(L.) Clairv. die-
oy
-kuh. Red campion. Gk. dioecious. Eur., Morocco.
fimbriata
Sims. fim-bree-
ah
-tuh. Lat. fringed (the petals). Caucasus.
flos-cuculi
(L.) Greuter & Burdet.
floskook
-ew-lee. Ragged robin. Lat. cuckoo flower (from the flowering time). Eur. to Siberia.
flos-jovis
(L.) Greuter & Burdet.
flos-joh
-vis. Lat. flower of Jupiter. S Eur.
latifolia
Poir. lat-i-
foh
-lee-uh. White campion. Lat. broad-leaved. Eur.,
N Africa, temp. Asia. subsp.
alba
. (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet.
al
-buh. Lat. white (the flowers).
regia
Sims.
ree
-jee-uh. Lat. royal. E USA.
schafta
J. G. Gmel. ex Hohen.
shaf
-tuh. The native name. Caucasus.
uniflora
Roth. ew-ni-
flaw
-ruh. Sea campion. Lat. one-flowered. N and W Eur.
virginica
L. vir-
jin
-i-kuh. Of Virginia. E USA.
viscaria
(L.) Jess. vis-
kair
-ree-uh. Lat. sticky (the stems). Eur., W Asia.
silk tree
Albizia julibrissin
silky oak
Grevillea robusta
Silphium
L. (Asteraceae).
sil
-fee-oom. Gk. name of a plant. 12 spp. perenn. herbs. N Am.
integrifolium
Michx. in-teg-ri-
foh
-leeoom. Lat. with untoothed leaves. S Canada, C USA.
laciniatum
L. luh-sin-ee-
ah
-toom. Compass plant. Lat. deeply cut (the leaves). E and C USA.
perfoliatum
L. per-foh-lee-
ah
-toom. Cup plant. Lat. with the leaf base encircling the stem. E and C USA.
terebinthinaceum
Jacq. te-re-binthin-
ay
-see-oom. Prairie dock. Lat. turpentine-scented (the leaves). E USA.
silver berry
Elaeagnus commutata
silver spurflower
Plectranthus argentatus
silver vine
Actinidia polygama
silverbell
Halesia carolina
.
two-wing
H. diptera
Silybum
Vaill. (Asteraceae).
sil
-i-boom. Gk. name of a thistle-like plant. 2 spp. ann. and bienn. herbs. Medit.
marianum
(L.) Gaertn. ma-ree-
ah
-noom. Holy thistle, our lady’s milk thistle. Lat. of Mary.
Simmondsia
Nutt. (Simmondsiaceae). sim-
ondz
-ee-uh. After Thomas William Simmonds (1767–1804), English physician and botanist. 1 sp., evergreen shrub. SW USA, NW Mex.