The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (11 page)

cerefolium
(L.) Hoffm. ke-ree-
foh
-leeoom. Chervil. Lat. wax-leaved. Eur., W Asia.

sylvestris
(L.) Hoffm. sil-
ves
-tris. Cow parsley, Queen Anne’s lace. Lat. of woods. Eur., W Asia, N Africa.

Anthurium
Schott (Araceae). an-
thur
-ree-oom. Flamingo flower. Gk. flower, tail, referring to the slender flower spikes. 1000 spp. perenn. herbs. Trop. Am.

andraeanum
Linden ex André. on-dray-
ah
-noom. After Édouard François André (1840–1911), French nurseryman and landscape architect. Colombia, Ecuador.

Anthyllis
L. (Fabaceae). an-
thil
-is. Gk. name of a plant used by Dioscorides. 20 spp., herbs, shrubs. Eur., Medit.

montana
L. mon-
tah
-nuh. Lat. of mountains. Medit.

vulneraria
L. vul-nuh-
rair
-ree-uh. Kidney vetch, lady’s fingers. From Lat. wound (it was classically used to dress wounds).

Anticlea
Kunth (Melanthiaceae). an-
tik
-lee-uh. Death camus. After Anticlea of Gk. myth., mother of Odysseus. 10 spp. bulbous herbs. N and C Am., E Eur., temp. Asia.

elegans
(Pursh) Rydb.
el
-i-ganz. Alkali grass. Lat. elegant. N Am., N Mex.

Antirrhinum
L. (Plantaginaceae). an-tee-
rie
-noom. Gk. like a nose, referring to the flowers. 20 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Eur., Medit.

majus
L.
may
-joos. Snapdragon. Lat. large. Medit.

molle
L.
mol
-ee. Lat. softly hairy. Spain, Portugal.

Aphelandra
R. Br. (Acanthaceae). af-uh-
lan
-druh. Gk. simple, male, referring to the one-celled anthers. 170 spp. shrubs. Trop. Am.

squarrosa
Nees. skwo-
roh
-suh. Zebra plant. Lat. with projecting tips (on the inflorescence). Brazil.

Apios
Fabr. (Fabaceae).
ay
-pee-os. Gk. pear, from the shape of the tubers. 10 spp. herbs. N Am., E Asia.

americana
Medik. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. Potato bean. Of America. N Am.

Apium
L. (Apiaceae).
ay
-pee-oom. Lat. celery, parsley. 25 spp. herbs. Widespread.

graveolens
L. grav-ee-
oh
-luhnz. Celery. Lat. strong-smelling. var.
rapaceum
(Mill.) DC. ra-
pay
-seeoom. Celeriac. Lat. like a turnip.

apple
Malus
.
orchard
M. pumila
apple of Peru
Nicandra physalodes
apricot
Prunus armeniaca
.
Japanese
P. mume

Aquilegia
L. (Ranunculaceae). ak-wilee-
juh
. Columbine. From Lat. eagle, referring to the shape of the flowers. 80 spp. herbs. N temp. regs.

alpina
L. al-
pie
-nuh. Lat. alpine. Alps.

atrata
W. D. J. Koch. uh-
trah
-tuh. Lat. black (the dark flowers). S Eur.

bertolonii
Schott. bur-to-
loh
-nee-ee. After Italian botanist Antonio Bertoloni (1775–1869). SW Eur.

canadensis
L. kan-uh-
den
-sis. Meetinghouses, honeysuckle. Of Canada. E USA, S Canada.

chrysantha
A. Gray. kris-
anth
-uh. Golden columbine. Gk. golden-flowered. S USA.

coerulea
E. James. suh-
rue
-lee-uh. Colorado blue columbine. Lat. blue (the flowers). W USA.

ecalcarata
Maxim. ee-kal-suh-
rah
-tuh. Lat. without a spur (the flower). China.

flabellata
Sieb. & Zucc. flab-uh-
lah
-tuh. Lat. fan-like (the leaflets). Japan.

formosa
Fisch. ex DC. for-
moh
-suh. Western columbine. Lat. beautiful. W USA, W Canada.

fragrans
Benth.
fray
-gruhnz. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). Himal.

longissima
A. Gray ex S. Watson. long-
gis
-i-muh. Longspur columbine. Lat. longest (the spur). SW USA.

saximontana
Rydb. sax-ee-mon-
tah
-nuh. Rocky Mountain blue
columbine. Of the Rocky Mountains. USA (Colorado).

scopulorum
Tidestr. skop-ew-
lor
-room. Utah columbine. Lat. of rocky places or cliffs. W USA.

skinneri
Hook.
skin
-uh-ree. Skinner’s columbine. After George Ure Skinner (1804–1867), English merchant. It was described from plants grown at Woburn Abbey that he sent from Guatemala. Mex., Guatemala.

vulgaris
L. vul-
gar
-ris. Common columbine. Lat. common. Eur.

Arabis
L. (Brassicaceae).
a
-ruh-bis. Rockcress. Gk. Arabian. 100 spp. herbs. N temp. regs.

alpina
L. al-
pie
-nuh. Lat. alpine. Eur. subsp.
caucasica
(Willd.) Briq. kaw-
kas
-i-kuh. Of the Caucasus.

blepharophylla
Hook. & Arn. blefuh-roh-
fil
-uh. Rose rockcress. Gk. with fringed leaves. Calif.

caucasica
Willd. =
A. alpina
subsp.
caucasica

ferdinandi-coburgii
Kellerer & Sünd. fer-di-
nan
-dee-koh-
burg
-ee-ee. After King Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861–1948). Bulgaria.

procurrens
Waldst. & Kit. pro-
ku
-ruhnz. Lat. running (spreads by stolons). E Eur.

