The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (48 page)

maximum
Bartram.
max
-i-moom. American cow parsnip. Lat. largest. Canada, USA.

herb Bennet
Geum urbanum

herb Paris
Paris quadrifolia

Hercules’ club
Aralia spinosa

Hermodactylus tuberosus
(L.) Mill. =
Iris tuberosa

Hesperaloe
Engelm. (Asparagaceae). hes-puh-
ra
-loh-ee. From Gk. western,
Aloe
. 7 spp. evergreen herbs. Texas, N Mex.

parviflora
(Torr.) J. M. Coult. par-vi-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. small-flowered.

Hesperantha
Ker Gawl. (Iridaceae). hes-puh-
ranth
-uh. Gk. evening flower. 84 spp. perenn. herbs. Africa.

coccinea
(Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J. C. Manning. kok-
sin
-ee-uh. Kaffir lily. Lat. scarlet (the flowers). S Africa.

Hesperis
L. (Brassicaceae).
hes
-pe-ris. From Gk. evening (when the flowers are fragrant). 25 spp. herbs. Eur., W and C Asia, China.

matronalis
L. mat-ron-
ah
-lis. Dame’s violet. Lat. of matrons (referring to the Roman festival of matrons on March 1). Eur., W and C Asia.

Hesperostipa
(M. K. Elias) Barkworth (Poaceae). hes-pe-roh-
steep
-uh. Gk. west, the related
Stipa
(from their distribution). 5 spp. grasses. N Am.

spartea
(Trin.) Barkworth.
spart
-eeuh. Porcupine grass. From Gk. cord.

Hesperoyucca
(Engelm.) Trel. (Asparagaceae). hes-pe-roh-
yook
-uh. Gk. evening (signifying western, where the sun sets),
Yucca
. 3 spp. evergreen perenn. herbs. SW USA., N Mex.

whipplei
(Torr.) Trel.
wi
-puh-lee. Our Lord’s candle. After American army surveyor Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818–1863), who took part in the USA–Mexico boundary survey in S California in 1849, on which it was discovered. SW Calif., NW Mex. (B.C.).

Heuchera
L. (Saxifragaceae).
hew
-kuh-ruh. Alum root. After Johann Heinrich von Heucher (1677–1746), Vienna-born physician. 37 spp. herbs. Canada, USA, N Mex.

americana
L. uh-me-ri-
kah
-nuh. American alum root. Of America. SE Canada, E USA.

cylindrica
Douglas. si-
lin
-dri-kuh. Poker alum root. Lat. cylindrical (the inflorescence). SW Canada, W USA.

micrantha
Douglas ex Lind. mik-
ranth
-uh. Crevice alum root. Gk.
small-flowered. SW Canada, W USA.

pulchella
Wooton & Standl. pool-
kel
-uh. Lat. beautiful. New Mexico.

richardsonii
R. Br. rich-uhd-
sohn
-eeee. After Scottish surgeon and explorer Sir John Richardson (1787–1865), who collected the type specimen in British Columbia in 1826. Canada, USA.

sanguinea
Engelm. san-
gwin
-ee-uh. Coralbells. Lat. bloody (the flower colour). SW USA, N Mex.

villosa
Michx. vil-
oh
-suh. Hairy alum root. Lat. with long hairs (on the stems and leaves). E and C USA.

×
Heucherella
Wehrh. (Saxifragaceae). hew-kuh-
rel
-uh. From the names of the parents (
Heuchera
×
Tiarella
). Herbs. Cult.

alba
(Lemoine) Stearn.
al
-buh. Lat. white (the flowers).
H
. ×
brizoides
×
T. wherryi
.

tiarelloides
(Lemoine) Wehrh. ex Stearn. tee-uh-rel-
oy
-deez. Lat. like
Tiarella. H
. ×
brizoides
×
T. cordifolia
.

Hexastylis arifolia
(Michx.) Small =
Asarum arifolium

naniflora
H. L. Blomq.=
Asarum naniflorum

Hibanobambusa
Maruy. & H. Okamura (Poaceae). hi-bah-nohbam-
bew
-suh. From Mount Hiba (where it was found),
Bambusa
. 1 sp., bamboo. Japan.

tranquillans
(Koidz.) Maruy. & H. Okamura.
trank
-wil-anz. Lat. calm.

Hibiscus
L. (Malvaceae). hi-
bis
-koos. From a Gk. name used by Dioscorides for a mallow. 200 spp., herbs, shrubs, trees. Widespread in warm regs.

acetosella
Welw. ex Hiern. uh-seet-oh-
sel
-uh. African rosemallow. Lat. a little acid (the taste of the leaves). Trop. Africa, Mauritius.

coccineus
Walter. kok-
sin
-ee-oos. Scarlet rosemallow. Lat. scarlet (the flowers). SE USA.

huegelii
Endl. =
Alyogyne huegelii

laevis
All.
lee
-vis. Halberdleaf rose-mallow. Lat. smooth (the leaves). E and C USA.

lasiocarpos
Cav. =
H. moscheutos
subsp.
lasiocarpos

militaris
Cav. =
H. laevis

moscheutos
L. mos-
kew
-tos. Crimson-eyed rosemallow. Lat. musk-scented (the flowers). E and C USA. subsp.
lasiocarpos
(Cav.) O. J. Blanchard. laz-ee-oh-
kar
-pos. Woolly rosemallow. Gk. hairy fruit. C and SW USA, N Mex.

mutabilis
L. mew-
tab
-i-lis. Lat. changing (the flower colour). China, Taiwan, Japan.

palustris
L. =
H. moscheutos

rosa-sinensis
L.
roh
-zuh-sin-
en
-sis. Lat. rose of China. China.

