The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (86 page)

Tsuga
(Endl.) Carrière (Pinaceae).
tsue
-guh. Hemlocks. The Japanese name. 10 spp. conifers. N Am., E Asia.

canadensis
(L.) Carrière. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Eastern hemlock. SE Canada, E USA.

heterophylla
(Raf.) Sarg. het-uh-
rof
-iluh. Western hemlock. Gk. with variable leaves. W Canada, NW USA.

mertensiana
(Bong.) Carrière. mertenz-ee-
ah
-nuh. Mountain hemlock. After German naturalist and physician Karl Heinrich Mertens (1796–1830), who collected the type specimen at Sitka, Alaska, in 1827. SW Canada, W USA.

tuberose
Polianthes tuberosa

Tulbaghia
L. (Amaryllidaceae). tool-
bahg
-ee-uh. After Ryk Tulbagh (1699–1771), Dutch governor of the Cape Colony from 1751 until his death in the year the genus was named. 26 spp. perenn., often bulbous, herbs. Trop. and S Africa.

violacea
Harv. vie-o-
lay
-see-uh. Lat. violet (the flowers). S Africa.

tulip
Tulipa

tulip tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
.
Chinese
L. chinense

Tulipa
L. (Liliaceae).
tew
-lip-uh. Tulips. From Turkish turban (the shape of the flowers). 150 spp. bulbous herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

acuminata
Vahl ex Hornem. =
T. gesneriana

altaica
Pall. ex Spreng. al-
tie
-i-kuh. Of the Altai reg. C Asia.

biflora
Pall. bie-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. two-flowered (the flowers are sometimes in pairs). SE Eur., W and C Asia, NW China.

clusiana
DC. klue-zee-
ah
-nuh. After Flemish botanist and physician Charles d’Écluse (Lat.
Carolus Clusius
), whose 16th-cent. planting of tulips in Holland is thought to have inspired the mania for growing tulips there. W Asia to W Himal.

gesneriana
L. ges-ne-ree-
ah
-nuh. After Swiss naturalist and physician Conrad Gesner (1516–1565), who described and illustrated cultivated tulips. N Turkey, Caucasus.

humilis
Herb.
hew
-mi-lis. Lat. low (growing). W Asia.

kolpakowskiana
Regel =
T. altaica

linifolia
Regel. li-ni-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Linum
(flax). C Asia.

praestans
H. B. May.
prie
-stans. Lat. outstanding. C Asia.

saxatilis
Sieber ex Spreng. sax-
at
-i-lis. Lat. growing in rocky places. S Greece, W Turkey.

sprengeri
Baker.
spreng
-uh-ree. After German botanist and plant breeder Carl Ludwig Sprenger (1846–1917), the first to grow it, in his nursery in Naples. Turkey.

sylvestris
L. sil-
vest
-ris. Lat. of woods. Eur., Caucasus.

tarda
Stapf.
tard
-uh. Lat. late (flowering). NW Iran, C Asia.

turkestanica
(Regel) Regel. tur-kes-
tan
-i-kuh. Of Turkestan. C Asia.

tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica

turkey corn
Dicentra eximia

turnip
Brassica rapa
Rapifera Group

turtlehead
Chelone
.
pink
C. lyonii
.
red
C. obliqua
.
white
C. glabra

tutsan
Hypericum androsaemum

twinberry
Lonicera involucrata

twinflower
Linnaea borealis

twinleaf
Jeffersonia diphylla

twinspur
Diascia

Typha
L. (Typhaceae).
tie
-fuh. Reedmaces. The Gk. name, from Gk. marsh, referring to the habitat. 16 spp. perenn. aquatic herbs. Widespread.

angustifolia
L. an-gus-ti-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. narrow-leaved. N temp. regs.

latifolia
L. lat-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. broad-leaved. N and S Am., Eur., Asia.

laxmannii
Lepech. lax-
man
-ee-ee. After Swedish explorer Erik Gustavovich Laxmann (1737–1796), who collected the type specimen in Dahuria, Russia. E Eur. to China.

minima
Funck ex Hoppe.
min
-i-muh. Lat. smallest. Eur. to China.

Ugni
Turcz. (Myrtaceae).
oog
-nee. From the native name in Chile (pronounced
oon
-yee). 4 spp. shrubs. S Mex. to S Am.

molinae
Turcz. mo-
leen
-ie. After Chilean priest and naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina (1740–1829), who first described it (as
Myrtus ugni
). Chile, Argentina.

Ulex
L. (Fabaceae).
ew
-lex. Lat. name used by Pliny for this or a similar shrub. 20 spp. spiny shrubs. W Eur., N Africa.

europaeus
L. ew-roh-
pee
-oos. Gorse. Lat. of Europe. W Eur.

gallii
Planch.
gal
-ee-ee. Dwarf gorse. Lat. of France (Lat.
Gallia
). W Eur.

ulmo
Eucryphia cordifolia

Ulmus
L. (Ulmaceae).
ool
-moos. Elms. The Lat. name. 40 spp., trees, shrubs. Eur., N Africa, Asia, N Am.

americana
L. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. American elm. Of America. Canada, E and C USA.

carpinifolia
Gled. =
U. minor

glabra
Huds.
glab
-ruh. Wych elm, Scotch elm. Lat. smooth (the bark). Eur., W Asia.

