The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (43 page)

‘Atkinsii’
. at-
kinz
-ee-ee. After English nurseryman James Atkins (1804–1884), who introduced it to cultivation.

elwesii
Hook.f. el-
wez
-ee-ee. After English naturalist and plant collector Henry John Elwes (1846–1922), who introduced it to gardens in 1884 from near Smyrna (now Izmir), Turkey. SE Eur., W Asia. var.
monostictus
P. D. Sell. mon-oh-
stik
-toos. Gk. with one spot (on the petals). S Turkey.

ikariae
Baker. i-
kah
-ree-ie. Lat. of Ikaria. Aegean Is.

nivalis
L. ni-
vah
-lis. Common snow-drop. Lat. of the snow. Eur., Caucasus.
‘Viridapice’
. vi-rid-
ay
-pi-see. Lat. green at the tip (the petals).

plicatus
M. Bieb. pli-
kah
-toos. Lat. folded (the leaves). E Eur., W Asia.

reginae-olgae
Orph. re-
jee
-nie-
ol
-gie. After Queen Olga of Greece (1851–1926), grandmother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. SE Eur.

woronowii
Losinsk. vo-ro-
nov
-ee-ee. After Russian botanist Yuri Nikoláyevich Vóronov (1874–1931), who collected in the Caucasus. NE Turkey, Caucasus.

Galax
Sims (Diapensiaceae).
ga
-lax. From Gk. milk, referring to the flower colour. 1 sp., herb. SE USA.

urceolata
(Poir.) Brummitt. ur-keeoh-
lah
-tuh. Beetleweed. Lat. like a small pitcher (the flowers).

Galega
L. (Fabaceae). guh-
lee
-guh. From Gk. milk (
G. officinalis
has been used to increase milk production in goats and cattle). 6 spp. herbs. Eur., W Asia, N and E Africa.

×
hartlandii
Hartland. hart-
land
-ee-ee. After the Hartland nursery, Cork, Ireland, where it was raised.
G. officinalis
×
G. orientalis
. Cult.

officinalis
L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Goat’s rue. Lat. sold as a med. herb. C and S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

orientalis
Lam. o-ree-en-
tah
-lis. Lat. eastern. Caucasus.

galingale
Cyperus longus

Galium
L. (Rubiaceae).
gal
-ee-oom. Bedstraws. From the Gk. name used by Dioscorides, who said that Gk. shepherds used
G. aparine
(cleavers) to strain milk, from Gk. milk. The flowers of
G. verum
were used to curdle milk. 400 spp. herbs. Widespread.

odoratum
(L.) Scop. oh-do-
rah
-toom. Sweet woodruff. Lat. scented (the flowers and foliage). Eur., W and C Asia.

verum
Scop.
veer
-oom. Lady’s bed-straw. Lat. true. Eur., W Asia.

Galtonia candicans
(Baker) Decne. =
Ornithogalum candicans

viridiflora
I. Verd. =
Ornithogalum viridiflorum

gardener’s garters
Phalaris arundinacea

Gardenia
J. Ellis (Rubiaceae). gar-
den
-ee-uh. After Alexander Garden (1730–1791), Scottish physician and naturalist who worked in South Carolina and sent specimens of other plants to the author, John Ellis. 140 spp., shrubs, trees. Old World tropics and subtropics.

augusta
Merr. =
G. jasminoides

jasminoides
J. Ellis. jaz-min-
oy
-deez. Cape jasmine. Like jasmine (the flowers). SE Asia, S Japan.

thunbergia
Thunb. thun-
berg
-ee-uh. From the genus
Thunbergia
(it was originally named
T. capensis
). S Africa.

garland flower
Daphne cneorum

garlic
Allium sativum
.
keeled
A. carinatum
.
Naples
A. neapolitanum
.
round-headed
A. sphaerocephalon

Garrya
Douglas ex Lindl. (Garryaceae).
ga
-ree-uh. After English-born Nicholas Garry (ca. 1782–1856), first secretary (later deputy governor) of the Hudson’s Bay Co., who assisted David Douglas in his travels. 15 spp., shrubs, trees. W USA, Mex., C Am.

elliptica
Douglas ex Lindl. ee-
lip
-tikuh. Lat. elliptic (the leaves). Calif., Oregon.

×
issaquahensis
Talbot de Malahide ex E. C. Nelson. is-uh-kwah-
en
-sis. Of Issaquah, Washington State, USA, where it was raised.
G. elliptica
×
G. fremontii
. Cult.

Gaultheria
Kalm ex L. (Ericaceae). gawl-
theer
-ee-uh. After Jean François Gaultier (1708–1756), French-Canadian botanist and king’s physician in Quebec, who acted as guide for Kalm when he visited Canada. 130 spp. shrubs. Americas, E Asia, Australia, NZ.

mucronata
(L.f.) Hook. & Arn. mewkron-
ah
-tuh. Lat. with a short point (the leaves). Chile, Argentina.

procumbens
L. proh-
kum
-buhnz. Checkerberry, partridge berry, wintergreen. Lat. creeping. Canada, USA.

shallon
Pursh.
sha
-lon. Salal. From the Native American name. SW Canada, W USA.

×
wisleyensis
Middleton. wiz-lee-
en
-sis. Of RHS Wisley, Surrey, England, where it was first raised.
G. mucronata
×
G. shallon
. Cult.

