The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (9 page)

brasiliana
(L.) Kuntze. bra-zil-ee-
ah
-nuh. Brazilian joyweed. Of Brazil. S Am., Caribb.

dentata
(Moench) Stuchlik ex R. E. Fr. =
A. brasiliana

ficoidea
(L.) P. Beauv. fee-
koid
-ee-uh. Like
Ficus
(the leaves). Trop. Am.

Althaea
L. (Malvaceae). al-
thee
-uh. From Gk. to heal, referring to med. properties. 12 spp. herbs. Eur., Asia.

cannabina
L. kan-uh-
been
-uh. Hemp marsh mallow. Like
Cannabis
(the leaves). Eur. to C Asia.

ficifolia
(L.) Cav. =
Alcea ficifolia

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Marsh mallow. Lat. sold as a med. herb. Eur.

alum root
Heuchera
.
American
H. americana
.
crevice
H. micrantha
.
hairy
H. villosa
.
poker
H. cylindrica

aluminium plant
Pilea cadierei

Alyogyne
Alef. (Malvaceae). al-ee-oh-
gy
-nee. From Gk. united, female, referring to the undivided style. 6 spp. shrubs. Australia.

huegelii
(Endl.) Fryxell. hew-
gel
-ee-ee. After Austrian botanist Charles von Hügel (1795–1870), who collected the type specimen. S and W Australia.

Alyssum
L. (Brassicaceae).
a
-lis-oom, uh-
lis
-oom. Gk. not, rage (it was said to cure rabies). 190 spp., herbs, sub-shrubs. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

maritimum
(L.) Lam. =
Lobularia maritima

montanum
L. mon-
tah
-noom. Lat. of mountains. Eur.

murale
Waldst. & Kit. mew-
rah
-lee. Yellow tuft. Lat. of walls. SE Eur.

saxatile
L. =
Aurinia saxatilis

spinosum
L. spi-
noh
-soom. Lat. spiny. SW Eur.

wulfenianum
Schltdl. wool-fen-ee-
ah
-num. After German baron Franz Xaver von Wulfen (1728–1805), botanist and mineralogist. W Asia.

alyssum, golden
Aurinia saxatilis
amaranth, purple
Amaranthus cruentus

Amaranthus
L. (Amaranthaceae). am-uh-
ranth
-oos. Gk. unfading, referring to the long-lasting flowers. 70 spp. herbs. Widespread.

caudatus
L. kaw-
dah
-toos. Love-lies-bleeding. Lat. with a tail, referring to the slender inflorescence. Tropics.

cruentus
L. krue-
en
-toos. Purple amaranth, prince’s feather. Lat. stained with blood (referring to the flowers). C Am.

hypochondriacus
L. hie-poh-kon-dree-
ah
-koos. Prince’s feather. Melancholy, from Gk. below the cartilage, where the seat of melancholy was thought to be. N Am.

tricolor
L.
tri
-ko-lor. Joseph’s coat. Lat. three-coloured (the leaves). Tropics.

Amaryllis
L. (Amaryllidaceae). am-uh-
ril
-is. The name of a shepherdess in Gk. myth. 1 sp., bulbous herb. S Africa.

belladonna
L. bel-uh-
don
-uh. Bella-donna lily, Jersey lily. Ital. beautiful woman.

Amberboa
Vaill. (Asteraceae). am-bur-
boh
-uh. From the Turkish name. 6 spp. herbs. S Eur. to C Asia.

moschata
(L.) DC. mos-
kah
-tuh. Sweet sultan. Lat. musk-scented (the flowers). SW Asia.

Amelanchier
Medik. (Rosaceae). am-uh-
lang
-kee-uh. Provençal name for the fruit of
A. ovalis
, from Lat.
malum
(apple). 20 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., N and C Am.

alnifolia
(Nutt.) Nutt. ex M. Roem. al-ni-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves like
Alnus
. USA, Canada.

arborea
(F. Michx.) Fernald. ar-
bor
-ree-uh. Lat. tree-like. E USA, E Canada.

canadensis
(L.) Medik. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Of Canada. E USA, E Canada.

×
grandiflora
Rehder. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Cult.

laevis
Wiegand.
lee
-vis. Lat. smooth (the leaves). E USA, E Canada.

lamarckii
Schröd. la-
mar
-kee-ee. After Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829), French naturalist. Eur.

American bugleweed
Lycopus americanus

Ammi
L. (Apiaceae).
am
-ee. Name used by Dioscorides for probably a different plant, from Gk. sand, referring to the habitat. 4 spp. herbs. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

majus
L.
may
-joos. Lat. larger.

visnaga
(L.) Lam. viz-
nah
-guh. From an old word for parsnip, referring to the roots. S Eur., W Asia.

Ammophila
Host (Poaceae). uh-
mo
-fil-uh. Gk. sand-loving. 3 spp. grasses. Eur., N Africa, E USA, E Canada, SW Asia.

arenaria
(L.) Link. a-ruh-
nair
-ree-uh. Marram grass. Lat. growing in sand. Eur., N Africa, SW Asia.

breviligulata
Fernald. bre-vee-lig-ew-
lah
-tuh. American beach grass. Lat. with a short ligule. E USA, E Canada.

Amorpha
L. (Fabaceae). uh-
mor
-fuh. Gk. shapeless (the corolla has only one petal, unlike related genera). 15 spp. shrubs. N Am.

canescens
Pursh. kan-
es
-uhnz. Lead plant. Lat. grey (the foliage).

fruticosa
L. frue-ti-
koh
-suh. False indigo. Lat. shrubby.

ouachitensis
Wilbur. wosh-ee-
ten
-sis. Of the Ouachita Mts. USA (Arkansas, Oklahoma).