×
hollandica
Mill. hol-
and
-i-kuh. Dutch elm. Lat. of Holland, where it was thought to originate. Eur., W Asia.

minor
Mill.
mie
-nuh. Field elm. Lat. smaller. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

parvifolia
Jacq. par-vi-
foh
-lee-uh. Chinese elm. Lat. small-leaved. China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan.

pumila
L.
pew
-mi-luh. Siberian elm. Lat. dwarf. C and E Asia.

rubra
Muhl.
rue
-bruh. Red elm, slippery elm. Lat. red (the shoots). SE Canada, E and C USA.

Umbellularia
(Nees) Nutt. (Lauraceae). um-bel-ew-
lair
-ree-uh. Lat. in little umbels, referring to the inflorescence. 1 sp., evergreen tree. Calif., Oregon.

californica
(Hook. & Arn.) Nutt. kali-
for
-ni-kuh. California bay/laurel. Of California.

Umbilicus
DC. (Crassulaceae). um-
bil
-i-koos. Lat. navel, from the appearance of the leaves. 14 spp. succulent perenn. herbs. Eur., W Asia.

oppositifolius
(Ledeb.) Ledeb. o-pos-iti-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with opposite leaves. Caucasus.

rupestris
(Salisb.) Dandy. rue-
pes
-tris. Navelwort, pennywort. Lat. growing on rocks. Eur., W Asia.

umbrella plant
Darmera peltata

umbrella tree
Magnolia tripetala

Uncinia
Pers. (Cyperaceae). un-
sin
-eeuh. From Lat. hook, referring to the conspicuously hooked tip of the rachilla. 70 spp. perenn. herbs. SE Asia to NZ, Pacific Is., Mex. to S Am.

egmontiana
Hamlin. eg-mont-ee-
ah
-nuh. Of Mount Egmont, where the type specimen was collected in 1955. NZ.

uncinata
(L.f.) Kük. un-sin-
ah
-tuh. Lat. hooked (deriv. as for genus). NZ, Hawaii.

Uvularia
L. (Colchicaceae). ue-vew-
lair
-ree-uh. Bellworts. From Lat. uvula, from a supposed resemblance of the flowers to that pendulous part of the mouth palate. 5 spp. perenn. herbs. E N Am.

grandiflora
Sm. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. SE and SC Canada, E and C USA.

perfoliata
L. per-foh-lee-
ah
-tuh. Lat. with the leaf base encircling the stem. SE Canada, E USA.

sessilifolia
L. ses-i-li-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with unstalked leaves. SE and SC Canada, E and C USA.

Vaccinium
L. (Ericaceae). vak-
sin
-eeoom. Lat. name, possibly for
V. myrtillus
(bilberry). 450 spp., shrubs, trees. N hemisph., Africa, S Am.

angustifolium
Aiton. an-gust-i-
foh
-lee-oom. Lowbush blueberry. Lat. narrow-leaved. E N Am.

corymbosum
L. ko-rim-
boh
-soom. Blueberry. Lat. with flowers in corymbs. E Canada, E and C USA.

glaucoalbum
Hook.f. ex C. B. Clarke. glaw-koh-
al
-boom. Lat. bluish white, white (the leaf undersides). Himal., W China.

macrocarpon
Aiton. mak-roh-
karp
-on. Cranberry. Gk. large-fruited. E N Am.

ovatum
Pursh. oh-
vah
-toom. California huckleberry. Lat. ovate (the leaves). SW Canada, W USA.

oxycoccus
L. ox-ee-
kok
-oos. European cranberry. Gk. sharp berry (the taste). Canada, USA, Eur., Asia.

parvifolium
Sm. par-vi-
foh
-lee-oom. Red huckleberry. Lat. small-leaved. SW Canada, W USA.

vitis-idaea
L.
vie
-tis-ee-
die
-uh. Cowberry. Gk. grape of Mount Ida. Canada, USA, Eur., Asia.

valerian
Valeriana
.
common
V. officinalis
.
red
Centranthus ruber

Valeriana
L. (Valerianaceae). vuh-leree-
ah
-nuh. Valerians. 200 spp. perenn. herbs. Widespread.

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Common valerian. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur., Asia.

phu
L.
fue
. Gk. with an unpleasant scent (the roots). Eur., Caucasus.

pyrenaica
L. pi-ruh-
nay
-i-kuh. Lat. of the Pyrenees. Pyrenees.

Vallota speciosa
(L.f.) T. Durand & Schinz =
Cyrtanthus elatus

Vancouveria
C. Morren & Decne. (Berberidaceae). van-kue-
ve
-ree-uh. After George Vancouver (1757–1758), British Royal Navy captain who explored the Pacific Northwest. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. W USA.

hexandra
(Hook.) C. Morren & Decne. hex-
an
-druh. Gk. with six stamens (normal for this genus but originally named as an epimedium, which have four stamens).

vanilla leaf
Achlys triphylla

velvet plant
Gynura aurantiaca