sinosyriacus
L. H. Bailey. sie-noh-siree-
ah
-koos. The Chinese
H. syriacus
. China.

syriacus
L. si-ree-
ah
-koos. Rose of Sharon. Lat. of Syria, where it was thought to originate. China, Taiwan.

trionum
L. trie-
oh
-noom. Flower of an hour. Gk. name used by Theophrastus for a related plant. E Eur., Africa, W and C Asia.

hickory
Carya
.
big shellbark
C. laciniosa
.
shagbark
C. ovata
.
shell-bark
C. ovata

hierba mansa
Anemopsis californica

Hierochloe
R. Br. (Poaceae). hie-roh-
kloh
-ee. From Gk. sacred grass (
H. odorata
has been used in religious ceremonies). 33 spp. grasses. N temp. regs., trop. mts.

odorata
(L.) P. Beauv. oh-do-
rah
-tuh. Holy grass. Lat. fragrant (the foliage). Canada, USA, Eur., temp. Asia.

Himalayacalamus
Keng f. (Poaceae). him-uh-lay-uh-
kal
-uh-moos. From Himalaya, and Gk. reed. 8 spp. bamboos. Himal., Tibet, China.

falconeri
(Munro) Keng f. fal-
koh
-nuh-ree. Candy stripe bamboo. After Scottish naturalist and surgeon Hugh Falconer (1808–1865), who worked in India. Himal., Tibet.

hookerianus
(Munro) Stapleton. hook-uh-ree-
ah
-noos. Himalayan blue bamboo. After English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker (1817–1911), son of William Joseph and director of RBG Kew, who collected the type specimen in Sikkim in 1848. Himal.

Hippeastrum
Herb. (Amaryllidaceae). hip-ee-
as
-troom. From Gk. knight’s star, from a supposed resemblance between the flowers and the star worn by knights. 55 spp. bulbous herbs. Mex. to S Am.

Hippocrepis
L. (Fabaceae). hip-oh-
krep
-is. From Gk. horse shoe, referring to the shape of the seed pods. 34 spp., herbs, shrubs. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

comosa
L. ko-
moh
-suh. Horseshoe vetch. Lat. bearing tufts (the clustered flowers). Eur.

emerus
(L.) Lassen.
em
-uh-roos. Scorpion senna. From an Italian name for vetch.

Hippophae
L. (Elaeagnaceae).
hi
-pofee, hi-
po
-fa-ee. The Gk. name, from Gk. horse, shining (it was fed to horses to improve their health and appearance). 5 spp., shrubs, trees. Eur., Asia.

rhamnoides
L. ram-
noy
-deez. Sea buckthorn. Lat. like
Rhamnus
.

Hippuris
L. (Plantaginaceae). hip-
ew
-ris. From Gk. horse tail. 1 sp., aquatic herb. Widespread.

vulgaris
L. vul-
gar
-ris. Mare’s tail. Lat. common.

hobblebush, Florida
Agarista populifolia

Hoheria
A. Cunn. (Malvaceae). hoh-
heer
-ree-uh. From the Maori name of
H. populnea
. 6 spp. trees. NZ.

glabrata
Sprague & Summerh. glab-
rah
-tuh. Lat. becoming smooth (the leaves).

lyallii
Hook.f. lie-
al
-ee-ee. After Scottish surgeon and naturalist David Lyall (1817–1895), who collected the type specimen.

populnea
A. Cunn. po-
pool
-nee-uh. Lat. like
Populus
(the leaves).

sexstylosa
Colenso. sex-stie-
loh
-suh. Lat. with six styles (the flowers).

Holboellia
Wall. (Lardizabalaceae). hol-
bel
-ee-uh. After Danish botanist Frederik Ludvig Holbøll (1765–1829), superintendent of Copenhagen Botanical Garden. 20 spp. woody climbers. Himal., China, SE Asia.

coriacea
Diels. ko-ree-
ay
-see-uh. Lat. leathery (the leaves). C China.

latifolia
Wall. lat-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with broad leaves (leaflets). Himal., China.

Holcus
L. (Poaceae).
hol
-koos. Gk./Lat. name for a grain-producing grass. 8 spp. grasses. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.

mollis
L.
mol
-is. Creeping soft grass. Lat. soft (the foliage). Eur., W Asia.

holly
Ilex
.
American
I. opaca
.
blue
I.
×
meserveae
.
Chilean
Desfontainia spinosa.
common
Ilex aquifolium.
Highclere
I.
×
altaclerensis
.
horned
I. cornuta
.
Japanese
I. crenata

hollyhock
Alcea rosea

Holodiscus
(K. Koch) Maxim. (Rosaceae). ho-loh-
disk
-oos. Gk. entire disk, referring to the unlobed disk of the flower. 6 spp. shrubs. SW Canada to Colombia.

discolor
(Pursh) Maxim.
dis
-ko-lor. Ocean spray. Lat. two-coloured (the upper and lower leaf surfaces). SW Canada, W USA.

honesty
Lunaria annua
.
perennial
L. rediviva

honeyflower
Melianthus major

honeysuckle
Aquilegia canadensis, Lonicera
.
Amur
L. maackii
.
Cape
Tecoma capensis
.
common
Lonicera periclymenum
.
fly
L. xylosteum
.
French
Hedysarum coronarium
.
Himalayan
Leycesteria formosa
.
Italian
Lonicera caprifolium
.
Japanese
L. japonica
.
scarlet trumpet
L.
×
brownii
.
swamp
Rhododendron viscosum
.
Tatarian
Lonicera tatarica
.
trumpet
L. sempervirens