Amorphophallus
Blume ex Decne. (Araceae). uh-mor-foh-
fa
-loos. Gk. shapeless phallus. 150 spp. cormous herbs. Old World tropics.

bulbifer
(Roxb.) Blume.
bul
-bi-fuh. Voodoo lily. Lat. bearing bulbs (on the leaves). NE India, Myanmar.

Ampelaster carolinianus
(Walter) G. L. Nesom =
Symphyotrichum carolinianum

Ampelopsis
Michx. (Vitaceae). am-pel-
op
-sis. Gk. like a grape vine. 25 spp. climbers. N Am., Asia.

aconitifolia
Bunge. a-kon-ie-ti-
foh
-leeuh. Lat. with leaves like
Aconitum
.

brevipedunculata
(Maxim.) Trautv. =
A. glandulosa
var.
brevipedunculata

glandulosa
(Wall.) Momiy. gland-ew-
loh
-suh. Lat. glandular. E Asia. var.
brevipedunculata
(Maxim.) Momiy. brev-ee-pe-dunk-ew-
lah
-tuh. Lat. with a short peduncle. var.
heterophylla
(Thunb.) Momiy. het-e-
rof
-iluh. Gk. with variable leaves.

megalophylla
Diels & Gilg. meg-uhloh-
fil
-uh. Gk. with large leaves. W China.

Amsonia
Walter (Apocynaceae). am-
soh
-nee-uh. Bluestar. After Charles Amson, 18th-cent. physician of Virginia. 20 spp. herbs. N Am., Japan, SE Eur., Turkey.

ciliata
Walter. sil-ee-
ah
-tuh. Lat. ciliate (the young shoots and leaves, sometimes). SE USA.

hubrichtii
Woodson. hew-
brikt
-ee-ee. After American naturalist Leslie Hubricht (1908–2005), who discovered it in 1942. Ouachita Mts. USA (Arkansas, Oklahoma).

illustris
Woodson. il-
us
-tris. Lat. shining (the leaves). SE USA.

orientalis
Decne. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Lat. eastern. Greece, NW Turkey.

tabernaemontana
Walter. tab-ur-niemon-
tah
-nuh. Originally named as a species of the related genus
Tabernaemontana
. E USA.

Anacyclus
L. (Asteraceae). an-uh-
sike
-loos. From Gk. without, flower and ring, referring to the outer florets lacking petals. 12 spp. herbs. Medit.

pyrethrum
(L.) Link. pie-
reeth
-room. From the Gk. name of a plant. var.
depressus
(Ball) Maire. dee-
pres
-oos. Lat. low-growing. Spain, N Africa.

Anagallis
L. (Primulaceae). uh-
nag
-uh-lis, an-uh-
gah
-lis. The Gk. name, from Gk. to laugh (it was said to make people happy). 30 spp. herbs. Widespread.

arvensis
L. ar-
ven
-sis. Scarlet pimpernel. Lat. of fields. Eur.

monelli
L. mon-
el
-ee. Blue pimpernel. After French doctor Jean Monnell (Lat.
Monellus
) de Bouverix. Medit.

tenella
(L.) L. ten-
el
-uh. Bog pimpernel. Lat. slender (the stems). W Eur.

Ananas
Mill. (Bromeliaceae). uh-
nan
-uhs. From a native S American name meaning excellent fruit. 8 spp. herbs. S Am.

comosus
(L.) Merr. ko-
moh
-soos. Pineapple. Lat. with a head of long hair, referring to the apical tuft of leaves. Cult.

Anaphalis
DC. (Asteraceae). uh-
na
-fuh-lis. Gk. name for a similar plant. 50 spp. herbs. E Asia, N Am.

margaritacea
(L.) Benth. & Hook.f. mar-guh-ri-
tay
-see-uh. Pearly everlasting. Lat. like pearls (the flower-heads). USA, Canada, Mex. (B.C.), E Asia.

triplinervis
(Sims) C. B. Clarke. tri-pli-
nerv
-is. Lat. with three veins (the leaves). Himal., Tibet.

Anchusa
L. (Boraginaceae). an-
chue
-suh. Gk. name of a plant mentioned by Dioscorides as used for dyeing. 35 spp. herbs. Eur., Africa, W Asia.

azurea
Mill. uh-
zewr
-ree-uh. Lat. blue (the flowers). Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

Andromeda
L. (Ericaceae). an-
drom
-iduh. After Andromeda of Gk. myth. 2 spp. shrubs. N temp. regs.

polifolia
L. pol-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Bog rosemary. An old name used for this plant.

Andropogon
L. (Poaceae). an-
drop
-ohgon. From Gk. man, beard, referring to the hairy spikelets. 100 spp. grasses. Widespread.

gerardii
Vitman. je-
rard
-ee-ee. Big bluestem. After Louis Gerard (1733–1819), French physician and botanist. N and C Am.

glomeratus
(Walter) Britton et al. glom-uh-
rah
-toos. Bushy bluestem. Lat. clustered (the inflorescence). USA to Colombia and Caribb.

hallii
Hack.
hawl
-ee-ee. After American author and plant collector Elihu Hall (1822–1882), who, with J. P. Harbour, collected the type specimen in Nebraska in 1862. N Am.