Aralia
L. (Araliaceae). uh-
rah
-lee-uh. From the French-Canadian name. 70 spp., herbs, shrubs, climbers, trees. E Asia, N Am.

cachemirica
Decne. kash-
mi
-ri-kuh. Of Kashmir. W and C Himal.

californica
S. Watson. kal-i-
for
-nikuh. California spikenard. Of California. Calif., Oregon.

cordata
Thunb. kor-
dah
-tuh. Lat. heart-shaped (the leaflets, sometimes). E Asia.

elata
(Miq.) Seem. ee-
lah
-tuh. Japanese angelica tree. Lat. tall. E Asia.

racemosa
L. ras-i-
moh
-suh. American spikenard. Lat. in racemes (the flowers). E USA, E Canada.

spinosa
L. spi-
noh
-suh. Devil’s walking stick, Hercules’ club. Lat. spiny. E USA, E Canada.

Araucaria
Juss. (Araucariaceae). a-row-
kah
-ree-uh. From the Araucanos (now Mapuche), Spanish name for inhabitants of the region where
A. araucana
grows. 18 spp. trees. New Caledonia, Chile, Brazil.

araucana
(Molina) K. Koch. a-row-
kah
-nuh. Monkey puzzle. Deriv. as for genus. Chile.

columnaris
(J. R. Forst.) Hook. ko-loom-
nah
-ris. New Caledonia pine. Lat. columnar (the habit). New Caledonia.

heterophylla
(Salisb.) Franco. het-e-
rof
-i-luh. Norfolk Island pine. Lat. variably leaved. Norfolk Is.

Araujia
Brot. (Apocynaceae). uh-
row
-jee-uh. After António de Araújo e Azevedo (1754–1817), Portuguese botanist and statesman. 3 spp. climbers. S Am.

sericifera
Brot. se-ri-
ki
-fuh-ruh. Cruel plant. Lat. silky (the young foliage).

arborvitae
Thuja.
American
T. occidentalis
.
Chinese
Platycladus orientalis

Arbutus
L. (Ericaceae). ar-
bew
-toos. Lat. name for
A. unedo
. 10 spp. trees. Eur., W Asia, N and C Am.

×
andrachnoides
Link. an-drak-
noy
-deez. Like
A. andrachne. A. andrachne
×
A. unedo
. S Eur., W Asia.

menziesii
Pursh. men-
zee
z-ee-ee. Pacific madrone. After Scottish surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies (1754–1842), who collected the type specimen. W USA, SW Canada.

texana
Buckley =
A. xalapensis

unedo
L. ew-
nee
-doh. Strawberry tree. Lat. I eat one (referring to the bland taste,
unum edo
, words of Pliny the Elder). Medit., Turkey, SW Ireland.

xalapensis
Kunth. hal-uh-
pen
-sis. Of Xalapa. Mex., C Am., SW USA.

Arctostaphylos
Adans. (Ericaceae). ark-toh-
staf
-i-los. Gk. bear, bunch of grapes (see
A. uva-ursi
). 60 spp., shrubs, trees. W N Am., Eur., N Asia.

columbiana
Piper. ko-lum-bee-
ah
-nuh. Hairy manzanita. Of the Columbia River area. W USA, SW Canada.

nevadensis
A. Gray. nev-uh-
den
-sis. Pinemat manzanita. Of the Sierra Nevada. W USA.

uva-ursi
(L.) Spreng. ue-vuh-
ur
-see. Bearberry. Lat. bear grape. N temp. regs.

Arctotis
L. (Asteraceae). ark-
toh
-tis. African daisy. Gk. bear’s ear (the ear-like pappus scales). 50 spp., herbs, subshrubs. S Africa.

fastuosa
Jacq. fas-tew-
oh
-suh. Cape daisy. Lat. proud (the showy flowers).

×
hybrida
hort.
hib
-ri-duh. Lat. hybrid. Cult.

Ardisia
Sw. (Myrsinaceae). ar-
dis
-ee-uh. From Gk. point or arrow point, referring to the pointed anthers. 120 spp., shrubs, trees. Mainly trop. Asia and Am.

crenata
Sims. kre-
nah
-tuh. Coralberry. Lat. finely way (the leaf edge). E Asia.

japonica
(Thunb.) Blume. juh-
pon
-ikuh. Of Japan. China, Japan.

Arenaria
L. (Caryophyllaceae). a-ruh-
nair
-ree-uh. Sandwort. From Lat. sand, referring to the habitat of many. 210 spp. herbs. N temp. regs.

montana
L. mon-
tah
-nuh. Lat. of mountains. SW Eur.

purpurascens
DC. pur-pew-
ras
-uhnz. Lat. purplish (the flowers). Pyrenees, N Spain.

Argemone
L. (Papaveraceae). ar-
gem
-on-ee. Prickly poppy. Gk. name for a poppy-like plant, from Gk. for cataract (supposed med. properties). 25 spp. herbs. S USA to S Am.

grandiflora
Sweet. gran-di-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. large-flowered. Mex.

polyanthemos
(Fedde) G. B. Ownbey. pol-ee-
an
-thuh-mos. Crested prickly poppy. Gk. many-flowered. W USA.

Argyranthemum
Webb (Asteraceae). ar-gi-
ranth
-uh-moom. Gk. silver flower. 24 spp. subshrubs. Macaronesia.

frutescens
(L.) Sch. Bip. frue-
tes
-uhnz. Marguerite. Lat. somewhat shrubby. Canary Is.

Arisaema
Mart. (Araceae). a-ri-
see
-muh. Gk. arum, blood, referring to the spotted leaves of some. 170 spp. herbs. Asia, E Africa, N Am.