Gaura coccinea
Pursh =
Oenothera suffrutescens

lindheimeri
Engelm. & A. Gray =
Oenothera lindheimeri

gayfeather
Liatris
.
barrelhead
L. cylindracea
.
dotted
L. punctata
.
marsh
L. spicata
.
northern
L. scariosa
.
Northern Plains
L. ligulistylis
.
prairie
L. pycnostachya
.
rough
L. aspera
.
smallhead
L. microcephala

Gazania
Gaertn. (Asteraceae). guh-
zah
-nee-uh. After Theodorus Gaza (1398–1478), Gk. scholar who translated the works of Theophrastus from Greek into Latin. Alternatively Gk./Lat. (from Persian), royal treasure, riches. 16 spp. herbs. Trop. and S Africa.

rigens
(L.) Gaertn.
ree
-guhnz. Lat. rigid (the leaves and spines). S Africa.

gean
Prunus avium

Gelsemium
Juss. (Gelsemiaceae). gel-
sem
-ee-oom. From the Italian word for jasmine. 3 spp. climbers. SE USA to C Am., China, SE Asia.

sempervirens
(L.) J. St. Hil. sem-per-
vie
-ruhnz. Yellow jessamine. Lat. evergreen. SE USA, Mex., C Am.

Genista
L. (Fabaceae). juh-
nis
-tuh. Broom. The Lat. name, possibly for Spanish broom (
Spartium junceum
). 90 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

aetnensis
(Biv.) DC. et-
nen
-sis. Mount Etna broom. Lat. of Mount Etna (Lat.
Aetna
). Sicily, Sardinia.

hispanica
L. his-
pan
-i-kuh. Spanish broom/gorse. Lat. of Spain (Lat.
Hispania
). SW Eur.

lydia
Boiss.
lid
-ee-uh. Lat. of Lydia (ancient reg. of W Turkey). SE Eur., Turkey.

pilosa
L. pi-
loh
-suh. Lat. with long hairs (the shoots and leaves). Eur.

tinctoria
L. tink-
tor
-ree-uh. Dyers’ greenweed. Lat. of dyers. Eur., W and C Asia.

gentian
Gentiana
.
bottle
G. andrewsii
.
pale
G. alba
.
spring
G. verna
.
trumpet
G. acaulis
.
willow
G. asclepiadea
.
yellow
G. lutea

Gentiana
L. (Gentianaceae). jent-shee-
ah
-nuh. Gentians. After Gentius, 2nd-cent. BCE king of Illyria (SE Eur.), who is said to have discovered their med. properties. 360 spp. herbs. Eur., Morocco, Asia, N and S Am., E Australia.

acaulis
L. ay-
kaw
-lis. Trumpet gentian. Gk. stemless. C and S Eur.

alba
Muhl.
al
-buh. Pale gentian. Lat. white (the flowers). E Canada, E and C USA.

andrewsii
Griseb. an-
druez
-ee-ee. Bottle gentian. After English botanist and botanical artist Henry Charles Andrews (ca. 1770–1830), who illustrated it before it was named. Canada, E and C USA.

asclepiadea
L. uh-sklee-pee-uh-
dee
-uh. Willow gentian. Like
Asclepias
. Eur., W Asia.

dahurica
Fisch. dah-
hew
-ri-kuh. Of Dahuria. Siberia, China.

lutea
L.
lue
-tee-uh. Yellow gentian. Lat. yellow (the flowers). Eur., Turkey.

septemfida
Pall. sep-
tem
-fi-duh. Lat. divided into seven (the corolla). W Asia. var.
lagodechiana
Kusn. lagoh-dek-ee-
ah
-nuh. Of Lagodekhi, Georgia.

sino-ornata
Balf.f.
sie
-noh-or-
nah
-tuh. The Chinese
G. ornata
(Himalayan sp., from Lat. ornamental). W China.

tibetica
King ex Hook.f. ti-
bet
-i-kuh. Of Tibet. E Himal., Tibet.

verna
L.
ver
-nuh. Spring gentian. Lat. of spring (flowering). Eur., Morocco, W Asia.

Geranium
L. (Geraniaceae). juh-
ray
-nee-oom. Cranesbills. Gk. name used by Dioscorides, from Gk. crane, referring to the resemblance of the fruits to a crane’s head and beak. 260 spp., herbs, subshrubs. Widespread.

asphodeloides
Burm.f. uhs-fod-uh-
loy
-deez. Like
Asphodelus
. SE Eur., W Asia.

×
cantabrigiense
Yeo. kant-uh-brig-ee-
en
-see. Lat. of Cambridge, England (whence it was described).
G. dalmaticum
×
G. macrorrhizum
. SE Eur.

cinereum
Cav. sin-
e
-ree-oom. Lat. grey (the leaves). France, Spain.

clarkei
Yeo.
klark
-ee-ee. After English botanist Charles Baron Clarke (1832–1906), who collected the type specimen. Kashmir.

dalmaticum
(Beck) Rech.f. dal-
mat
-i-koom. Of Dalmatia (now mostly in Croatia). SE Eur.

endressii
J. Gay. en-
dres
-ee-ee. After German pharmacist Philipp Anton Christoph Endress (1806–1831), who collected the type specimen in 1831. Pyrenees.

himalayense
Klotzsch. him-uh-lay-
en
-see. Himalayan cranesbill. Of the Himalaya. Afghanistan to Tibet.

macrorrhizum
L. mak-roh-
rie
-zoom. Gk. with a large root. S and C Eur.

maculatum
L. mak-ew-
lah
-toom. Spotted cranesbill. Lat. spotted (the leaves, sometimes). SE Canada, E USA.

×
magnificum
Hyl. mag-
ni
-fi-koom. Lat. magnificent.
G. ibericum
×
G. platypetalum
. Cult.